Adventures in Baby Sitting

For awhile now I've been a baby sitting my godson and his sister (whose parents also happen to be Johnny's godparents) a couple times a month. It is crazy fun to have my house bustling with 4 kids under 5!

What's more entertaining than the garbage truck?


Here's Grace and Pearl helping me knead dough. I just love their little messy hands.


Enjoying the fruits of their labor. or in this case, the pizza.


Johnny and Grace showing off their self portraits.


And at the end of the day when I am exhausted, I just turn up the music and let them dance!

...and we laughed.

I went to post this photo on facebook when my thoughts turned to my forgotten blog. I really do miss blogging, facebook has made it easy for me to make connections with people and summarize some of my comings and goings BUT it doesn't document times in my life like my blog has. It really is like a scrap book for me, I will waste a good hour every now and then reading through old posts, getting teary eyed at the pictures of Johnny as baby and remembering really good and really bad things that I've shared. I am so thankful all of it's here and I am thankful for the people who I've shared it with. So, this little post and picture is just to announce that I am back. At least I will regularly post pictures and hopefully, every now and then, my thoughts, experiences, updates etc.. But not now, now I must go clean up around the house as my sweet godchildren will be spending the day with us tomorrow. Oooh, maybe it will give me something to blog about!

I've been including this prayer in my morning prayers recently and thought it would be appropriate to share it today.


I bind unto myself today
The power of God to hold and lead,
His eye to watch, His might to stay,
His ear to hearken to my need.
The wisdom of my God to teach,
His hand to guide, His shield to ward;
The word of God to give me speech,
His heavenly host to be my guard.

Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie, Christ when I sit, Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me,
Salvation is of the Lord,
Salvation is of the Christ,
May your salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.
-St. Patrick

Who knew such beautiful words came from a man most just associate with green beer and good luck?!
We did have a little fun with the day, though. We wore green and went to one of our favorite parks for a picnic lunch.
Sadly, this is the only picture I have to prove it. :)

Silhouette

...one of the sweetest, I'd say!

Well, Nativity is officially over and I hope it was a blessed on for all of you.
Here is a family picture from Christmas day. Johnny is making his popeye face and Pearl looks worried but I am just glad when we all make it into the same picture. So, here you go.


New years eve was once again low key. We let the kids eat ice cream cones for dessert to mark the occasion. Pearl had never had her own before, she was one happy girl.


I am by nature an optimist so a new year always makes me excited for what roads may be traveled, what friends might be made, corners turned, mountains climbed you get the picture. I am hopeful that this year will bring Evan and I more direction and discernment in the decisions that lay ahead. I am really hoping for changes but also praying that I will be content if they don't come the way I think they should. Could I be anymore vague? Okay, what I mean is, I hope this will be the year Evan gets a better job, the year we get to buy a house, move somewhere we want to stay for a long time, settle down. I am learning to let out that big breath I've been holding that past few years thinking that any minute everything is going to be SO much better and to just be happy with what is in front of me. Just this morning Johnny was talking about how certain friends have toys he likes and he wants those toys, I told him if he only thinks about what he doesn't have he wont enjoy the things all around him, he seemed to actually get it. Yet, I find myself feeling that same way, "aw, they bought a house, why can't I have a house." or "oooh, I want a mini-van ,too!" I probably sound like a broken record, I know I've blogged about contentment and being thankful for what I have before. Sorry. I guess I am slow learner and haven't moved up and on yet.
January will be a busy and fun month. This weekend we are headed up Simi Valley for niece Elinor's first birthday. That was one quick year! Towards the end of the month I will be flying up to see my sister for nearly a week. I am so excited to just hang out with Raina and be in Nor Cal for awhile. We lived in Chico together for a few months before I got married and grew really close, so I like visiting her there.
Well, to anyone who still reads this thing, THANKS! I know it's not what it used to be, I am hoping to post more regularly and comment more often,too.

Healing

I got home from visiting family a few hours ago. It was so good to give everyone a big hug, cry, laugh, watch the kids play and just enjoy family. It was especially good to see my cousin. I got to be there after he was moved from ICU and his little girls, ages two and one, came to visit. I snapped this photo him and his two year old. She was pretty overwhelmed with all the machines and tubes and bandages but she held his hand almost the whole time. She kept listing all the movies she would watch with him when he got home. The amazing thing is he came home last night! Less than a week after being shot five times, having a foot and a half of intestine removed as well as his gall bladder and part of his liver!! The whole drive up to see them it crossed my mind that I could have been making this drive to attend his funeral. The only shot that missed his body was aimed at his head, there is a bullet hole on the top of the drivers side door. He has no idea who the woman was, police have yet to find her or establish what her motive may have been. We don't know if she was just out of her mind or if it was some sort of gang initiation. All of this has left us wondering why. Why did this have to happen? For now, I will just thank God he is alive, he will be able to see his little girls grow, to meet his new baby in May, to hug his wife. If you think of him please continue to pray for him. His body is young and strong and has and will continue to heal quickly, it is the emotional wounds that can be so crippling.
Lord have mercy.

Please pray for my cousin, Jesse. He got off work in downtown LA early this morning and was at a drive thru window when a woman approached him and shot him 4-6 times. Amazingly, he is alive but is in surgery. Please pray for his pregnant wife, two young daughters, mother and father and his entire family who love him and are worried sick about him right now.

Happy Thoughts..

It's always so much easier for me to think about the injustice, frustrations and disappointments of life. So, I am going to a take a few moments and think about what is making me happy today.
Here's my happy list..
-I haven't yelled at Johnny today. ( I am working on that)
-The kids sat on the patio eating a snack and truly enjoyed each others company today.
-I know what is for dinner and have all the food I need to prepare it.
-Running. I have been running for a few months now. I am up to 3 miles and try to go 3-5 times a week. It really does make me happy and I've dropped two sizes!
-Evan. I love him, he's a good man.
-The hilarious jib jab video I made using the faces of my kids and my nieces and nephew.
-Tomorrows forecast calls for a cool down. Hurray!! Maybe it will actually feel like Fall.(oops, I think that was a complaint in disguise)
-When Pearl dances to Ancient Faith radio. That kid will dance to anything!
-My dishwasher.
-The library which is in walking distance and is loved by my children.
-Happy noises filling my house.

Glory to God for all things!

Sweet Pea

She wore her sailor dress to church on Sunday. We left the pipe and hat at home.

Cute pictures from my least favorite Holiday

I am always torn about how to approach Halloween in our house, especially since Evan and I both grew up only attending church alternatives to the "evil" day. For now we've decided to not spend a lot of money and not make a big deal about but just let Johnny dress up and have a little fun. We had a lot of fun. Our neighborhood is so friendly and has all these adorable old homes and I just love the excuse trick or treating provides to look into each one and see all the character and different styles of decor. Johnny just loved getting all that candy!
We made Johnny's costume this year. ( I say we because Evan did everything from sew the collar to hand paint the spinach can) Can you tell who he is?? All the adults knew but very few kids recognized him. Pearls costume was a hand me down I've had for years. She was supposed to be a ladybug but she wouldn't wear the hood and everyone thought she was a strawberry.

Grandma came trick or treating with us!

Johnny owned that costume, he WAS Popeye. Maybe I should say, he IS Popeye because he has been wearing the hat nearly everyday since and would have the pipe in his mouth at all times if I let him. (he is holding his spinach felt and donning the hat as I type)

Blah Blah Blah

I wrote the following a couple months ago when I was trying to play catch up with this blog. I never meant to neglect it for so long. I decided to just go ahead and post this even though it seems so irrelevant now and I meant to include lots of pictures but I just want to get this posted and move on to the present. Hopefully, I can get back in the swing of things and make blogging part of my life again. I've missed it and my friends out there.

I have bloggers block, apparently. Summer has come and almost gone (although we still have a couple hot months left in Southern California) and I have hardly posted a thing. I could blame it on Johnny and Pearl not napping as well these days, or Evan being in school and have side projects which mean he is on the computer or I could just say it's been a very busy summer with lots of birthdays, family events and visits with friends. To say, I've just been busy would be a lie. I have just felt very blah. My passion, excitement for things is just not there. We have had some disappointments the past few months and I have been struggling, no, drowning in discontent. Avoiding my blog has not helped me because blogging usually allows me to reflect a little on my days and reminds me of all the blessed things in my life and how much I really have to say thank you for. Instead, though, my head has been stuck in this place where all I see is what I don't have and how unfair it is. It has been pretty consuming. Sick, huh? I say all this because I didn't want to just come back with a picture of my kid and or cute little antidote. I need this place to be a little more honest than that. I've been holding so much in and I have finally opened up and confessed these thoughts and feelings to God, to my priest, to Evan. So, I now I am going to let out a big SIGH to have gotten that off my back and tell you about the things I should have been reflecting on the past few months because there really have been fun, good things happening in our life.
-Pearl turned ONE!

Pearl is a light, she makes everyone around her smile. When we are out she will stare someone down and even holler at them just so she can look them in the eye and give them a big grin and a wave. It's really great to see Johnny enjoying her more, too. He thinks she's really funny and they will sit and just laugh at each other. Music to my ears.
- Our goddaughters came to town. (as well as their awesome parents)We had so much fun seeing the girls. We hate that they live so far but their visit was a big highlight of our summer.
-My family visited and we took a trip to Sea world. Oh, so fun. I have a pass now, so, if any of you have Sea World plans I'd love to meet up with you!
Other than that time was spent with our godson and family who happen to be Johnny's godparents. Lots of trips to the beach, various pools and parks.
It was fun but I am so ready for fall!

Johnny turns 3!

My little man, is a little less little these days. He is a whopping three years old now and I really cannot believe it! Ever since seeing a Veggie tale with "the pirates who don't do anything", Johnny has loved all things pirate. So, of course, we had to have a pirate party. (i ignored him when two days before the celebration he said, "actually, mama, I think I want a superman party") My talented mother-in-law made all the kids pirate bandanas, eye patches and pirate loot bags and I made some really fun cupcakes. Throw in a piñata and a bunch of super cute kids and you've got one heck of a party.

John Henry, you make me smile EVERYDAY. Even on the days when you make me pull my hair out, you'll still manage to say or do something to make me laugh. Thank you, thank God, for the three years of joy your Papa and I have experienced from you, just being you. God grant you many, many years!

Out of the Mouthes of Babes..

..Orthodox babes, that is.


Johnny and I were looking at pictures of him from about two years ago right before he turned one. When he saw this one he exclaimed, " I have a circle around my head. I'm a saint!"

I keep saying I need to write down the things he says, so I think I will start blogging them. I don't expect others to enjoy them as much as I do, I just need a place to record them.

We are trying to help Johnny and Pearl develop a close sibling relationship.
When conflicts arise we encourage them try different ways to find resolution..

There's the talk it through approach. Pearl seems to do most of the talking.

Sometimes they just need to hug it out.


When all else fails we just let them fight it out. Winner takes all.


Kidding, of course. I just thought these pictures were funny. They are having a lot more fun together. Although, there are times when I think they would fight it out if I let them. Pearl is feisty enough, I think she could take him!

WaterBoy

Yeehaw!

I totally ripped this idea off someone else's blog, but it's just too funny!

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Try JibJab Sendables!

Son & Daughter

Johnny: (upon eyeing the easter egg decorating kit I left out) "What's that?
Mama: "Oh, we're going to DYE easter eggs for Pascha."
Johnny: "Are they going to DIE on the cross like Jesus?"

It has been really amazing and inspiring to walk through this Lent and these first days of Holy Week with my two year old. It's a beautiful thing to watch a child's faith grow and I am humbled by it.
To all my orthodox friends, have a blessed Holy Week.

Sweet N' Sour

..that's her nickname these days.