There’s a small hole in the kitchen, right in the corner where the dishwasher meets the cupboards. Our cat Sam hates the other cats in the house and has taken to squeezing herself into that hole, ending up in the cupboard for hours a day. The hole is too small for the other cats to follow her, so she feels safe. Seth is home sick, getting over the flu, but wanted a cat so much that he went to pull Sam out of the cupboard, knocking over a bottle of sesame seed oil. The cap broke on the floorm the bottle spilled, and so…. guess what…………I’ve already cleaned up half a cup of seseme oil off the floor!!! Not a pleasant smell, either. Seth was sent back to the couch without the cat. In order to clean up sesame seed oil you need: paper towels, Dawn dish soap, hot water, more paper towels, and cleaning spray that smells stronger than the oil. (I used Mrs. Meyer’s Lilac)
I have to leave in an hour for a doctor’s appointment but am determined to post these photos.
My brother Nate and his family came out to Connecticut this weekend to visit my brother Isaac and his family, and the baby girl cousins were together!
We had a wonderful time sitting around the livingroom visiting each other and admiring the girls.
As soon as I walked in the house and saw them in their matching outfits I laughed. They were impossibly cute!!!!!
Isaac took all the photos. Thank you Isaac!
Isn’t it a joy to have a cousin to grow up with? Cousins are the best.
Seth named this photo “milk and cookies”. He said Elena was thinking of milk, and Morgan was thinking of cookies. He asked me which baby I thought was cuter and I said it was impossible to choose and then I asked him which one HE thought was cuter and he thought about it and couldn’t choose, either.
They’re even cute when they cry.
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This morning we were pleasantly surprised by a beautiful snow.
We watched a movie and matched socks. Which, as you know, is a two-person-hour-long chore around here.
When the movie was half over she wanted to talk instead, so I pushed pause (and eventually turned it off); we can finish the movie another day.
We went upstairs and cleaned her bedroom.
“Cleaning is a good activity to do while you’re talking to someone else because you don’t even realize that you’re cleaning.” she said. Take note.
Then we got dressed and went downtown to the thrift store.
She scored a July 21, 1969 edition of the Hartford Courant which had the headline “Man Walks on Moon” in bright blue on the front, plus a short stack of several more newspapers underneath.
I was leaning against the kitchen island, on the computer searching for a photo of Sarah and her brother Ethan, when I glanced to my left and saw a most charming sight, of Grace in my red plaid jacket, reading her new very old newspaper.
I got closer and bent my nose down to smell it, and then she did, too.
Ask her what she craved and she’d get a little frantic about things like books, the woods, music. Plants and the seasons. Also freedom. ~Charles Frazier
Grace turned nineteen on November 4.
When she was home from college for Thanksgiving break she said, “You didn’t blog about me on my birthday”. So here I am, better late than never, with my sincerest apologies to you, dear Grace!
Grace was born in the very early hours of the morning all those years ago, our first daughter after two sons. Born at 38 weeks, but so tiny that everyone stopped to admire her and call her “Peanut”, I delighted in being her mother. I found a white bib that had a small peanut embroidered on it and of course I had to buy it for her and I bet it that bib is still here in a box somewhere along with many other keepsakes from that precious time.
She’s all grown up now and in the middle of her second year of college and doing very well. She has her own dorm room this year which has been nice for her, but she keeps so busy she’s rarely in it except to do homework and sleep.
She’s healthy and strong, with lots of dear and close friends.
She loves to read and write, sing and play piano. She loves to be useful.
I hadn’t taken many photos of her lately so when she was home for Thanksgiving we got the camera out for a couple of “Now You’re Nineteen” photos. We were downtown that day for “small town shopping”.
The quotes are from Grace’s own personal collection of favorites. (she has hundreds) ❤
“Come, let us have some tea, and continue to talk about happy things.”
Don’t be so cool you can’t cry. Don’t be so smart you can’t wonder. Don’t be so set on your sunny days That you can’t love the roll of the thunder.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11
I look like such a big head in this photo but that’s selfie photography for you! Poor Sarah didn’t make it into the photo.
After all the planning and organizing and hosting of Thanksgiving, we were all ready to get out of the house on Black Friday and it was absolutely the best day because we were all together, Rich and I **without even one child missing**.
The line at Starbucks was a little long so I got silly with my camera and my mama-joy.
Rich and I both felt deep down meaningful gratitude over spending time with them, our biggest blessings of all. Each so different and yet, together, a special group of siblings. That’s how all families feel about their children, and rightfully so.
God is so good to us.
THE SONS
At the mall! I like to do things fairly so I said to Rich, “The girls go with me and the boys go with you!” (I’m sure the boys were utterly relieved)
Sarah insisted on getting this blanket for “someone” on our Christmas list!
I’m thinking if it were a fluffy sweater in Sarah’s size she would look dashing!
(Note to Self: Sarah looks good in mauve.)
She found her perfect dream dress. And thank goodness I liked it, too. It’s plain and simple but with the best twirling skirt ever.
AND THE DAUGHTERS
So. I had a secret mission for this mall outing. I wanted more than anything to get updated portraits taken of Jacob and Ethan. They are both Juniors in college this year and it’s been since High School that I had a nice professional portrait of them. Grace’s senior photo is still on the wall looking fabulous, along with the other school-age children who just brought home their updated school portraits.
I had five 8 by 10s hanging up in the livingroom, but was very much missing the two eldest boys.
I wasn’t sure if we could just walk into the portrait studio without appointments but we tried it and had SUCCESS! All I wanted was one 8 by 10 of each of them and we were in and out of the studio in no time at all, pictures in hand.
They turned out so nice!!!!! Here’s Jacob’s portrait. He will be turning 22 next month.
And here’s Ethan’s portrait! He’s 20 years old.
I love how they go together yet they aren’t matchy-matchy.
I find myself staring at their faces quite often. 🙂
This is exactly where I am right now, sitting in the chair draped by a white and blue blanket that Aunt Colleen crocheted for me in our local school colors so I could take it to cold outdoor games. In the mug I have hot spiced apple cider, and to the left of my laptop you can see the jar candle, and then my phone propped up, which is playing my friend’s video to me this morning. What a great way to start the day, with photos, conversation, laundry, and blogging.
To be honest, I have also been to the vet to drop off poor Walter. Today our kitty has to have his special operation that will help him grow up to be a nice, tame, good-smelling male cat who can’t make babies. We’ll go pick him up again later. 🙂
Also, Seth is home for the second day in a row. He’s feeling better but had a fever yesterday so has to be home one more day. I have to admit I really really like having him home with me.
It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness. CHARLES SPURGEON
This morning Sarah was having cereal for breakfast but she couldn’t remember if she liked cinnamon flavored Life. So she took a few pieces out of the box to taste it and as she crunched she made a funny face.
“What’s the matter, don’t you like it?” I asked.
“No, I do………… it’s just that I haven’t used my teeth for eleven hours.”
I left the house at 8:30 in the morning on Friday to drive to the college that our two older boys attend. After a three hour drive, and a couple of stops, I arrived around 1:00pm for a quick visit. The purpose of the trip was to get Ethan and bring him back home with me for his week long break. Jacob stayed on campus for football practices. The drive to Vermont is easy and the views are so pretty. I listened to a Wuthering Heights audiobook there and back, (all but the times when my phone lost cell phone service).
After I parked in the lot at the boys’ dorm, I let them know I had arrived. They showed me their room and then they took me to a produce stand just down the road about a mile and I saw such picturesque farms along the way. I posted photos of the stand on instagram.
I love their room, it’s so typical of them. They both agreed that they need 1) a broom and 2) an area rug. I could have added more to the list. Sometimes they take an entire couch from the common area and put it in their room. It’s easier to play video games that way. And maybe even study, too. But you have to be sneaky about it and return the couch before room check.
The dorm has a great view of the sports fields.
Ethan and I left and ate lunch together in Rutland. Then, an hour or so down the road, we visited a large antique center. I bought a little bag full of black and white photographs from the 1930s, a vintage flour scoop, and a small vintage sifter for my mom. I took photos of some fiestaware I saw but didn’t want or need (it happens).
Admittedly, the vintage red shakers were in very nice condition, but I wouldn’t pay 30 dollars for them.
I wasn’t sure what to think of this taxidermied chicken!!! Would this be a fun addition to my house decor? Or disturbing? The tag said it was an old advertizing display for a store.
We also visited the Vermont Country store for cheese samples, coffee (oh how I needed it at that point! And it was worth the wait–maple flavored; everything’s maple flavored in Vermont), and sweets. I had a delectable lemon bar. The filling was creamy and not too tart, and the cookie base was soft and buttery. So good! So bad!
We arrived home and that was the end of Friday.
Saturday…..
……..was a nice, easy sunshiny family day. Rich took Seth to a birthday party at a trampoline place and Seth had just the greatest time.
I took a photo of a pretty mushroom.
And then, I took Sarah with me to a library used book sale. She put new laces in her sneakers without any help from her Dad, and put a cute little dress on. She was pleased to go look for some books with her Mom. It’s odd at times, because Grace is at college now but when she was Sarah’s age she was the only girl in the family, and now it’s the same for Sarah. She’s 8 years old and Grace was 10 when Sarah was born. Sometimes I get flashbacks and think I’m back in time with Grace again. Even their little voices sound the same to me now and then. And I told Sarah when we got in the car, “I’m so glad God gave you to me.”
The library ladies at the table gave me a dollar and fifty cent discount for being a mom of seven, which in their eyes, deserved the teachers discount. I mean, every teacher AND mom should get a discount, am I right?
We were able to add three more books to our Newbery collection. I think it’s amazing and good that Newbery medals are awarded to all different reading levels and genres. For example, Millions of Cats is a children’s picture book and story for the age range of 2 to 5 years old, and only 32 pages long.
Here is a quick video that I did this morning, showing all of the books (except the Newberys which I already put on the shelf.)::
Our kitty Walter Felix Disney just meowed and meowed in gratitude when he saw his new book that we bought for him.
But Sherlock didn’t care. He knows the books about HIM are 100 times better.
Someone was happy to have his boy back.
Rich and I took full advantage of our Saturday together because on Sunday he had to leave us for a business trip.
I’m sort of consoled because Ethan is home this week and also Rich’s trip includes the L.A. airport and we all know what that means……more RAMS merchandise for yours truly!
sunday
A happy Sarah cheerleader!
I am sad to say that although it was a beautiful day for football games, we lost them. Caleb and Seth seemed to enjoy it anyway, especially because they both came away with a bunch of new bruises and Seth’s calf muscle on his left leg got run over very impressively by cleats and he has scratches and bruises. It seemed to invigorate them and they came home and later on played even more football with Jack until it was too dark to see outside.
David and Ethan dropped off Caleb, played soccer together on another nearby field, and then left to go to the Guitar Center and go visit Zach, Michael, and the rest of the gang at their “2nd Mom and Dad’s ” house, Chris and Caroline. I didn’t see them again the rest of the day because by the time they got home at 10pm I was in bed finishing my latest book. (shown on instagram).
Seth on the field. He did so so good. Coach George made it a point to sing his praises to me later on and said how good Seth was, both as a player and a person. It meant so much to me to hear his coach say what I know in my heart to be true. He’s a good boy. You know, he sat right on my lap this morning when he got up. They love it when I wear my soft red robe. It prompted me to make up a song titled “the best chair of all is a mom chair.” To which he replied, “Can I see your phone so I can check my fantasy team?”
I found this Seth-Selfie from yesterday on my phone. He had my phone in the car and was listening to a Boxcar children book while waiting to warm up.
this very morning;
LAST BUT NOT LEAST a photo that I took so I could show Sarah how excellently I did her braids this morning.
“Every kind of work can be a pleasure. Even simple household tasks can be an opportunity to exercise and expland our caring, our effectiveness, our responsiveness. As we respond with caring and vision to all work, we develop our capasicy to respond fully to all of life. Every action generates positive energy which can be shared with others. These qualities of caring and responsiveness are the greatest gift we can offer.” ~ Tarthang Tulku
On Saturday, this photo came up in my memories on another social media site. It is a photo I took of Grace eleven years ago, when she was seven years old. I immediately wondered if we could capture the photo with her little sister, Sarah, who is eight. Rich and I were away with Ethan and his girlfriend, so Grace took the photo of her little sister.
2018 little sister
Once we watched a lazy world go by Now the days seem to fly Life is brief, but when it’s gone Love goes on, and on…….
“I feel like a huge burden that I’ve had since I was a child was just lifted off of me.”
Here are the memories she doesn’t want to forget about learning to drive:
That time when her Dad had her drive around and around and around an empty parking lot at school backwards, this way and that way until she cried, and then he had her do it more.
The time she and I were going to the plant store and I didn’t tell her how long it was going to take to get there and she drove for an hour.
When she first really drove it was with her older brother Jacob and it was raining but she didn’t know how to turn on the wipers and when she did turn them on they went so fast she got nervous and asked Jacob for help.
She went to the H.S. to practice backing into parking spots and no one was there so her Dad got out of the car and walked laps while she practiced parking which was exactly what she needed…to figure it out on her own.
She had two college friends (April and Ryan) and Caleb and Kylee praying for her before her test this morning.
She and Caleb talked on the phone and went over traffic rules the morning of her test. And he reminded her to turn on her lights and put on the emergency brake which were the two things she did wrong on her practice test last weekend.
To help them with their nerves, they had a movie going in the waiting room for the students about to test, and a box of munchkins for them to snack on, but she didn’t want to eat anything or watch anything …. but she did eat a munchkin because she felt she would be rude if she didn’t. The movie playing was “Sing” and she was annoyed because she wanted to concentrate on her test but with the movie playing she started getting interested and watched it.
The songs she sang to herself while she waited for her test driver were, “Give me Oil in my Lamp” and “I love You, Lord”.
The man riding along to test was very nice; an elderly grandfather type.
She didn’t think she would do well, she didn’t think she would pass.
She and her dear friend Kylee both took their test on the same day and passed. And when she walked in to the office to hand her paper sheet to the lady for her paper license the lady said, “Look at you, you little show off,” because she got nothing marked wrong.
She walked over to the garden center after her test to find me.
Good to be Home 