Last weekend of the summer

Next week the school year officially begins for us. Julia is starting second grade at Holy Family on Wednesday and, a week from this Monday, Elisabeth will be starting at her new school Marshall Middle School (more about that later).

So, we decided to take a day trip and do something fun yesterday-- go to Lake Michigan!!

Before we got to the lake we made a stop in Libertyville, IL at Marytown where the National Shrine of St. Maximillian Kolbe is located. St. Maximillian's feast day was on Friday and he is Elisabeth's favorite saint. Since it was on our way, we decided to swing by and check out the museum, the chapel and the gardens.

What we didn't take into account is that Marytown would be very busy because, you know, his feast day was the day before, so there was no one available to give us a tour because it was also the feast day of the Assumption of Mary. Plus we got there right as Mass had started and we probably should have just gone to Mass, but we were dressed like beach bums and the kids were borderline hangry.

So we just decided to check out the gift shop (so many books!!!) and tour one garden since the humidity was so thick we choked on it everytime we stepped outside.

We've decided to go back in the fall when the weather is nicer and definitely plan on attending Mass. Then we'll also be able to tour the gardens a little more thoroughly without sweating ourselves into puddles.

We decided to try out the beaches at Illinois Beach State Park in Zion, IL. It was all free and only about 2 hours from Rockford. Turns out we (and a bunch of other people) picked a perfect day to spend at the lake. It was hot but the humidity vanished as soon as we got to the water. We had packed a picnic lunch to keep the younger two girls quiet about how hungry they are all the time (I am officially a snack time referee which is a thankless job).

We were kind of surprised at how short the beach was from the parking lot. But, it fit us and all our gear so no complaints. Plus, the girls just loved it sooooo much. 

This is how David and I spent our beach time-- under our giant umbrella in the shade napping and reading, respectively.

Of course, Vivian brought her trusty dump truck.

The girls found this guy with the metal detector fascinating and got really close to him to watch. 

And now it is back to the school year grind. My calendar is already filling up super fast. It's like a sharpie pen has bled all over the end of August. In a good way, of course.

When Vivian Goes On A Bike Ride...

She supervises the loading of the bikes. 

 She stops to exercise.

Tries to wake up the ducks.

 Watches the trolley go by.

Digs in the dirt.

Throws sticks into the river.

Rides way ahead of Mommy and Elisabeth.

Crosses the train tracks.

Skeptically looks at the swan.

Says hi to her statue friend.

Leads David.

Gets passed by Julia.

Gets so excited when Daddy rides next to her!

What I've been reading (Jan-May 2015)

I realize that I have not been keeping you current on what I've been reading this year and for that I truly apologize. I've been reading at a snail's pace and am not anywhere on track with keeping up with my reading goals for the year.

In fact, I had to refresh myself on what my reading goals even were for the year!

They are:

1. Read 60 books in 2015.  Dude, I will be lucky if I get to that number. Seriously. Pregnancy and newborn babies make it hard to read books quickly.

2. Participate in Modern Mrs. Darcy's 2015 Reading Challenge.  I have been kind of keeping track of that and need to see which categories I've completed and what's left.

3. No purchasing books in 2015.  The one goal I have faithfully stuck to! And, my word, it is hard. I'd really been thinking about making this a goal a few months before 2015 came around. Did I have the willpower as a book obsessed bibliophile to NOT buy books for an entire year?! Not even one little dime?!?!  So far, the answer is, Yes I can! I have only borrowed books from the library or friends. Now, this has been frustrating when the books I need to read for book club are not available. Oh man, it was sooooo tempting to just buy them off amazon. But, it's really only happened twice and, guess what?!, I survived! I still plan on reading the books, especially after hearing the ladies from book club rant and rave and have a great discussion about them, but I did not self implode because I didn't get the book in time.

Now that I've refreshed you all about my reading goals (you are welcome), here's what I have read so far this year:

JANUARY:

1. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)

Usually, I am not a huge murder mystery book fan, but I could not put this book down. I truly was not 100% sure who the murderer was and kept going back and forth between a few characters, which I attribute entirely to Rowling's writing. I loved the main character, Coromon Strike, flaws and all! I'll be definitely seeking out the other books in this series. (Also, J.K. Rowling fan FOR LIFE, peoples!)

2. A Dance with Dragons: Book 5 of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin

Man, talking about authors I love, I just can not get enough of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series. In fact, I had been putting off reading this book because he is not done writing book six and I hated the idea of waiting forever to read another book from this series. But, Evan finished it and needed someone to talk about it with, so I caved. Now I'm one of the many Martin junkies waiting for my next fix.

3. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

I had never read a book by Kidd and this was a great book to be my first introduction to her writing. I had no clue until I was reading the author's notes at the end of the book that the main character, Sarah Grimke, was a real person! Made the book even better! An amazing story of breaking cultural norms we often grow up with, I found this book spellbinding and could not put it down. I loved discussing it at our book club!

4. The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey From Hollywood to Holy Vows by Mother Dolores Hart, O.S.B. and Richard DeNeut

This book is written in a back and forth narrative between Mother Dolores and DeNeut on Mother Dolores' journey from being an actress to following a calling she couldn't ignore of becoming a nun. I love hearing stories about how people lived in the 1940s and 50s because it reminds me of how my Grandma tells stories from her life at that time--more freedom to roam, neighbors being like family. This book was well written and I loved not only hearing about how being an actress in Hollywood was during this time, but also what living a life in a monastery is like as well. A great book!

FEBRUARY

5. Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Dude, I am a die hard Gaiman fan now. Elisabeth and I both read this book and were completely captivated. A children's book, it is not one I would read to very young children, but would be pushing on older elementary students for sure. Gaiman's storytelling is so compelling with enough of a dark side to give you chills but not keep you up all night. Ugh, I just love his writing!

6. The World's First Love: Mary, Mother of God by Fulton Sheen

This was one of the books I read during Lent. I love Fulton Sheen's writing style. He has a way of taking complex ideas and concepts and putting them in terms where you find yourself saying, "Oh! That makes a lot of sense!". I learned a lot about Mary and had a ton of my questions as a Catholic convert answered. It's a book I put on my To Buy list (you know, since I had to borrow this one from the library).

MARCH

7. This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

I had mixed feelings about this book. It was well written, quick paced, but so negative and depressing. There were no redeeming characters, no one to relate or connect with in the story. The people were so toxic that I didn't find it entertaining and it felt too fabricated. I'm not sure if the movie would be better, but I do love me some Tina Fey, so maybe I'll try watching the movie. 

8. The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux

Another book I wanted to read for Lent, this book has been on my shelf for ages. This'll probably be a book I pick up again and again over the years because I know it is full of things about the Catholic faith that I won't absorb with just one (or ever three or four!) readings. To be honest, I had a hard time relating to St. Therese. Despite not being able to connect with her seemingly unfaltering faith (I would probably relate better to those saints who struggled with their faith for a while), I still found her writings fruitful.

APRIL

9. What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

Oh my goodness, I loved loved loved this book! It's been on my shelf for over a year now and I could kick myself for not picking it up ages ago! It was book that I had to have a break after because the characters and story were still hanging around in my brain and I didn't have room for new characters and books until I had mulled over this book for a day or so. I just really loved how full Moriarty's characters were and how well she pieced back Alice's life for us (and for Alice) with humor and raw emotions. Definitely one I recommend!

10. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This book was a simple, fun, amusing read. Not one I'll be keeping on my forever bookshelf, but one that would be good for summer beach reading or for those suffering from pregnancy brain (like yours truly). 

11. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

This book was superb--I couldn't put it down! Rowell tapped into that first love experience perfectly. I was smitten by both main characters equally and loved getting both of their perspectives on their relationship. Rowell's writing is inviting and engaging. I will be seeking out more of her books!

12. The Temperament God Gave Your Kids by Art & Laraine Bennett

13. The Temperament God Gave You by Art & Laraine Bennett

Oh my word, I could talk about these books and the four temperaments until your ears bled! I borrowed these books from a friend (Hi, Kara!) who was so passionately enthusiastic about the power of understanding your temperament and the temperament of those around you that I had to see for myself what she was talking about. Obviously these books have a lot about how your temperament can shape your faith life (they do have God in the titles), but I ended up seeking out the sources they cited and looking deeper into the temperaments. Seriously, totally life changing and such a great tool in not only learning about yourself but your loved ones and what makes them tick/react to the world around them. The Bennetts have another book, The Temperament God Gave Your Spouse, and I'm totally going to read that one too. 

14. Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn

My friend Rachel recommended this book to me and she rarely steers me wrong. This was no exception. A non fiction book about how to help change women's lives all over the world who are being oppressed, this book was hard to read. I often had to put it down and walk away because a lot of what they talk about and the stories of women that they share are heavy. Kristof and WuDunn have been actively participating in grassroot groups to help women globally for years now and you can tell in their writing that this is not just a job or a story for them. A powerful read and one I would recommend.

15. Five Children and It by Edith Nesbit

Wonderful children's book! Written in 1902, Nesbit was a contemporary to JM Barrie, Beatrice Potter, Lewis Carroll, and others from that time period. I can not wait to share this book with my kids, especially Julia who loves classic children's literature. I'll be seeking out more of Nesbit's work to add to my library.

MAY

16. Fighter Pilot: The Memoirs of Legendary Ace Robin Olds by Robin Olds (with Christine Olds and Ed Rasimus)

Evan read this book last year and told me I would really like it. When he found it at a thrift store he grabbed it for me. (Honestly, how freaking awesome is it to have your husband buy you books to read because he liked the book so much?) I only knew of Robin Olds from bits and pieces Evan had told me over the years (ex: he's why there is a Mustache March). This book was fantastic. Olds voice is conversational and easy to follow, even with all the technical Air Force pilot jabber. What an amazing man! I would love to read/see more about him (he did lots of History Channel stuff about being a pilot in WWII and Vietnam). The ending of the book had me sobbing. A great memoir!

17. Revolution by Deborah Wiles

This is a YA book we read for book club and I really enjoyed it. It's technically the second in a series about the 1960s, but it can totally be read as a stand alone book. Based on the Freedom Summer in Greenwood, Mississippi in 1964, it's told from 3 different points of view of kids living in that town. I really liked how Wiles incorporated real pictures, facts, quotes, news stories and testimonies of things from that summer, both political and personal. An excellent read for middle schoolers and one I'm encouraging Elisabeth to read.

18. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

I told you I love him! I usually am not a fan of a book of short stories, but this one was wonderful. How Gaiman can make your hair stand up from one short story that is maybe four pages long is why I love his writing. I'd say out of the dozen stories there were maybe 2 or 3 that I only felt "meh" about. I also appreciated that he had a small summary for the what and why of each story in his introduction. So, I would read a story and then go back to the front and find out why he had written it. I finished it Sunday and then peer pressured Evan to start reading it before the library demands it back.

You all are so sweet to have read this all! I promise to not do 5 months worth of books in one post again. Scouts honor. 

Now it's your turn. Whatcha been reading? Let me know so I can put it on hold from the library!!!

Fighting the Good Fight

My children are loud people.

It is rare when my house is quiet (although, right this second, it is! Julia is reading and V is playing trains and you could hear a pin drop!!!). With five people under this roof, there is a lot of talking, laughing, crying, singing, bickering, hollering, storytelling, more bickering, screaming and general chaos.


I am very upfront that I know I, myself, am a very loud person. I would always tell the people who interviewed me for teaching positions that I'm loud--I'm loud when I'm happy, loud when I'm excited, loud when I'm frustrated. I felt I owed it to them to know in advance that they were not hiring a quiet, peaceful teacher.


However, my house is loudest when my children are bickering and lately that feels like all the freaking time.

They wake up and start fighting.

They sit by each other and fight.

They fight from opposite sides of the house.

They fight outside, inside, at the store, at the library.

One time, when we were at a hotel, Elisabeth and Julia were both sleep talking and it sounded like bickering!

I am no stranger to sibling bickering. It is the chosen language of me and my own sister. It is a part of being in a family and having siblings--there will be fighting, hurt feelings, frustration. But one thing that Evan and I both feel strongly about is that there should never be any bullying and that, in general, you should always be respectful and kind--even to your siblings.

While our theory is all good and whatnot, actually teaching it to our offspring is a battle. I find that we are constantly repeating ourselves to what seem to be deaf ears. We also are saying the same things to 6.5 year old Julia about how she treats Vivian that we had to tell a younger Elisabeth about how she was treating a toddler Julia.

Full circle, people. This means we'll definitely be telling 6.5 year old Vivian to be nice to her three year old brother.

As much as I dislike repeating myself and as much as I feel like I am not being heard, every now and then there is a glimmer of hope that maybe my words are sinking in; moments when I hear them correcting their tone from being rude to kind, when I hear them trying their best to compromise, when I hear them saying yes to a younger sibling asking them to play when I know they really want to say no.

One thing I always tell the older two girls (every day, a million times a day) is that they will be siblings FOREVER. They will be talking, listening, dealing with each other until the end of time. As the oldest, Elisabeth has a heavier load because all of the kiddos will be looking up to her. She has had the most experience dealing with younger siblings and needs to set an example of how to deal with persistent toddlers and pesky grade school sibling antics. We talk a lot about how she communicates with them is how they are learning to communicate with those younger than them. And that sometimes you have to make sacrifices--like playing trains with your toddler sister when you'd rather hole up in your room and listen to music or let your elementary aged sister hang out in your room with you while you clean. How she talks to them and treats them is going to have a bigger impact than how their friends treat them.


Something that is hard to understand, that took me a while to understand before I could teach it to my kids, is that building up these relationships now is the basis for how they will treat each other as grown ups. The same annoying traits and habits that they want to punch their sisters in the face for now are just going to become annoying adult habits that will most likely still make them want to punch their sister. But, with each time they successfully compromise, with each time they sacrifice their time or their own wants for a sibling, with each act of grace they show, they aren't just building up their relationships with each other, they are learning and practicing how to be better people (which I hear is what the whole goal of parenting really is--raising good people). And who doesn't want to have their adult siblings be awesome people to turn to?


So for each rare, unicorn sighting moment when my children are all getting along and there is peace in the land, I am taking it as a victory. And a chance for my ears to stop bleeding from the last sibling bickering battle.

The Importance of Naps when Uber Pregnant

You guys, today, I am 36 weeks pregnant.

That is really pregnant.

That is so pregnant that I am pretty sure I have never been this pregnant and can't get any bigger than I currently am right now.

It is so pregnant that people are starting to stop me out in public to explain to me that I look like I am going to pop or sound sadly shocked to hear I still have over 3 weeks left to go.

I am SO PREGNANT that I can not put my socks on without a pep talk to my legs about bending and lifting. Forgetaboutit if I drop something on the floor because there is no way I'm bending over to get it. And if you for a minute think that I can get off the couch without a prayer, you are wrong, my friend. Wrong.

Being this pregnant also means that I sleep horribly at night (due to hip pain, constantly getting up to use the bathroom, slowly rolling over by trying to lead with my belly) (oh, and apparently I snore...like a pig...). This leads to me puttering out in the middle of the day and giving in to the siren song of napping.

Aren't naps great? I know I have always appreciated naps, even as a kid! I had morning kindergarten and I specifically remember coming home and asking for a nap. (Yes, I was the Best Kid Ever, thankyouverymuch.) There's just something so lovely about catching a few sleeps when the sun is out. Seriously, I could probably write a whole book of poems dedicated to naps.

A rare nap for Vivian.

The other day I was starting to feel the pull to take a nap and told Julia that I was going to go rest in my room for a little bit. Julia, who will be 7 years old next month, is usually pretty ok with me napping. When I first started needing them, I told her that growing people in your belly makes you really tired and that if I went to lay down it was only for an hour and that she and Vivian could watch tv while I napped. She found this to be the most excellent of deals.

Of course, there are times I feel guilty for napping during the day. I know that for a few months out of their lives having extra tv time is not a big deal, but I couldn't figure out why I was feeling guilty for trying to catch some much needed pregnant lady sleep this go-round. Then it dawned on me--this is the first time that I have been pregnant and had kids home during the day.

So, obviously, when I was pregnant with Elisabeth I had zero kids and could crash whenever I wanted while pregnant (well, after student teaching, of course). It was dreamy.

When I was pregnant with Julia, I worked full time. So I lived off of coffee at work and either came home and slept or went to bed super early (like 8:30pm). That actually sucked because I'd get home and either sleep through dinner, leaving Evan and Elisabeth to eat without me, or I'd go to bed the same time as Elisabeth and lose that down time with Evan.

With Vivian's pregnancy, I had three year old Julia at home with me, but she napped for 2-3 hours every day! I just napped when she napped. That was definitely the ideal.

But, with neither Julia or Vivian napping, now I have to squeeze in naps. I finally had to just give myself permission to not feel bad. They get to watch tv, they are given snacks, and both know that they can come wake me up if they need me (aka: blood or fire).

One day last week I was kind of cranky and borderline weepy. I can't even remember all the details, but I was huffing and puffing about something and I look over and see Julia staring at me. With the kind of wisdom only a child can possess she quietly said, "Mommy, I think today will need to be a nap day for you."

Yes, dear.

A Day with Trains (aka Vivian Explodes with Delight)

Yesterday we ventured over to Union, Illinois to visit the Illinois Railway Museum. I don't remember how we had heard about it, but if you at all have met Vivian, you know we have a train junkie in our house. We figured that she'd enjoy spending a few hours looking at real life trains and it's only about 40 minutes east of Rockford, so a super easy trip to make. 

What we weren't expecting was this museum to be so hopping! There were a lot of people there, lots of things to ride on, and so much to visit. Even for those of us who aren't really into trains (aka: me and Elisabeth) we ended up having more fun than we anticipated.

Evan won major points for finding us a Groupon so that we were all only $4 each to get in! Gotta love a deal. We rode on an old commuter trolley first that was bright red. The conductors came and punched your tickets, which the younger two girls found exciting. 

Why can't my third child just nicely smile for pictures?! Siiiiigh.

I'm really glad we chose to go yesterday because the weather was PERFECT! Low 70s, sunny, and I didn't melt into a 35+ week pregnant pile of sweat. I hate sweating. Plus, there was no fast walking and lots of places to sit.

There was a picnic area and a little park for the kiddos. Next time we will totally bring a lunch.

Besides the working trolleys (three total), the old 70s accordion bus (we did not ride that this time), and the steam train, there were a lot of barns filled to the max with tons of different trains.

Vivian totally loves talking about how trains are coupled. Every time she saw two engines coupled together she made us all look.

I was partial to the yellow trains or trolleys. Obvs.

This trolley went directly to the zoo!!! Best one ever!

The steam engines were unanimously the favorite of the trains we saw.

Vivian was super cute because she kept using her shirt as a reference point with all the steam trains she saw. She'd see if the train had the same parts as her shirt. "There's the funnel...and the bell...and the whistle..."

Another red trolley! This one took you all over the grounds and dropped you off places. It was a uber pregnant lady's dream.

There were a few old train cars they'd turned into gift shops and book stores.

Vivian was so excited to see THREE play train tables. We hung out there for a good twenty minutes.

We ended up eating lunch at the diner.

Time to ride the actual STEAM TRAIN!!

This was the last thing we did and Vivian was so excited that she couldn't function normally. She laid down in her seat while she waited for the train to start moving. This was her face when she heard the whistle:

Passing the trolley on the tracks:

After the ride you could go up and look inside the control room.

In August they are having Thomas and Percy come and all three girls agreed that it would be worth it to come back that soon so Vivian could ride her favorite trains. There really was so much to do and see that we didn't get to it all in the 5 hours that we were there. It was a fun day!