The Story of My Life...

As heard from the playroom a few minutes ago...

(Scene: Lydia and Benjamin are pretending to be the Mom and the Dad, playing "house" for real for what I think is the first time ever. THEN Lydia changes Ben to the "big brother" instead of the Dad. She has a baby doll next to her on the couch and one in her lap.)

Lydia:  "Okay, since there are two babies you watch this one while I nurse this one, ok?"

Lydia (again about 2 minutes later):  "Now you listen to your Mommy, I need to take a rest."

Can't imagine where she's heard that before! ;o)

Kid funnies!

The kids have been saying some seriously funny and cute things lately, and I always forget to write them down... Here are a recent few:



Lydia (age 5): "Mom, wouldn't it be cool if we were like God?"
Me: "Umm... yeah I guess so"
Lydia: "Know why I ask that? Because then it wouldn't take so long to make cake!"

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I had taught the children what it means to be a Sous Chef, (told them "it's like the main chef's helper!") and the other night I called "I need some help with dinner! Who can help me?" and Lydia comes running into the kitchen and says, " SURE MOM!! I"ll be your Sue Fesh!" :)

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Lydia still calls "hospital"  .... "Hostabull" ... it's so. so. cute.

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Benjamin (age 3) ran into the kitchen (this was TOTALLY random!) the other day and said,...
"Guess what Mommy? Did you notice we should love our Nenemies?"  (enemies)
It was so funny, random and cute!

...I'll add more as they happen or I remember them :)

"Leaf Raking Party!"

Last weekend we had some friends over to help us rake leaves... 

All these sweet little girls had kid sized rakes and no leaves in their backyard to use them on... I said, Oh well you need to come to OUR HOUSE!

... and the "Leaf raking party!" was born :) 

Nothing like friends who are willing to work with you AND have fun! 

L --> R

Elizabeth, Lydia, Cecilia, Josiah, Felicity

"MAKE A SILLY FACE!" 

"This leaf is bigger than my face!"

Lydia and Elizabeth - how cute are they!? 

Silly kid!

Felicity is a really good worker!

They made the pile "as tall as Elizabeth" as required, then I let them jump in ;) As you can see it quickly went everywhere. The problem with having children "help you rake leaves" is they usually don't stay in the pile for long! 

Benjamin shows me a leaf as big as his face ;) 

We made a little progress in the back yard!

Henry wakes up and joins in the fun! 

Henry Isaac...

Is OH SO CUTE....

This is his face when you say, "CHEEEESE!!!" hahaha

Welcome to the Church, Susanna!

We welcomed Susanna Louise into the Catholic Christian faith on October 19, 2013. My childhood best friend Bernadette and her husband Paul are her godparents. Here are a few quick pics!

All of us together!

Sister Helen (my Dad's cousin Mary Jane) with Lydia and Susanna

(or as Lydia calls her "The Nun!!") LOL... silly kids.

Susanna wore the same baptismal gown that I wore and that Lydia wore

My Dad, a deacon, baptized her- here is the whole gang! 

(Us, our kids, my Dad, Paul and Bernadette and their 3 boys)

Susanna and her wonderful godparents

Hey I have five kids...

and I'm thinking about hiring a babysitter so I can take a shower!


I'm only half kidding about that...

On Thursday, for reasons unbeknownst to myself, I took all FIVE children out for the first time, by myself. OH YES, I had a doctors apt. (It slipped my mind... most things do lately.)

SO, my gracious and wonderful friend Katherine watched my 3 "older" ones while I took the 2 babies to the doctors with me. Problem? How to get in there and keep them in there, (ahem, one of them being 1 yr old) without a double stroller. SERIOUS problem. I just couldn't think of a way to contain Henry AND carry in Susanna in her baby carrier. Uncool. So I loaded up the kids prior to the apt, took all of them into Babies R Us and bought one. No. Joke. Thanks to some generous family members at her baptism, we were able to get the stroller which we desperately needed- thanks ya'll! I don't have a picture to post, but trust me it's awesome. This thing can be used in 12 different ways. 12! I know, it's currently my dream come true.

Anyway I got someone asking me, "Are they all yours?" at both places I went with all five that day. (Later that evening we went to a library to surprise Daddy with his work presentation) I find it funny that it's so unbelievable for a Mom to travel with five kids and them all be related to her. Whatev!

The kids were actually great... I don't mind taking them all out, but Susanna IS still small and needy so unless I have a place to change her and nurse her frequently it can be tricky. If you don't mind poop shooting across your floor (sorry Katherine!!) then she is welcome. HA. Newborns... gotta love 'em. Anyway- point being, the kids were great, the only thing I notice is there is a significant time difference now. I will literally have to plan ahead for the 10-15 minutes it takes loading kids in and out of the car now before making trips. And pack everything in my huge new bag (thanks Nana!) WHICH I LOVE. (The bag, it's great)

Now... if only I can figure out how to get a shower... sighh....

Welcome Susanna Louise!

It's only taken me until she's almost three weeks old to post this... (sorry!) but we are happy to announce our newest little miracle arrived on September 18, 2013 at 8:49 in the morning, 7 lbs 15 oz (or 8 lbs!) and 20 inches. She was also born on my Grandparents 65th wedding anniversary, how cool! :)

Susanna Louise...

named (with a little twist!) after her Grandmothers Susan and Lois, as well as the Saints, Susanna and Louise of course... both wonderful women of God.

Big brother Extraordinaire 

Best Daddy Ever

Susie Sunshine! ;)

Grandpa and Grandma lovin's

Nana LoLo with Susanna

Big brother #2

Big Brother #3 

... ever seen a baby holding a baby? haha. Too cute.

THE BIG SISTER with her BABY SISTER!!! :) (Mimicking her little hand over her heart, hehe)

The new and improved family! ;)

Josiah's 7th Birthday!

So this post is LATE... clearly... HAHA, but Josiah turned 7 last month and I wanted to share some adorable pictures. :) Daddy took him and his "best buddies" down to the harbor and science center. They all HAD A BLAST from what I can see and what I heard!

All the kids at the science center being archaeologists... :)

...and being baby dinosaurs in eggs! haha

Aaaaaannnnd now we know this dinosaur could've eaten them all up... at once! ;)

After their day at the science center (this was a few days before Josiah's actually birthday) they came home to have dinner and celebrate with the rest of the families...

Josiah's SILLY face cupcakes, he made the faces- I stuck them in! ;)

Opening presents happily from his buddies! 

Josiah was spoiled on his ACTUAL birthday too a few days later by some friends of ours! We had a fun playdate at their house and then had dinner with Grandpa and Grandma. It was a great day! He had the "day off" school for his birthday, and this is how he chose to spend all that extra time.... 

Haha, the boy loves to read!! :)

Birthday Morning- pictures of his cake for later that day! :) 

At our friend Maria's house...

Playing outside! 

Benjamin couldn't get enough of these binoculars... 

Lydia and Maria BUG HUNTING!! :)

Grandma and Grandpa and Josiah :) 

Henry-- silly baby! :) 

Father's Day 2013

For Father's Day this year we took our two favorite Dad's down to the park and had a picnic, did a little "fishing" (I use this term loosely...you'll see why! haha) and generally just enjoyed our day together. We cherish these wonderful men in our lives, and all they do for us. Daddy and Grandpa- we love you so much! :) Here's some precious moments from our day together...

Henry and Grandpa SNUGGLES...

 Playing on the playground!! :)

 ooooh pretty water lillies!

 Daddy and his Boys!

Daddy and ALL 5 of his babies! :)

Grandpa caught a tiny fish, then said hey kids look let's fish... oh you caught one! haha ;)

Grandpa and Josiah with "his" fish...

 feeding the ducks... and grandpa walks to the other side of the dock...with the same fish still on the line... (LOL) ...

Then calls over Lydia- look Lyddie! You caught a fish!! haha. She's like, Um... cool. OK :)

Threw back in the pole- with THE SAME (poor little) fish... then told Ben to come try...

HAHA! LOVE that face, he was SO excited he "caught a fish!" Adorable. 

Grandpa and Ben with his "fish" :)