My Sunday Best Episode 6

Tim had to leave on a work trip Saturday morning, and I really hate his weekend departures. He tells me that he's only done that twice in six months, but both of those times have been this month. It puts me in such a bad mood when he leaves and it's supposed to be our family time.

Yesterday I decided I was done feeling sorry for myself, and that we were going to do something really fun, something that I ordinarily would not attempt as the only adult: I was going to take them to the beach. I made a pizza, sliced it up and put it in a cooler along with a few water bottles. I brought nothing else besides the Ergo carrier and a big bag of towels and changes of clothing. We would get there around 5, so no need to worry about sunblock. I instructed them that since their daddy wasn't there and there is no lifeguard at this beach, they could not go in any further than waist deep.

Then I loaded everyone up, said a prayer for it all to go OK, and drove us 40 minutes to the beach. And I was so glad I did. It might have been a lot of work, mostly keeping Joey out of the water. He was fearless and kept crawling toward the waves like a little sea turtle, completely unfazed by facefuls of salt water. But the Big 3 abided by the no-farther-that-waist-deep rule so I didn't have to worry about them. Then gave me a break when he sat for a long time on the sand just splashing in the water when it lapped up past him. It was such a beautiful time to be there, just before the sun set. Everybody ate the pizza. It was as good as it gets. I even managed to take a few pictures.

Around 7 I decided it was time to leave, and a while back when I wrote about the reasons why I didn't want to try going it alone, the changing and rinsing off process was a biggie. Here's how that went: We walked up to the changing and rinsing area, which is in the densely wooded area just behind the beach. This beach has way more vegetation than a beach ought to have -- you drive through a jungle to get to it. I had stayed dry and had already changed Joey on the beach and strapped him into the Ergo. The other kids attempted to rinse off their feet and ankles, then headed to the changing stalls. Then I realized we were being swarmed by mosquitoes and I said, "Everybody just get in the car!" We ran for it, me barking at them like a drill instructor the whole way. "Hurryup, hurryup, hurryup! Shutthedoor, shutthedoor, shutthedoor!!" I literally just opened the driver's door and got in with Joey still strapped to me. I would sort it all out once the doors were shut, the car was started and the fans were blowing hard to keep those skeeters off us. It was wet towels and bathing suits all over the place as everyone did whatever drying off and changing they still needed to do. There may still be just a leeeetle bit of sand on the carpets.

The next morning when I got Joey out of bed I saw that in addition to two brand new teeth, he was sporting huge red welts all over his face. Apparently the mosquitoes had been feasting on him the night before while he was right under my nose in the carrier. Poor guy.

CCD started today and we had to be there at 9:15. We snapped a few pictures in the parking lot. Lucky for me, my kids really enjoy the pictures. Nothing makes them happier than seeing photos and videos of themselves.

My outfit details: Skirt is J.Crew via ThredUp; shirt is a maternity tank from Target (still works!); scarf and sandals are from Kohl's. I love this scarf. Finally an infinity scarf that doesn't look weird on me, and it's light enough to be tolerable in the heat and humidity.

We got through CCD and Mass OK. The rest of the day was busy but went by quickly. I left Joey with a new babysitter, a teenage girl who just moved in down the street, while the rest of us went to see Pete's Dragon. I made fajitas, rice and beans for dinner, but didn't bother putting much on their plates since we'd already ruined their dinner with treats at the movie theater. It's going to be leftovers for me for days! Then it was hanging around the house and preparing for Monday as usual.

For more My Sunday Best, visit Rosie at A Blog For My Mom.

My Sunday Best Episode 5: On My Own

I was on my own this Sunday for the first time with four kids. I took these pictures with Delaney a little while before we left. Ideally, I would have liked to get pictures of all of us: Timmy with his shirt buttoned all lopsided but looking handsome all the same; and the girls in their matching sundresses. But by the time these pictures were taken we had only five minutes left until we had to leave, and Timmy was still searching for his shoes and Annie was sulking because I'd made her change out of her denim shorts and tank top. I told her, "It would be one thing if you had nothing nicer, but you've got so many nice things." Seriously so many. (Sigh.) I know I was the same way when I was a kid. So these pictures with Delaney, Joey and me were the best I could manage.

I was a little bit -- no, a lot -- nervous about Mass on my own with the kids. I asked Delaney to take this picture, but I had just been barking at the kids and issuing warnings about how the rest of the day was going to go if they didn't start listening. As a result, every time I tried to smile my face twitched. So I said, "OK, let me think of a happy thought.." At the moment she snapped this picture I was saying, "Brownies?" (I had plans for baking later.) There, don't I look happy?

My blouse and pants: Old Navy
Sandals: Kohls
Necklace: RubyRoo Baby
Joey's outfit: Baby Boden

Delaney's dress was a gift from her grandma, and I'm not sure where she got it. Annie has one too, and it seems that if one of them puts it on, the other one does too. I love the colors.

At least I had plenty of rest, not that it ever seems to be enough. Joey's doing much better on the sleep front, and last night he slept from 7:30 until 6. 6 is the time I've really been aiming to get him to wake up at since it works best with our weekday routine. Yay!

How did Mass go? No worse than usual. The girls still need to be better at participating. I just remind them from time to time what they ought to be doing, but try not to get too uptight about it. Easier said than done.

Timmy had his usual problems facing front and not talking or trying to play with his brother. And Joey squirmed this way and that the entire time, and it was quite the workout keeping him in my arms. He did bang his head into the pew in front of us and cry for a few seconds, but it wasn't too bad.

We made it! The rest of the hot and humid day went quickly. Joey took a good nap, the kids watched some Star Wars .. Our trip to the pool was a bust because of thunderstorms in the area, so after waiting around for the 'all clear' for a half hour, I gave up and said it was time to go. The kids took it in stride. We brought brownies to the new neighbors across the street, and back home I let the kids have half a brownie before dinner for being such good sports about the pool. We had oven fajitas for dinner and brownie sundaes for dessert once they'd picked up their messes. Then it was time to pack lunches, get breakfasts ready, get the kitchen clean, let them play outside for a bit, and then wind down for bed.

I hope everyone's off to a great start for their week. I've got three kids off to school, one down for a nap, and a cup of coffee. It doesn't get much better than that.

I'm linking up again with Rosie for My Sunday Best.:)

My Sunday Best Episode 4: Back to Our Little Chapel

This picture was taken a few hours after Mass, and don't look too closely at it. Apparently I must have swiped my hand across my eye at some point in in the day, and smeared mascara right into one of my crow's feet. I didn't even know it until I looked at this photo, so it's a good thing I didn't go anywhere like that.

Shorts: J.Crew via ThredUp; blouse: Old Navy

I'm getting to where I kind of never want to see my summer clothes again. I want it to be fall, I want to put on sweaters and leggings and LAYERS again. But I'm out of luck because it is hotter than blazes here, and fall weather doesn't come until December (although I usually jump the gun on fall clothes sometime in September). I keep digging through my closet again and again to see if there's anything I missed. When I got back here from Massachusetts a couple weeks ago, I discovered that I had, despite eating an ice cream cone every day, lost the last of the baby weight -- and could now wear these aqua shorts. So I've been wearing them a lot. They fit perfectly, but I don't know if they look right on me. They look crooked, but maybe it's me that's crooked .. But they fit! This morning I paired them with this black blouse that I hadn't worn in forever but had been unwilling to get rid of. I'm so glad I didn't get rid of it because it came in handy, and now I realize I really like it. Black and aqua, can't go wrong with that. (I feel like every other thing I own is some variation of aqua/turquoise/teal/mint, and so be it. I love that color family!)

We're back to our little base chapel again for the second week I think, the dead cockroach is finally gone, and the a/c works -- hooray! The singer moved away, and now it's just the organist playing the music and singing. That hasn't been going well. We think the poor lady can either sing OR play the organ, NOT both at the same time. She can't get it together, and the music has been weird. But she is up there and she is giving it her best, and for that I have profound admiration. If I didn't sound like a dying cat when I sing I might volunteer to help her.

I want to meet the new people I've been seeing, but by the time Mass is over, we are too weary to be sociable on the front steps with everyone else. Wrangling Mr. Squirmypants Joey is a workout, and then there's the constant warnings we have to give to five-year-old Timmy for his less than stellar behavior. He still can't find it within himself to behave for one hour a week at Mass.  As a consequence he had to miss out on Ice Age: Collision Course at the base movie theater this afternoon. Then there's been Tim's bad back this weekend, the heat, and it's 11:30 and we're all hungry for lunch. Maybe next week!

For more My Sunday Best, go to A Blog for my Mom!

My Sunday Best, Episode 3: The Humblest Little Chapel

We got back from our week in Florida yesterday afternoon, and this morning it was our usual Mass at the base chapel. I don't think I've ever darkened the door of a more humble place of worship in my life. The building is completely non-descript. Inside it is dark and dank smelling like a basement. It is climate control-challenged -- too hot in summer, too cold in the winter for anyone not in perimenopause. The ceiling fans turn but there is nary a breeze to be felt. A statue of Jesus stands in an armoire, the doors flung wide and Jesus' arms outstretched. Behind the alter there's a revolving section of the wall. Our side has a crucifix on a background of wallpaper; it can be turned around to reveal a wallpaper I like better, with a cross on it. We always sit in the same pew and in the row in front of us, almost directly in front of my spot is a cockroach corpse that's been there for several weeks. I watch it in fascination sometimes, and wonder how long it will last. The organist plays well, but the singer -- God bless her -- is so off-key and out of sync with the organist. I admire her just for being up there because I know I couldn't do the job any better. (Tim and I also think the organist could help her out a little more because she seems like she has professional training, but chooses not to. We could be wrong about that.)

Given all that, it's impossible to explain why I love going to that chapel, and why I miss it when we're away. If we want to we can drive 20 minutes away to the nearest big, beautiful Catholic church out in town, and it's really nice there. But most of the time I'm really glad to just go down the street to our poor little chapel that is obviously THE very lowest priority in the budget. I like the little community here, and I like not feeling super embarrassed when Joey acts up. His loudness seems like it belongs here. (But not Timmy's. At almost five, his loudness is always out of place at Mass.) Spiritually, I feel like I'm still in an infant/toddler stage myself -- so distracted, selfish and undisciplined. But here in this utterly unimpressive space, my mind is quieter and more focused (most of the time, at least!) on what it ought to be.

Here's what I wore:

My apologies for the extremely poor quality of the photo on the left. The real star of the outfit today is the multitasking mint necklace my sister Anna gave me for my birthday. It's a necklace for me and a toy for Joey (while I'm wearing it). The beads are silicone, and they're on a nylon cord with a plastic clasp. I had literally just the day before been thinking, 'What if there was a necklace that wouldn't hurt my neck when Joey plays with it?' The next day, as if she'd read my mind, she gave me this. I may never take it off. It's from RubyRoo Baby, and it will be my go-to baby shower gift for awhile.

The dress is from New York and Company, and Joey's romper is Carter's, which I see he has outgrown in a matter of days. Who does he think he is, to keep growing like that?

This is our last Sunday here until I guess the second week of August. We're leaving on Wednesday to spend the next few weeks in Massachusetts with Tim's side of the family. We'll be staying with his parents. I hope they're ready because their house is about to get Ca-Razy! We're going to enjoy going outdoors during the day, spending time with family, and doing lots of fun things. Tim will be with us for the beginning and end of the trip, and will be dividing the rest of his time between his office here and some work trips.

It will be August before we know it. I'll have to see if that cockroach is still waiting there for me on our first Sunday back at our little chapel.

Linking up again with A Blog for My Mom!

My Sunday Best, Episode 2: My Birthday Comes Early

Yesterday was a busy Saturday. Tim took the Big Three out to go to some stores and also, unbeknownst to me, to get the girls haircuts. He'd heard me griping enough about how hard it was to maintain all this long hair now that we've been going to the pool again, and he wanted them to surprise me. Annie had already mentioned she wanted a haircut, and he thought Delaney would be easy to convince too. But when they got home, it was just Annie who was sporting a shoulder length bob. Delaney had refused -- that is, until she saw her sister's haircut, and then she said, "I change my mind, I want a haircut." By then it was too late, they'd lost their place in line and it was time to go home. Tim told me I would have to take her back that afternoon.

A few hours later I took her, and this time, success! Delaney ended up with even a little more length taken off than her sister (at her own request), as well as some layering and face-framing. I was delighted with the result, and Delaney seemed to be too. I was so happy with the job the person at Great Clips did. I'll be asking for her next time for sure.

Back at the house, Delaney ran inside as fast as she could. I figured she couldn't wait to show her dad. I took a few more moments, getting my things and getting Joey out, before I followed. As soon as I walked into the kitchen I heard, "Surprise!"

"It's not my birthday!" I said. But the cake and the balloons were for me, and so was the card and the present. Tim had wanted to give me the presents before our beach vacation so I'd be able to use them there. I was so excited -- first haircuts for the girls, and now this? 

The present was a new dress and sunglasses. I couldn't wait to try them on, and Delaney took a picture. It's wrap front, so it's nursing friendly should the need arise. This is what I wore to Mass today, with the same sandals from last week. The dress is from New York and Company, but I can't find it online.

To make my birthday complete, Tim made fish tacos for dinner. That was another reason he'd decided to celebrate my birthday early -- because he knew he wasn't making fish tacos on my actual birthday, which is the day we drive back from Florida. (And I might have already brought up the fish tacos;)) He doesn't make them often because they're a lot of work even for him. He uses this recipe, with the only modification being that we put the tacos together with broccoli slaw instead of cabbage. In addition to that he makes his own guacamole and pico de gallo. Fish tacos made any other way are a big, fat disappointment. I'm getting hungry again just thinking about them.

Delaney took these pictures of herself with the timer. She's funny. She said, "Are you going to write a blog? So am I! Let's compare blogs." 

Tim remarked how Delaney and Annie each ended up with the haircut most suitable to them. Annie's is a little longer because she likes to wear it up a lot; and Delaney's is shorter because she'd rather not ever wear her hair up. And now she doesn't have to put up with me coming after her with a brush all the time because she won't brush her own tangles out.

For more My Sunday Best, go to A Blog For My Mom!

My Sunday Best, Episode 1

The summer blahs came early this year. For the past five days it's been so hot the recruits aren't allowed to train outside. Yesterday we left the house only to pick something up at Publix and to walk aimlessly around the Exchange for 45 minutes JUST to be doing something. Joey's been a bit of a challenge. He is now crawling, sitting, climbing and getting into things he's not supposed to. (Did I mention he's five months old?) He seems unable to shut himself off and just sleep, so he's been up at least five or six times a night these past two nights. It was Annie to the rescue again this morning at 6 when he woke up again and I was desperately needing more sleep. I get annoyed all the time when Annie acts like Joey is hers and I'm just the wet nurse, but this morning he was all hers for two hours and I was so relieved.

Then as we all sat in the pew at Mass today, I thought about how grateful I am for everything I have, and what a good life we really have. We are together, we are healthy and happy, and I really have nothing to complain about. (But that's never stopped me before.)

My outfit details: Dress- Gap, sandals - Target, eye bags - courtesy of Joey. 

Annie's outfit: skirt - OshKosh (on clearance now; runs long.), yellow shirt - from Grandma. 

Joey's outfit: all Carter's.

Linking up with Rosie at A Blog for my Mom.