(More than) Fourinarow.net

Today was the first time in quite a while that we’ve attempted mass as a family.  All summer, Dan and I have chosen to attend separate masses, in an attempt to keep our sanity.  Jack, of course always goes with one of us, and Maria does most of the time.  The little boys and the [...]

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Caught on tape!  He’s a little more efficient after studying his cousin Harry.

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So.  Last week, my sister gathered up her courage, her kids and her husband and came for a visit.  I hadn’t seen her since my brother’s wedding over a year ago.  Just she and her daughter were able to come then.  I think before that it was a few years earlier in California for 48 [...]

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While my sister was here (more on that later, I promise!) the kids worked on several crafts together.  Lucie had a few favorites that she couldn’t wait to share with her cousins.  One of these crafts was RoseArt Color Blanks.  These are strangely shaped creatures made of a plastic material that you can color and [...]

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I have the highchair. (Bought today.)

I have the bowls. (Bought today.)
I have the spoons.  (Bought today.)
I have the rice cereal.  (Bought today.)
I have a baby that is clearly ready for food.  (As demonstrated last night during dinner.)

What I don’t have is the desire.  He might be ready, but I’m not.  It makes me so sad [...]

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Well, in case you didn’t know it, we just returned from a trip to Salt Lake City.  Yes, we took the WHOLE family.  Yes, we DROVE.
10 Days.  3,703 miles.

We survived.  ALL of us.  And, we had fun!!!  Seriously.  I only considered homicide once.  In the hotel in North Platte, NE.  It was our first night [...]

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Today, uncles, an aunt and several cousins are floating down a river in a raft. As a matter of fact, the are floating as I post. Despite the offer of a teeny tiny life vest, Andrew and I thought it best to wait here at the finishline.

So… While Andrew sleeps in the shade, [...]

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Apropos of nothing, Maria announced in the car today:  They say, “A rolling stone gathers moss.”
Me:  Umm, no.  It’s ‘A rolling stone gathers NO moss.’
Maria:  Are you sure?
I answered her that, yes, I was sure and I explained the reason why a rolling stone gathers no moss.
Me:  Moss grows in shady places, on things that [...]

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It’s funny…  with Baby #1 and maybe #2, you tend to be a bit paranoid.  For instance, I remember worrying about another child holding my baby (even with a hovering adult). Probably because I was afraid of breaking my baby, I assumed that a child would definitely break my baby.
Obviously, with Baby #5, comes a [...]

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So, on Friday I wanted to shoot myself after making the huge mistake of going to Walmart with the kids.  I needed 4 things, 3 of which they didn’t have.  Add to that the cart tipping disaster before we could get through the register lane and I was ready to belly up to the bar.  [...]

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