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Archangels and Ruckers

 

Happy Feast of the Archangels! We just finished a novena to St. Michael praying for police officers- shout out to my cousin Joe and friend Hope for serving in these important roles during such a difficult time.

 

Gabriel is celebrating his namesake today by painting some playdough. 

In other news, Dave will be joining Aunt Natalie for a "rucking" event this Friday-Saturday. From what I understand, it involves walking with a team of fellow ruckers for 10 hours overnight with weights on your back. Dave will be carrying 30 lbs. There are a number of Special Forces guys on this team. Please join us in praying for survival a safe return for Dave. This is Nat's 4th ruck, so she's a beast. Here's a little more info.

While my burly husband is finishing up his feat of strength and endurance, I'll be engaging in feats of intellect with my book club- the Well-Read Mom, to discuss Sense and Sensibility. I'd never actually read this gem by Jane Austin (I mean, when you have a British film version with Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet, you're satisfied, right?), but I'm glad I did. I rounded out the characters, particularly the character of Edward, Elinor's love interest, who falls flat for me in the film. Oh, but Colonel Brandon...the quiet, virtuous dark horse. Worth the read!

We're thrilled Gabriel's god-parents, our dear friends Michelle and Daniel, have just been matched with a baby girl to adopt! Please join me in praying that everything goes smoothly for them, the birth mother, and soon-to-be Baby Jacobeen, who is expected shortly after Christmas. I'm looking forward to walking the challenging and joyful road of newborn-dom with a close friend!

"I wandered lonely as a cloud..."

It's chestnut season! We had to fight squirrels for these...

Moral support.

Gabriel's latest fetish routine: lighting candles each morning. It does make for a nicely scented house.

Boy oh boy

Our Gender Reveal party was a smashing hit. Thanks to everyone who came, both physically and virtually; it really was worth the difficult wait! Cutting into the cake and seeing those layers of blue was a shock to me and most people in the room...twelve out of sixteen people, to be exact! 

Not horror, just shock. Thanks for catching this awesome snapshot, Pop-Pop.

Gabriel has been particularly excited about the news (and vindicated- he never wavered in his conviction that a baby brother is in my tummy). "When it's Spring, we'll go to the hospital, and the baby will FLLLYYY out of your tummy! It'll be so cute!"

Earlier in the week Gabriel earnestly asked me with a knit brow, "Mommy, when you go to the hospital, will the baby come out of your mouth?" 

Stifling laughter, I told him I'd explain the process when he's a little older. For now, he just knows that somehow that baby is going to come out of my tummy. Apparently he's come to the conclusion that "flying" is the preferable mode of transition (poor nurses!). 

A couple other Gabriel gems:

"Mommy, I need some tylenol. It's a coronavirus day." 

David: "Gubby, do you like me?" Gabriel: "Yes, but I don't like the world."

Incidentally, I think he does like the world...

Hope everyone has a nice week. For a little dose of laughter, we offer this. 🐐

Love in the time of Covid

Well, if you haven't already heard, we're expecting. On February 3rd to be exact. We kept the news from the kids until the first trimester sonogram. At dinner a week before the sonogram, I asked a risky (stupid?) question: "Hey kids, would you rather have a dog, or a baby?" I wouldn't have asked if I didn't have an inkling that at least some contingent would answer "baby!" To my joy, they all shouted "baby!" How relieving! What an agreeable lot we have here. 

Yep, there are feet in there! Awesome shirt compliments of my friend Audrey.

For the first time ever, we're going to have a "gender reveal" with this little one. The plan is to have the sonogram tech write the gender down on a piece of paper, which we will deliver to a bakery, where a cake will be concocted with a blue or pink layer of frosting in the middle, depending on the gender. I'm going to have the tech give us a back-up piece of paper, just to make sure the bakery doesn't make a terrible error. If I'm patient enough, I won't peek at the envelope before the party. Hm, no one would know...

School has started. David has four in-person kids in his class. The remaining 16 are on a screen, zooming into the classroom from their homes.  I don't envy the teachers having to manage both the classroom and the "zoom-room" everyday; it can't be easy. I guess we knew going in that this academic year would be less than ideal. 

In the meantime, Gabriel has me all to himself like the good ol' days. The return to structure where certain things have to happen at certain times has been a good thing, I think. Gabriel and I have a nice varied routine of park, library, daily Mass, lunch, quiet reading... we enjoy it.

The artist at work.

Thomas, Percy, James, Henry, Edward, and Gordon. Just in case you were wondering.

The other kids are bummed to give up our summer dinnertime routine of watching Kids Baking Championship, Shark Tank, or a DisneyPlus movie every night of the week. Back to dinners at the table and having to engage in conversation. "What's one good thing that happened to you today?" (Snack, lunch and recess don't count).

Until next time...

Corona miscellanea

It's hard to believe school starts next week. It feels like we're walking into a science experiment (or maybe a petri dish is more apt): will viruses grow on us, or will we remain pure specimens? I spoke with our new school nurse, who is also a PA, and she chose to look at this through a positive lens: "Kids have never been groomed to be this careful about spreading germs ever- maybe we'll get through this fine!" She has a point. These kids are going to be scrutinized all day long, unlike their older peers in college where the outbreaks are happening. Elementary school parents also tend to be a little more conservative than college students about how they spend their after-school hours; they likely won't be throwing keggers and amassing at off-campus parties without masks. I'm hopeful...

Gabriel had his first run-in with life as a big brother this weekend. A friend with a newborn very trustingly allowed this:

It's possible this picture will be replicated in 6 months...

"Ok, mom, I guess you can have a girl..."

Pool buddies (social distancing, of course)

Dave took the kids and some cousins to Woodstock this weekend for some river-time before the school year starts. 

"Ich gehe wandern!" (and check me for ticks!)

Woodstock Tower beauties (and gentleman)

Dave likes to blast Andrew Lloyd Webber while he's chillin' on the River.

What happens in Woodstock stays in Woodstock...

I've toyed with the idea of cutting my own hair during this pandemic, but this meme put me straight. How do you do it, Mom?

Happy Tuesday!

Hello again, and pickles

Last night Dave put a bug in my ear about resurrecting this blog. I grumbled about Instagram and all the new platforms for documenting life in the 2020s, making blogs obsolete. But it hit me that the nice thing about the antiquated blog is the relative privacy and slower pace (and, unlike Photo Stream, the space for pontificating and extended commentary). An Instagram or Twitter post is instantly seen by anyone and everyone who wants to see it. Only you, dear family readers, are given this instant access to our family blog, because I put you on my email list. The pressure is substantially less.

I won't try to fill you in on the past three years. Instead, I'll pick things up now, today, in our kitchen. It's a rainy day, so several children are taking on culinary projects. Rose is making banana cream pie, and David got some Ball jars with lids for his birthday is tackling pickles. 

"Homeade"!

In other news, Gabriel had his first dental appointment (during COVID no less...quite a milestone). He was a bright-eyed and cooperative patient.

Waiting expectantly for his prize.

Happy gloomy day!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

A Happy Birthday note from Gabriel

Dear Mommy,

Happy Birthday! I am so happy that I am going to clap many times for you today.

I love you very much, which is why I start to miss you in the middle of the night! It's also why, since I learned to crawl, I like helping you organize the kitchen! I don't know if you knew this, but there's a lot of space to put stuff on the floor. You don't need to keep everything in the cupboards and drawers. Also, your paper bags are much too dry; but I've got some drool to help you remedy that problem.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to voice some concerns to you: First, I do not like other babies being up in my space, especially in my own house. There's one little girl who comes over who is especially abusive. Please fix that. Second, you keep closing the doors to the bathrooms. I want to help you organize the toilets in there, but I can't if you don't give me access.

Most of all, I want to let you know how happy you make me. You're my best friend, by far. Sometimes I take issue with always smelling like your perfume or deodorant, but most of the time it gives me comfort in knowing you are always close by.

Love, your son,

Gabriel

PS: More rice puffs.

PPS: Please teach Rose the proper way to feed a baby.