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.

Days with Rosie and Gabey

Time spent at home with Rosie and Gabriel is a joy. I love our weekly routines, and occasionally happening in on a sweet moment between the two of them. Rose is at an age when she's putting her thoughts to words, and the outcome is often hysterical and precious. I try to write down her Rosie-isms when they come. There's been a lot of questions about sin, heaven, hell, the devil and Jesus lately (you know, light topics). After one such discussion she was alone, playing with her toys, and I heard her whispering to herself, "Jesus, please forgive us our sins, and the resurrection of our bodies..."

Another day:
Rose: "You know, Santa, Jesus and Rocky remind me of friends."
Me: "Hm, what do you mean?"
Rose: "You know, they seem like they would be friends."

It's actually not off the wall that for Rose, Rocky's status is up there with Jesus. David went through a season of asking to play "Training Montage" from Rocky IV over and over and over. I got a lot of questions like "Is Rocky good?" "Why is he good?" "Why is Drago bad?" "Are the devil and Drago bad?" You can see the progression of reasoning...

Rose helps me reign in Gabriel, who rolls and scoots everywhere now.

"Mom, can you take over?"

A bike ride with friends on a warm day.

Real food for real babies, Mom.

It's alive!

Yes, this blog still exists.  For those who haven't been 'splained to about why this blog stands so neglected, it's the fault of all our Apple devices. Pretty much every photo around here is shot with an iPhone or iPad, and transferring those pictures to the blog is too much for my old Apple laptop, which can take 10 seconds to load for each click it receives. That, plus Blogger seems to be outdated. There aren't any options for directly transferring photos from Apple devices to Blogger, that I know of. If I'm wrong, please tell me! I'd love to keep this blog going instead of solely posting photos to iPhoto photo sharing (which the Cooks can see, but the Farrs can't!). Anyway, on to some pics taken with my good old-fashioned camera.

Maria cuddling St. Gabriel on his baptism day!

What not to do with a Spanish omelet.

Jumping forward six months to Christmas, which was absolutely lovely. Aunt Nat and Uncle George, Lola and Lolo all joined the fun Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Happy birthday baby Jesus!

Lil' Irish. Thanks Uncle George!

Princess Rose, thanks to Aunt Hilary!

Our new 16-person tent, which we're planning on taking outside eventually :) Thanks Lolo and Lola!

Beautiful Christmas morning, waiting to go to Mass.

A surprise from a neighbor Christmas morning. So sweet!

Peep-eye!

Aunt Kate and Uncle Jeff's "Fairy Garden" is a success!

Visit to Train Exhibit at U.S. Botanical Gardens (where Grandmommy's art is hanging!) A couple days after Thanksgiving, when Teresa broke her thumb. Ah, memories :)

Merry Christmas!

May Recap

Frankie's 9th birthday party fell on a rainy, chilly day, disrupting our plans for an outdoor event involving water. So, instead, Dave came up with the idea of a cake contest. Each girl made her own two-layer cake (yes, this really happened) and Dave and Lolo got to judge which was the best cake at the end of the party. The girls were thrilled, and the party theme was right up Frankie's alley. Good work, Dave.

Dressed to impress, we went to a black tie wedding last weekend, and my, was it glitzy! It was in St. Peter's Catholic Church on Capitol Hill, which is really beautiful. A nice chance to go on a formal date before baby Cook arrives.

Pool season is upon us! We're going to try swim team this year- Francesca, Teresa, and David will don their team suits (oh, little David in a speedo) and head to practices and meets this summer. We'll see how this goes.

The count-down begins....one week until my due date! Again, prayers for sleep leading up to the grand event would be most appreciated. We're doing a novena to St. Gabriel the Archangel (have we mentioned officially that he'll be named Gabriel Thomas?). Gabriel means "God is my strength." The Archangel Gabriel acts as God's messenger throughout Scripture, most importantly announcing the Savior's birth to Mary. We're confident he'll be a powerful patron for our little guy.  Thomas is after my dad, Pop Pop, who will be another loving patron, no doubt. Happy Feast of the Sacred Heart!