Just a quick note to let you all (all 5 of you that read this... just kidding!) that we are ok & still blogging. It's just that last week we had Vacation Bible School & even though it was only 3 hours a day, we managed to be busy with the usual things...well, not the blog.

On Friday, my Grandpa (Dad's dad), passed away, so after a weekend away, we are unpacking & re-packing to head up to ND for the funeral & to be with my family. Hopefully when we get back, I can share more & maybe get some new pics up.

I don't think I'll even bother to put my suitcase away when we get back, though, since we have the annual diaconate retreat this weekend. I am looking forward to spending some time with my hubby for a weekend that we just eat, socialize, sleep, play & PRAY...maybe a little learning, too, but mostly some quiet time together & the kids will have some quality time with the grandparents.

I stand corrected...

I figured I would get something wrong when I try to process what Fr. Jeremy tells me and then try to spit it back out. It just never works out how I intend. So, I DID get the spelling wrong...it's WUJEK. And it wasn't Pope John Paul's nickname when he was little, rather when he was a priest, and in order to protect...you know what? I'm gonna get it wrong again, so I will take Father's word for it & let him call him "Wujek". And to quote Forrest Gump, (with a deep southern accent) "That's all I have to say about thaaat!"

Here's hoping!

Usually when I hear somebody say something once, I don't get too excited about it, but when more than one person tells me the exact same thing, I begin to sense what I like to call a "Godincidence". This is my word for "coincidence", but sensing that God has a hand in it and it's message, hence my funny word.

So, Father Jeremy has nicknamed Ian, "Wujack", (which I am sure I spelled wrong), and says that he calls him that because it was Pope John Paul II's nickname when he was little & that Ian looks just like him. Imagine my surprise when just this Sunday, one of our dear friends in the diaconate program, Steve, (who lives in Courtland, 2 hours away), while holding Ian says, "He looks just like Pope John Paul II when he was a baby!"

I, of course, had to check rather than take their words for it. Much to my surprise (and delight) that he really does! Also imagine my surprise when I see a picture (similar to the one I took here over 2 months ago) of JPII and his mommy!

With that in mind & a deeper sense, (even before all of this), that God may have a greater plan for our little "Wujack", here's praying that we may continue to guide him & help him grow in his love for God, and if destined for greatness as the late JPII, (who has been widely acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century), we don't get in his way when God calls him to do whatever it is He has planned for him.

Here's also hoping that all of our 4 little blessings' lives will center around God and that His will be done in their lives with trust and open hearts.

Aversions

aversion n. - a strong feeling of dislike, repugnance, or antipathy toward something and a desire to avoid it.

My observations of child aversions:
1. Anything clean - this is a very broad category, so I'll break it down:
a. toilets - nothin' says "pee all over the back of me" like a freshly cleaned toilet. Once soiled, it never seems to get worse, but it never fails that after a good scrubbing, someone manages to whiz all over it.
b. windows - what is it with having windows clean enough to look through that drives them crazy enough to rub food, spit, boogers, etc., all over them?
c. mirrors - are those tongue marks??
d. toys - aversions to the toys, unless they are all picked up by you, and then they're fun just long enough to scatter them everywhere, then it's on to something else.
e. the car - (See also 1b) How does so much food end up on the floor and under their seat? And where did all this garbage come from? Let's not mention the cupholders...looks like a science experiment! Ewww!

2. What you picked out for lunch & dinner

3. What you picked out for clothes that day

4. Directions for safety & well-being (all other bad instructions, especially by "friends", filter right on through to the long-term memory portion of the brain)

5. Napkins - why use a napkin when the underside of the table works just fine? Or their sleeve...or pants, or your clean shirt. But when given the opportunity to use a cloth napkin, they decide they don't want to get it dirty.

6. Baby has an aversion to being laid down most of the time.

7. Bedtime - Unless completely & utterly exhausted, someone will come down in less than 5 minutes & say "I can't sleep". Baby's aversion is to his own bed. Wakes up immediately in his bed, sleeps in ours, even when we're not in it. Maybe I should read "The Three Bears" again...

8. (This one may be considered a non-aversion, or could go under the "anything clean" category) A clean desk calendar - unless decorated by lines and scribbles, the month wouldn't be complete. Must also be done right when the new month starts so as not to have a "clean" schedule for an entire month.

9. Toilet paper - this discovery is uncovered when I do laundry. When toilet paper is utilized, it usually requires the use of plumbing tools to regain a proper functioning biffy.

10. Parent-to-parent interaction - It could be quiet for 30 minutes and as soon as you begin a conversation with your spouse, everyone decides that it's their turn to talk to Mom & Dad. This also includes any affectionate gestures, which result in little bodies squeezing in at the knees to get in on the lovin', or just keep us apart.

Of course, this is all in fun...I just had a list of sarcastic funnies piling up in my head & thought I'd share it. Now it's time to start cleaning all of those #1 aversions...again!

"I have something to say..."

For the most part, Ian is a pretty quiet baby and doesn't babble much...until last night. He somehow "speaks" with conviction & a sense of authority. He must be listening to his godfather's homilies...

"Four?!? Wow, you must be BUSY!"

When people ask me how many kids we have, the look on their face and the surprise in their voice when I say "four" just makes me smile. I never imagined that one day Jason & I would have 4 babies & I thought that I never wanted to have that much to do. For the most part, those selfish days are over and I find myself strangely serene about it all. Don't get me wrong, I have my days of overwhelming, hair-pulling, jaw-clenching moments, but overall, I am surprised by how much better it gets with each baby. Chalk it up maybe to experience, or even a growing maturity, but my alone time with Ian is spent much differently than when it was just AJ.

Yesterday while the older 3 helped Daddy in the garage, Ian & I worked in the garden & then laid on a blanket in the neighbor's fluffy grass, under the shade of a beautiful maple tree, gazing up at the clouds in the bright blue sky. Not something I took time to do early in my parenting journey. It was a blessed moment and the peace I found with that was priceless & I find myself looking forward to it more everyday. Yes, we are "busy", but it's a good way to be busy, and actually, they have helped me to slow down more mentally & enjoy the simple pleasures.

Adios, summer rec activities!

Well, summer recreation has ended for the kids & I find myself searching for ways to keep a very active 7 year-old boy busy enough so he doesn't drive us all mad. Now that we're in town, AJ's need to be constantly entertained has jumped into high gear. That was something I didn't see coming. I knew he would have more things to do & more kids to play with. What I didn't expect was that when he had a minute of down time, it would drive him bonkers, which in turn gets us all crazy because he can't stop asking about the next activity.

Yes, giving him work helps, but that only works for so long. Happily, Jason's route is done for the month, so being the wonderful Daddy that he is, he finds things to do with them to allow Ian his much needed quiet naptimes and smother-free Mommy time. This, in turn, makes everyone happier for the most part. I just have to figure out how to keep them that busy now that there is no summer rec to burn up their energy for a couple of hours and when Jason's route starts again! It might be time to start drinking coffee every morning...