everyday Ann

living the ordinary seeing the extraordinary

Mom Life


Throwback picture to 2015 when we had just landed in the U.S. from Ghana. Finally with my boys, the ones who began my mom life!

1.  It is Friday, yippee!!! A four day week that turned into ten, with a few sleepless nights sprinkled in. We have all had those moments, days and weeks when our brains seem as if they turned to mush and our toddler can complete a task more successfully than us.

2.  When you sweep the entire floor and have enough food in the dust pan for a meal, but for some reason mistakenly throw it on top of a box of granola bars sitting in the pantry instead of in the garbage.

3.  After heating up the baby’s bottle you try to give it to the toddler. Her response,”Mama I am not a baby, I am a big girl. Silly mama!!”

4.  A weekend full of social events planned including Caden’s first birthday party and everything gets cancelled, because the poor little man came down with a severe case of hand, foot and mouth.

5.  You walk downstairs to get something and the moment you reach the last step you begin to wonder why you are downstairs.

6.  Reaching for the perfume you grab the hairspray instead, spraying it as if it was your body mist.

7.  Brewing a fully caffeinated extra strong cup of coffee you hand it to your seven year old instead of his hot chocolate. He doesn’t say anything until almost the entire cup is gone.

A side note…loving these cooler days of low 70s. May have to venture out and find some mums this weekend. Join Kelly for writing that is more coherent and well thought out.

As Our Hearts Ponder

(source)

School day number 4 in the books and we still seem to be adjusting to the new routine, not to mention that on day 3 I was already late for pick-up. I am also finding the need to come up with coping strategies come 3:45 when are are all together again and chaos seems to hit. Yesterday every single child was in tears between 4:00 and 5:00. Working on adjusting to everything being new again.

Writing at Catholic Mom this week for all of our mama hearts as we send our children back to school. Keeping all of you mothers in prayer as sometimes the transition is so much harder on us.

The Things They Say

Future priest and future police officer and of course our incredibly silly, sweet and dramatic princess.

The first day of school yesterday was filled with mixed emotions. They were more than ready to see all of their friends and I know they will do great despite not being excited about the academic part. Summer flew by, but I am looking forward to being settled (as much as we can be) into some kind of routine. One thing is certain there are two little people who will be missing their big brothers.

Grace walking into the kitchen carrying Kolbe’s support cup for baseball and holding it up to the water dispenser on the fridge.
G: Please mama, drink of water.
Me: No, we can’t use that.
G: Yes, mama! Drink out of this cup. Drink of water from this cup!!

K: Grandma that shirt you are wearing looks like it is from the olden days, like 1989.
The next day…
E: That shirt is better, looks like it is from the new-en days.

Running out of the pew during Mass and slowly returning with a smirk on her face.
G: Hey meany mom! Hey meany mom!!

Discussing whether we would be able to make it to one of Aaron’s work functions.
E: I think you should just go Mom.
Me: Not sure we could find a babysitter that short of notice.
E: Well, you can just order one.

Telling Aaron I was thinking of chopping my hair.
K: No, don’t cut your hair! I like it long. It’s pretty long and it makes you more beautiful.

Complaining to myself that I feel like I am getting sick.
G: I will pray you feel better Mama.

Driving by the hospital.
E: Mom, stop! We need to stop!
Me: Why, what’s wrong?
E: I think you need to go to the hospital and get checked to see if you are having a baby, I have been praying for sisters every night.

Getting Grace ready for bed.
Me: I don’t think we should put your pull up on yet, because you seem to forget to tell me when you have to go to the bathroom once it is on.
G: Usually, yep.

K: Mom, can we please have a pool.
Me: We don’t want anything deep right now with Grace and Caden.
K: Well, we can just buy a Master Lock like the one I want for my bike they will never be able to get in.
Me: Good thought, but we are talking about an inflatable pool.

G: Mom, Caden is poopy.
Me: Oh really, how do you know?
G: I ‘mell him! I ‘mell him mommy, he is stinky!!

Good Bye Summer

1.  Just like that we are near the end of August and about to say so long to summer with one week to go before school starts again. When Ethan was asked at his well-visit what the name of his favorite school was with no hesitation he blurted out homeschool. Sorry Ethan, but you are already enrolled and registered for your second year at a fabulous school that does not involve mom teaching. Needless to say they are not ready for school to start again. August has been the quickest moving month this summer hands down. Last year the month took forever as I anxiously waited for Caden’s arrival and this year I blinked and it is practically over.

2.  I am in denial that the boys will be starting school soon. Believe me there are those days that all of us know where the struggle is real and the patience is thin and we cannot wait until they are back in school again. For some reason I mostly feel that the summer went by too fast and am left wishing for more time with them. Our summer was packed and filled with a lot of fun memories, but still I wish I could squeeze a few more in. I may find myself shedding tears in a week.

3.  We just finished a sweeps week of celebrating and now feel like everyone needs a little detox from sugar, myself included. Started last week celebrating Kolbe’s name day, St. Maximilian Kolbe’s feast day with ice cream cones. Of course there was the feast of the Assumption followed by Kolbe and Ethan’s baptismal birthday and then on Friday we had a wonderful visit with Aaron’s brother, Fr. Chad who is a priest stationed in France and home for a two week visit. The week led up to Ethan’s birthday, a family gathering and my mom flying in to stay with us for the following week.

4.  It was such a blessed time that we were able to spend with Fr. Chad. To have such a joyful, holy presence for my sons to witness and inspire Aaron and I in our own faith journey and family life. He reminds me of a modern day St. John Bosco, inspiring the youth and bringing Christ to them and doing it with wit, jokes and fun. He topped his visit off with a great surprise announcing he will be stationed stateside in Chicago for the next few years, we feel so blessed and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to see him a bit more!!

5.  Ethan turned eight!! How is he eight already! (I now realize I say that with each kids’ birthday.) We celebrated by taking in a game of his favorite sport, baseball. Tailgating before the game and staying late to catch the fireworks at the end. He even got his name on the big screen with a “Happy Birthday” wish from dad and mom which put the biggest smile on his face ever, wish I would have caught it on camera. Love you to pieces Ethan!

6.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been able to go away on retreat. It was a beautiful time to be still with a lot of moments for prayer and reflection. I also realized just how important community is in this game of motherhood. I was able to connect with a group of beautiful women and I am so grateful for their friendship.

7.  My mom has been visiting us this week and it is always a reality check when she leaves. She spoils us all week from amazing dinners to helping around the house to fun activities. I am sure going to miss her when she leaves and I know the kids will miss waking up to her in the morning.

If you read all seven, impressive! I apologize for getting a little lengthy. Happy Friday, my last one of summer! Linked with Kelly for more.

Summer Vacay

1.  We just returned from our family vacation that had been in the planning process for months, cancelled the night before, hours spent researching new locations and then rescheduled two days before leaving. Four days later we are home and the typical vacay exhaustion has hit. (After being in a hotel room for four days all of a sudden my house seems huge!)

2.  Our hotel room had been booked for months and I had spent much time prepping and planning our itinerary. Two days before we were suppose to leave Caden came down with a horrible ear infection. Got him some antibiotics, which he ended up having an allergic reaction to, but he had enough doses to get him on the mend. We still considered leaving for our vacation as planned as he was showing much improvement, but I was hesitant with making him go through a long drive while not being 100% yet. So I asked God for a sign, like any good Catholic does, a few hours later Grace spiked a high fever. Answer pretty clear. Vacation cancelled.

3.  We decided to reschedule for a week later only to find out that hotel prices doubled for our original destination. Plan B, go somewhere else. The plus side, the drive was much shorter, there were more kid friendly activities and we even got to see some of Aaron’s family. Highlights include: water park, indoor theme park, circus, drive in movie theater and a restaurant that has trains deliver the food to every table.

4.  Somehow I thought it was going to be a really relaxing vacation with a lot of extra free time at night once the kids went to bed, so I packed books and magazines I have been wanting to read for months. Bedtime and any sort of schedule or normalcy on vacation did not happen. Thankful for Grace and Caden just rolling with the punches, sneaking in their naps during the little down time we had and willing to have bedtime at a drive in theater one of the nights.

5.  Unpacked and six loads of laundry later I am packing again for a retreat this weekend. Not going to lie I am having major anxiety about leaving the kiddos for an entire weekend, especially the smallest two who love to have mama put them to bed at night. This will be the first time I am away from the kids overnight which does not involve being in the hospital having a baby. I have never gone for more than 16 hours without seeing them.

6.  Aaron won’t have it too bad, I wrote out a step-by-step spreadsheet of meals, naps and bottles along with packing him a dad diaper bag to go. I also laid out all of the little ones clothes so he doesn’t have to rummage through the closet to find something that matches and fits. In addition Caden now sleeps through the night, easy peasy.

7.  Anxiety aside I am looking forward to having time for reflection, fellowship and prayer. A chance to better myself as a wife and a mother and let my mind and heart rest with Christ. The psalm from yesterday’s reading spoke to my heart, “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” Seems like a fitting verse to take into this weekend.

Happy weekend!! Join Kelly for more.