Recently in john-paul's world Category

Two Quick Notes:

First - I wasn't able to do this week's book discussion of Style, Sex and Substance. I should have the next post on Wednesday, 5/16.

Second - Today is your last day to enter the RoL Birthday Care Package Contest! The winner will be announce tomorrow. Good luck!

Okay, now we return to our regularly scheduled post...

Today is Mother's Day in Mexico so Bella's Spanish class made cards for their madres. Here is the cover of Bella's card to me. (She didn't notice her "typo" until after I took the photo. ;-) Today was also the boys' preschool moms' party. Each made me a wooden flower frame with their photo in it. So cute!

The other day I invited my in-laws over for dinner. My mother-in-law brought over a cake she made for dessert. There was enough cake left over for Brian and I to share for dessert the following night after the kids went to sleep. Well, John Paul must have heard about our plan. The next day I was putting Matthew to sleep and after I put him in bed I went into the kitchen and found that JP dragged a chair over to the counter and helped himself to our dessert...

I told Brian that there were two large pieces of the cake left but this is all I found on the sink...

The guy didn't even have a stomach ache! I can't imagine what JP's bottomless pit appetite is going to be like when he is a teenager!

The kids are looking pretty in their Easter outfits. I let the boys go a bit more casual since anything fancier would have only been worn once.

Brian's parents made an Easter egg hunt in their backyard. They were as happy as the kids!

Today is Matthew's first birthday! Yay! We had a party for him at my in-laws on Easter. It has become an unintentional family tradition for my in-laws to get a cake with the wrong spelling. One year they spelled Andrew Joseph as "Josef" and last year John-Paul had a cake from a fancy French bakery and it was spelled "Jean-Paul." This year the tradition continues, but we're getting closer!

I can't help but think about how Matthew is grown over the past year.

Time is flying too fast! Savor the moments.

Wouldn't you know it. Yesterday I carved out a half hour where I could post this week's {p,h,f,r} and the power went off. Blast you, Murphy's Law. Once we got our power back on I didn't have time for the computer so I am posting this now instead. Enjoy. :-)

It's a Lenten Friday so of course I am craving meat. There is a juicy turkey burger in the fridge just calling my name. If that was not enough, I am also craving something sweet. Like a delicious pastry from one of our favorite Carmel bakeries. If you are ever in downtown Carmel, you must stop and visit there. It is a local and tourist favorite.

I was so excited and happy to take this photo! There was no wild craziness, screaming or wrestling. The baby was sleeping peacefully and the boys were quietly painting and I was washing the dishes. For a few precious moments I felt like one of those picture perfect families where the members smile and white sparks shine off their perfect teeth. It only lasted a few minutes but what glorious minutes they were!

Okay, this is more like the family photos I am used to. It seems that John-Paul finished his yogurt but still had a bit left in the container. Not wanting to waste, Matthew decided to finish it for him.

Is it my imagination or are kids getting tech smart earlier and earlier. JP knows how to work my iphone with ease and the other day I saw Matty playing for Andrew's Leap Pad. Kinda crazy.

Hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary.

Yesterday was an insane day and, as usual, my way to cope is to write about it. It started out normal enough but then it went crazy...

Rain Clouds Gather - I got the kids off to school them went to take my morning walk. When I was done and as I was getting Matthew back in the car, I got a phone call from the preschool. My usually playful JP was listless and not himself. I wasn't sure if he has just tired (I loathe you, daylight savings time) or coming down with something. So I picked him up from school and headed home. The poor guy slept for an hour or two and then seemed much better. I gave him his lunch then went to send off some fundraising emails while Matthew played with his toys.

A few minutes later JP came to my chair and I scooted forward so he could take his usual position of comfort - standing behind me on the chair, leaning his head on my shoulder, and rubbing his finger on my lips. I don't know how this soothes him but it does. As he hugged me I was thinking to myself that he seems fine now and maybe we should go ahead and go to speech therapy when he made this strange noise. Now the excitement begins...

TMI Alert - I turned my head to look back at him and saw chunks fly out of his mouth. I was covered in it, the desk chair was dripping and the desk was splattered. Immediately Matthew saw puddles of liquid to be splashed in and ran over. Luckily I was wearing a jacket over a tank top so I threw off the jacket, which had most of his lunch, and in one arm I held JP and my desk trash can, in case more was to come, and in my other arm I grabbed Matthew and ran down the long hallway to my bathroom. (See all that walking is paying off.)

I looked in the mirror and saw vomit dripping from my cheek onto my neck. Nice. There's nothing like the glamour of motherhood. I quickly wiped my face off then bathed JP while Matthew emptied out the contents of the bathroom drawers on the floor.

The Famous Last Words "I Only Turned for A Second" - I finished cleaning JP and then smelled Matthew's stinky diaper. No problem, after JP's fiasco this will be cake. Now this is where things get scary - seriously. I grabbed the phone to call the speech therapist and leave her a message that we won't be there. I placed Matthew on the bed to be changed. As I'm leaving my message, phone cradled in my neck, I had one hand on Matthew and with the other hand I tried to grab a diaper wipe that was just... out... of... my... reach... and my wiggle worm tried to escape but headed in the wrong direction - right off the bed. He fell down and started screaming. I hang up the phone. (What a message that will be.)

Snap Out of It - I picked up Matty to comfort him and you know how a baby cries really hard then sucks in a breathe and cries even louder? Well, Mathew sucked in the air but never let it out. He just stood there then looked almost like he was going to faint. I freaked out. I thought perhaps he hit his head so hard he had brain damage. My mind traveled at warp speed - it a matter of seconds I pictured the whole scenario - me in the hospital, the doctor telling me they did everything they could, my breakdown, the funeral... I slapped myself out of it and rubbed his chest and called his name. He finally took a breath and whimpered but seemed tired out. As I debated going to the emergency room or calling 911, I quickly changed his dirty diaper. There was no time for me to change out of my vomit clothes. I'd have to bring JP with me and hope he doesn't get sick again. In the meantime Matthew had quieted down and seemed better.

Dr. H to the Rescue - I called my pediatrician's emergency line and told him what happened. He asked me detailed questions about what happened. How far did he fall (off the bed), is the floor carpeted (yes), did his eyes roll back (no), are his pupils unequal (no), is he vomiting (no, just his brother), etc. He said it sounded like he was okay but I had to keep an eye on him for any warning signs. It seems he didn't so much hurt his head but rather he was crying so hard that he lost his breathe.

Perspective - I sat on the couch with the boys grateful that Matthew finished his milk and was now hitting me on the face with his "love taps" as he laughed and babbled away, "Mamamamamama..." Who cares if my desk area was still covered in vomit or that I had yet to shower after getting drenched in it. Who cares about all the things I "should" be doing today. I was just relieved that I had my babies snuggled in my arms and God has spared me a scary, scary cross (at least so far.) There's nothing like a little shake up to help you put back perspective in your life!

Lesson Learned - Today is a new day and the kids are home from school. I hear yelling, screaming, laughter and the sound of JP and Matty giggling as they play with the bubble machine by my desk. The chaotic noise never sounded so beautiful.

So if today happens to drive you mad and you are feeling like you are going to lose it, stop and take a breath. Remember what matters most and count your blessings. God will get you through the rough spots. Don't wait for a near tragedy to remind you.

Thanks for listening and have a wonderful weekend!!

It has been a busy and stressful week and I haven't had any free time to post to the blog. Right now I have a ten minute window to make a quick post so I'll catch you up on the latest.

I've been busy, busy with the school fundraiser and after a meeting this morning I stopped into the Adoration chapel to pray. It felt good to regroup and only focus on Our Lord for a bit. I decided to take the scenic route home and I am glad I did. How can you stay stressed when you stop and look at a scene like this? So pretty.

This week John-Paul started pre-school! He has been so happy there. He and Andrew have recess at the same time so they enjoy playing together with their little friends. I know JP loves it because when it's time for him to go, he has a tantrum and doesn't want to leave. But after I pick him up and give him a kiss, he rubs my lips with his finger (that's how he soothes himself) and he rests his head on me, ready for a nap in the car.

Matty must have found John-Paul's secret candy stash because this is what I found him eating for breakfast.

Since we had that laundry room flood, we had to not only empty out the laundry room but also the hallway closet that held all the jackets and cleaning supplies ect. Everything was thrown into the closest bedroom, which was Bella's. The poor room looked like a war zone.

Thankfully everything has been dried out, the carpet padding has been replaced, the carpet has been washed and $600 later (ugh!) I got my laundry room back... and Bella got her room back. (Now I just need to catch up on all the piled up laundry. Oh joy.

I am a day late posting this but it was an insane day yesterday and I never had time to post this. Better late than never. :-)

I think it is funny that these pair of pajamas have lasted long enough to survive all three boys and their mischief.

I hope you enjoyed my week in photos.

Six years ago Bella went to a local Catholic preschool. I loved the fact that it was small, family oriented and shared the love of the Catholic faith with the children. Bella is in 4th grade now but Andrew started his first year at the same preschool. I don't know if I've shared this on the blog before but we were worried about Andrew because he had a serious speech delay. At the age of 3 he was speaking like a 2 year old who is just beginning to talk. Now at 4 years old he speaks much better but he is still going to speech therapy to help with pronunciation and clarity, especially with some of the more difficult consonant blends. When Andrew started school in September he was often quiet in class. Foremost because he was shy but I think he was also a little uncomfortable not being able to speak as clearly as the other children. Slowly, he came out of his shell and is speaking more in class and with his friends.

I've been busy lately with the spring fundraiser for Andrew's preschool. Last week, I had to attend a meeting at the preschool in the morning. At the end of the meeting, Andrew was playing outside having recess with his class and I watched him without him knowing. He was riding a tricycle with some of his friends, talking and laughing with them. He was happy and the same playful little boy I see at home. I was pleased to see that he was now comfortable at his school and with his friends. I am also grateful to his two teachers who have met with his speech therapist so they could better help him in the day to day learning of class. It brought peace to my heart to see him happy and doing well.

Unfortunately, this road has to be traveled a second time. John-Paul is showing the same speech problems at the age of two and we recently started him with speech therapy as well. As I mentioned, I had to attend that meeting at Andrew's preschool and I was a little concerned because I'd have Matthew and John-Paul with me. I knew Matthew would be okay but I wasn't sure what to do with JP. The principle offered to let JP visit the 2 year old room until I was done with my meeting.

I was happy for the opportunity because although we usually don't put the kids in preschool until they are 4 years old, I was feeling like I needed to put JP in next year at the age of 3. He doesn't have the same personality as Bella and Andrew. They were/are more sensitive and have a tendency towards timidity and they were more than happy to spend their time at home with me. JP is more adventurous and independent and he is not afraid to be around other people. I could see him benefiting from going to school sooner. At least this would give me the chance to see how he reacted in a classroom setting.

That morning when I took John Paul to the classroom they were starting circle time and I worried that my rambunctious boy would not sit still. He was a little nervous and clingy at first, but he soon became interested in the activity and had no problem letting me go. I went to my meeting and over an hour later returned to JP's class and watched him unnoticed. (I secretly love to spy. ;-) He was doing great and babbling away. I felt very at peace seeing him there. And I knew he loved it because he was so upset that he had to leave early.

I have been praying about what I should do with him in regards to school and his therapy and everything finally seems to be falling into place. I talked to the Brian, to the principle, to his speech therapist and prayed about it and I think Brian and I are going to try and put him in the preschool this March three times a week for a few hours. I never imagined having my two year old in school, but then again, when Brian and I got married we never imagined doing anything but homeschooling. We may still be homeschooling in the future but for now, this is where we feel God is calling us.

It is very difficult, and a little foolish, to get my mind set on one fixed way of doing things in regards to our family life. Circumstances change. Situations come up. Children have their own unique needs. As I grow older, and hopefully wiser, as the years go by I have to adjust my plans accordingly. There are some things that remain fixed - we will always try to love and serve God above all else - but the means of attaining that can change. I think the most important thing for me is to continue to learn to quiet myself down so I am able to hear the Holy Spirit whispering to my heart and then I have to have courage and trust in God's grace that I can follow through on whatever he is asking of me. These are things that don't come easily but I think Lent is a perfect time for me to put it into practice!

Please say a prayer for me, Brian and the kids that God continues to guide us on the best road for our family. Thanks!

Thanks to our complimentary stay at Pebble Beach last weekend, I have lots of photos to show! It's a little out of order so the story makes more sense.

My happiness was seeing the ones I love the most having a good time.

Maybe this should have been in the funny category but we were excited to be treated to such delicious food! On Friday, after dinner at the Italian restaurant Peppoli's we were too full for dessert. However, we were hungry later that night so we ordered their room service dessert special. It was chocolate raspberry cake/soufflé with a raspberry center, a dish of raspberry sorbet with vanilla ice cream on top and hot chocolate fudge to drizzle over it all. Ohmygosh, it tasted so good!

If that wasn't enough, in the morning they brought us room service breakfast. It's a good thing we had a lot of walking planned to work off our meals!

We are truly blessed to have this once a year mini-vacation but Brian always dreads me coming back home afterwards. It takes him a few days to reprogram me to let go of all the pampering, special treatment and being able to use the bathroom uninterrupted. I have to get back into the mode of stinky diapers, sticky hands, dirty dishes and piles of dirty laundry.

He says I'm like Lucy after she comes back from the home show...

After seeing all that luxury her own house makes her say, "Yesh!" LOL! (If you don't remember the episode, you can watch it here.)

Well, I'm happy to report that I'm back to myself again and ready for the next mini-disaster to photograph for next week. ;-)

The other day I ordered these heart notecards from my friend Caroline at her etsy shop peaseblossom studio. I thought they would be cute for Valentines Day. I was happy when they arrived in the mail in this pretty package.

If you recall, two weeks ago I shared about Andrew's current obsession with Spiderman. On the weekend he was able to spend some Christmas money at Target. He nearly fainted when we walked down the super hero aisle and saw this Spiderman mask. He knew exactly what he wanted. You can't tell by this photo but underneath that mask he has a huge, happy grin. (And yes, he still wears his Spidey outfit/pj's every second he is in our house.

Note to Self - Never leave the Cheerio box on the sink unattended because a certain two year old may try to serve himself a bowl. (Thank God I caught him before he got to the milk!) Oh, and this is considered "funny" because if I don't laugh at these things I will lose my mind. ;-)

Finally, after a long day of mischief John-Paul will sometimes just collapse wherever he may happen to be. Don't ask me exactly how he happened to fall asleep on his chair like this.

I'm not sure if it would be considered "pretty" but I parked next to this cool car at the market the other day.

My kids were relatively fast walkers (and late teethers and talkers) but I think Matthew may be the youngest of the bunch to walk at 9 months. Last week he was only taking 1-2 steps. This week he is doing 3-4 steps. I love then they start to toddle!

My happy guy makes me smile, especially in his "mama's boy" shirt.

I think it is funny how light and curly Matthew's hair is compared to the other kids. I also think it's a little funny that people assume I'm the Mexican nanny since he doesn't look like me. (Hello, I've got a tall white husband, people. ;-)

We haven't heard from our cookie bandit lately but he struck again when I found this in the kitchen...

I went to the boys' room and heard giggling from the closet...

And there was my mischievous fella having a mid morning snack. :-)

I never got the chance to post any Christmas photos last week so I'll do them this week. :-)

And this is why I shouldn't blog while the kids are awake. Just as I hit "post" I heard the back sliding door open. I checked to see what was going on. JP unlocked the door and ran out on the deck and Matthew followed him outside. They saw no harm in getting some fresh air. Thank God the deck is contained. (I love how Matthew is clapping his hands so proud of himself.)

Here's a quick peek at our Halloween costumes this year.

Bella was an Angry Bird vet.

She bandaged up the birds that were hurt fighting the pigs. LOL.

Andrew the Tiger.

John-Paul the Packers fan.

Brothers

Matthew the Lion.

I was going through some old photos and found this one of Andrew kissing JP when he was a baby. I think it is so sweet! :-)

Andrew continues as a good big brother. Here he is playing with Matthew and making him laugh.

The other day I left Matthew on the floor in the family room to let him scoot and army crawl around. Since he just turned six months, he is slow but he has been practicing and has gotten much better over the past week. I found it funny when he crawled "for real" into the kitchen.

Although, Andrew worries about him crawling onto a hard surface so he drags him back to the middle of the room. Poor guy.

The snack thief strikes again. Last week it was a bag of baked cheetos.

This time it was a bag of candy corn. I think I need to do a better job at hiding the treats.

I purchased this cross from FlorLarios and I love the way it looks in my kitchen. So pretty. And a nice reminder to turn my mind to the Our Lord and Our Lady as I'm busy in mommyhood.

I loooove this shot. It's a rare occurrence when I can snap a photo and have more than one person smiling and happy at the same time. Which makes me happy. Yay!

Andrew may be my oldest boy but he has the smallest frame of the fellas...as seen with his body sitting in this rather small wagon. (JP can get his rear in but his legs, not so much.)

Brian loves the novels by Michael O'Brien and he was excited to purchase his latest book A Father's Tale. When I saw the cover I though, "Oh, how nice...."

But then I saw how thick it was and gasped. It's over 1,000 pages! Dang, Brian can forget about reading in bed and holding that book up. If he accidentally drops it, it'll give him a concussion.