Tomorrow! tomorrow!

I hear they're doing Annie next summer at the community theater in Marshall. It's too bad Elena's not just a few years older - she's already practicing the song "Tomorrow."

The phrase "Bet your bottom dollar" is a little abstract, however, so she replaces that with "Fetch a pail of water." The funniest part is that she knows it's not right so she always stops as soon as she says it, but she isn't sure how to fix it.

Happy Halloween!

It's great getting to a point where the kids can be actively involved in the holiday celebrations. Elena helped me scoop out pumpkins (Sam did his best) and then helped Seth make our first jack-o-lanterns (she picked out the shapes for the eyes and noses).

Then she sang "happy birthday" when we put the candles in the jack-o-lanterns.


Here are a few pictures from a "pumkin hunt" a friend of my Mom's had for the kids in her back yard. Elena found the pumkins, Alex threw them in the wheelbarrow and Sam was just happy to be there.

Only When You're 2

I'm sometimes struck by the things little kids can do that are considered cute - while an adult doing the same thing would be just plain old creepy.

I had one such moment today when we were leaving a bridal shower. After saying goodbye to a woman we had just met that day, Elena lifted her shirt and asked, "Do you like my belly?"

The woman kindly replied, "Yes. I do like your belly!"

Pretty sure I wouldn't have gotten the same response.

Officially a Lady

Seth recently became a 4th degree Knight of Columbus - which not only means that he is now officially a Sir Knight of the Church and I, his Lady, but he also gets to wear a funny hat & cape and carry a sword. It's every inner boy's dream come true. So feel free to greet us as Sir Seth and Lady Teresa from now on.
Here we are at the 4th degree banquet:

Minneota's newest 4th degrees and their wives (and Father Jeremy with his godson, Ian)

(By the way, you don't really have to greet us like that. It would actually be kind of awkward.)

What we do for fun around here

Advice, please.

Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. In my defense, I've once again started teaching Spanish to the local home-schooled families and teaching 10th grade religious ed. I'm also in a weekly bible study, a bi-monthly mom's group/papal encyclical study, and a monthly study group with some local couples.

The main culprit, though, is lack of sleep. Here's a sample of what my average night is like (this was last night):
11:30-12:00 go to bed after getting done whatever I couldn't do while the kids were awake
1:30 feed Sam
3:00 - 3:20 up with Elena, followed by Sam
4:30 feed Sam
5:05 feed Sam
5:15 - 6:00 up with Elena
6:30 awake with Elena
7:30 feed Sam
8:00 up with Sam (we got to sleep in today!)

Needless to say, I've been running on fumes around here. As example of my absent-mindedness, here are some cookies I recently baked.

Mmmmmm...hockey pucks.

Anyway, I'm open to suggestions on getting the kids to sleep through the night.

We did the whole crying it out thing with Elena. Several times. It works for a few weeks and then we're right back where we started from. Also, it's quite painful to do as she's so stubborn, she will scream bloody murder for up to 2 hours straight. Not to mention she wakes up Sam.

Seth could get up with them, but they both just cry for him, waking the other up. And then I have to get up anyway.

Lest I scare anyone away from ever wanting children, it's still totally worth it. And from talking to other parents, our children do seem to be exceptionally stubborn and difficult with sleeping.

Sam doesn't care to eat unless he's feeding himself. It makes for a lot of clean-up afterward, but it sure makes him happy.

Deep Thoughts

Seth: Ties are funny.

Me: They are?

Seth: Yeah. You just tie a piece of cloth around your neck and let it dangle there.
And that's the standard for looking nice.

Good point. Ties are funny.

$2!

That's all it cost to make our baby the handsomest little boy I've ever seen (even if he does look a little like Daddy Warbucks).
I love garage sales.

I'm gonna get you!

Did you know that world-wide this is the most common game played with children? Sam just loves it!