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...

St. Faustina presents her story

St. Faustina waiting to present after St. Juan Diego.

The holy crew. Frankie is hiding behind St. Kateri on the far right.

Releasing balloons with the names of saints on them in honor of All Saints Day. Cute idea, though as one mother noted, an environmentalist's nightmare...

The kinders got to watch the balloons being released and a little skit by Fr. Juan about running the race to get to Heaven.

Francesca did a wonderful job with her saint presentation this morning. She had memorized the whole thing and so didn't need Fr. Vives's notes (he's holding each saint's notes in his hand in case someone needs them). I think she did her namesake proud.  I got to see Frankie at school in action today, and it was illuminating. She could possibly be the teacher's pet, which has its positive and negative sides. She has a quiet maturity about her. Her table got to go first to get goodies at the reception after the presentations, and she brought back one cupcake (such restraint!), which she immediately offered to David and Rose, and she cheerfully went to stand in a long line to get another one for herself. She is very aware of others and their needs; she tried to quiet down her classmates when the teacher's instructions were going unheard in the din. I can see how she might be viewed as a a little too mature or aloof, which we don't want. Our goal is to have some classmates over hopefully to develop some less formal friendships. But we're proud of our little manang, who could run the house in our absence if needed.

School days

Bird watching

Neighbor watching? 

Meet the Pharaoh of Upper Egypt. She's not amused by her subjects, nor by her crown.

Moses got nothin' on Rose(s), the sweetest baby ever to grace a wicker basket.

Pearls of wisdom

Ahh Autumn and sweater-vests.

Teresa's wisdom  confounds the wisest of sages. One morning in the car:
"Mommy? I had a dream last night."
"Really? What'd you dream about?"
"Well, I don't know. My eyes were closed. I couldn't see it."

A litte silver polish really makes these earrings pop.

Frankie, too, has some pearls floating around up there.
At dinner: "Mom? Did you know we're eating dead pig?"

One quiet afternoon: "Mom? Are there other worlds?"
..and shortly after: "I can't wait to visit Outer Space."

We know it's time for a haircut when David opens the pantry door and says, "Mommy I want some hay-cuck."

And finally, a note written one (hectic) morning by Frankie and left on the table for Dave:

"it has been a hard morning for me!"

Hope you've all been cozy-ing up during these cold days and enjoying Notre Dame football.

Reading to Junior

What we've been up to

Frolicking with cousins

Helping David learn to love the pink swing

Deep conversations between sisters

Making cookies as ballerinas (and Snow White)

Picking roses.

We've also begun tapping Five in a Row, ironically since everyone else's school year is about to end. But Frankie seems game, so we've begun charting the geography of the stories we read. We've mapped the U.S., Japan, Italy and the Philippines so far. And we've sat on cushions for tea and cookies like Mako's family in A Pair of Red Clogs. Thanks for the loaner, Hil!