The Flying Afelskies

I don't think that I should have let the boys watch this. I am incredibly tempted to film their version complete with underwear and toy trucks off of which they are vaulting. I've never seen them so singularly inspired.

A bit of a rambling post

How quickly a week gets away on me. Especially when that week is Holy Week.
For anyone who tries to make it to the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil), especially when many little children are involved, knows that Holy Week is packed.
But, it is packed with goodness.
We juggled work schedules, naptimes and meals to make it to the pinnacle of the church year. Well, we almost made it: we skipped the Vigil as coming home near midnight with five sleeping bodies and the beginning of a scratchy throat was not advisable. Especially unadvisable when 12 extra people are expected for supper the next day.

So, we attended Easter Sunday mass and headed home to hide Easter eggs and begin the peeling of the root vegetables. I decided that I would get the ham cooked well before supper; so, I turned the oven to 325 at around 11:45. However, I failed to take into account that Dave was in the process of hiding Easter eggs and bunnies while the kids rode their bikes in the driveway. This is the point at which communication within marriage becomes vitally important.

I left the oven to pre-warm as I scooped up Isaac to head off to the rocking chair to nurse him. Mid-nurse I began to think things like, "Hmmm, I smell burning plastic. Wonder what that could be?" It took a while for my brain to connect the dots between pre-warming ovens, hidden Easter bunnies and burning plastic; but, my university accreditation kicked in, and I jumped up, babe in arms and ran to the kitchen where I opened the oven door to find a yellow cardboard box, sans its plastic window. Through the missing plastic window I saw a dieing bunny, melting away into brown-puddle oblivion. This was the point at which Dave arrived back from hiding the last Easter egg. Enter the importance of forgiveness within marriage.

Anyway, long story short: we elected Jacob as the recipient of the melted bunny since, by my calculation, it was his turn in the family economy to shoulder some extra hardship. Also, he tends to deal well with missed opportunities when they are thoroughly explained to him (and some other compensation is promised).

With bunny obituaries in hand, the egg hunt began and the slippery slope of sugar-induced behaviour was officially kicked off. I will spare you the details; but, by Monday morning Dave had hidden all of the chocolate and placed it under the care of the dutiful mother. This decision could be an unfortunate decision for the dutiful mother and her weight loss plans.

Our Easter supper was quite wonderful and attended by our family, Dave's parents, his sister and husband, my aunt, uncle and cousin and Fr. Galen. Dave's sister brought Jacob and Hannah the game Jenga ("You take a block from the bottom and you put it on top...") as a belated birthday gift and the twins, Julie and Fr. Galen lay on the dining room floor for the rest of the night cheering each time the teetering tower of blocks toppled to the floor. Joe sat off to the side and cried that he couldn't play Jenga; so, Fr. Galen alternated between Jenga and impersonating various jungle animals. The crying stopped.

It really was wonderful and the Easter graces flowed.

How I love Easter. Not bunny and egg Easter. No, Jesus-risen-from-the-dead Easter. The difference makes all the difference.
So, celebrate; the season lasts 50 days. Divine Mercy Sunday is this Sunday so the graces are ready, waiting and more than we could ever imagine. As one radio host said regarding Divine Mercy Sunday: Imagine if someone put a million dollars in your bank account and you didn't go and take it out. You would be an idiot. That's what this Sunday is like. God is making a 'million' graces and mercies available; but, you've got to go to the bank to withdraw it. So, go to church this Sunday and make your withdrawal.

Off my soapbox and back to my baby.

Eight Years

Anticipation of the cake.
Divided equally in half. Yes, it was pink; but, it was discounted; and, Dave bought it, not I.
The first birthday with adult teeth.
Mid-blow.
I love this photo.
We surprised them with a trip to Ottawa where we went to the Children's Museum at the Museum of Civilisation as well as a movie at the 3D Imax. I took these pictures immediately before they made an announcement about not taking photographs in the theatre. However, I took them right after Dave said, "It's probably OK to take pictures in here."
The movie started at the exact moment when Isaac needed to take an afternoon nap. So, I put him in the sling with the hope that he would drift off to sleep. Apparently a 3D movie about elephants and orangutans is not conducive to an afternoon nap. So, I snuck into a tiny lobby between the two sets of double exit doors and listened to Morgan Freeman's soporific voice as I hog-tied Isaac into slumber. After achieving the desired level of consciousness I turned back to the double doors only to discover one of those huge signs that indicate no entry ... and a really big lock. However, the gods of the jungles of Borneo (where, apparently, man and ape are equal and orangutans still retain a memory of the Garden of Eden - this is verbatim) smiled on me and, somehow, the big lock was unlocked and I was able to sneak back into the theatre just in time to be attacked by giant elephant trunks. It was quite enjoyable.
Not sure if those are 3D glasses or the latest style.
Somehow Hannah is able to wear those things with style. Note the hair: she worked hard at achieving that style.
And then we went to East Side Mario's because Jacob has always wanted to be sung Happy Birthday by a group of waiters. I've read that April 19th is the most popular birthday in the world. After Sunday night at East Side Mario's I tend to agree - there were at, least four other birthday parties there.
Isaac chewing on a straw.
Our waitress and the cakes and sparklers.
And the ice cream.
What post is complete without a picture of Dave (the man behind it all).

Evidence of March Break

Dave getting the van prepped for the big trip. (Alternate caption: Dave considering alternate seating for the big trip.)
This was the weather we left behind in Barry's Bay. Tobogganing in one's own driveway=Way too much snow.
This was the weather with which we were greeted. It ain't Florida but I'll take it anyway.
We are a people rooted in tradition: always Big Red's in Lunenburg, always the requisite jail shot.
But, let's not forget about the freedom found in Christ.
He's not yet ready for it.
A sucky Ann Voskamp shot.
Skipping rocks.
Restaurant toys seemed to be the greatest treasure of the trip. Joe is still sleeping with his MacDonald's Superman.
Apparently Hannah took these photos under the tutelage of my father.
It's all about colour. Could this go over in BB?
We were blessed to have three visits with the good sister. Here she is in front of her convent.
Contemplating alternate vocations. A little off kilter.
The formerly female family has received a few shots of testosterone over the past eight years - a word of thanks from my Dad to Nathan and David.
A view from the terrace of the new Halifax Farmer's Market.
Ben's still got the moves.
Jacob's all gap-toothed.
And, of course, they watched some movies.
Another trip to the ocean on a really windy day. We picked up some Tim Horton's hot chocolate on the drive out to see the waves. When we arrived at the water we realised that we were one hot chocolate short so we did some fancy pouring and all were happy. Our trip to Halifax is always supported by the Roll up the Rim campaign and boy did we roll up some rims. We won four coffees and two donuts and I'm starting a novena now with the intention of rolling up the rim on the Toyota Matrix.
Action shot.
Isaac kept having his breath taken away by the wind.
The drive back. We all felt the way the kids look.
And we were all happy to be back home.

Finally

I've been informed that I haven't posted in almost two weeks. However, I have also noticed that many bloggers seem to have gone into dormancy over Lent. My silence hasn't been intentional; rather, I gave up reading blogs during the day throughout Lent. This soon turned into an overall apathy toward blog reading at anytime of day as well as a reluctance to post anything of my own.
It's sort of been nice.
I've been a lot more present to those within my own home as well as not as easily sucked into the comparison-with-other-moms vortex.
I considered a public service announcement: See ya at Easter; but, I decided against that. So, here I am with not much to say.

Jacob and Hannah are making their First Reconciliation on Saturday - where did the time go? They turn 8 on Sunday and in Jacob's words, "We'll be all clean and fresh for our birthday." Jacob has built up this latest birthday tremendously. Lists of possible gifts and schedules for the day have appeared on the fridge and under my bedroom door scratched in a hasty almost-eight-year-old scrawl. One schedule included a trip to Ottawa, special time with parents, a party, a special celebration at every meal and a trip to a swimming pool - all packed into one day. I am tired even writing it down.
So, I have been working on lowering the birthday expectations over the last month. Hopefully, all will go well and no tears of disappointment will be shed on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday: Palm Sunday and the twins birthday coincide this year. The last time their birthday fell during Holy Week was the day that they were born - Holy Thursday. When Jacob found out that Jesus would be hailed as a king as he rode into Jerusalem on the twins' eighth birthday, he said, "Wow. They really want to celebrate me and Hannah, don't they?" Good thing that First Confession is the day before. (Hopefully the aforementioned possibility of birthday disappointment won't follow the Holy Week narrative.)

First Communion, I imagine, is sometime in June but the date has yet to be set. Jacob's outfit has been purchased (khakis and a blue blazer) and my mother is making a tiered dress for Hannah. The making of the dress has required lots of internet consultations as well as the sending of various bodices via Canada Post. Complicated.
Yesterday, Hannah asked if she could try on my wedding veil to see if it would work for her First Communion. So, we went down to the basement and pulled out the veil (which was much too long).

But then she saw The Dress (my wedding dress) and implored me to try it on. So, I did. And I am happy to say that, five babies later, that dress still fits like a glove - although the glove is slightly uncomfortable around the middle.
I then put on my veil and we went to the big mirror in the basement bathroom to take a look.

By this point all the kids were in the basement and I was holding Isaac on my hip. Jacob was gushing that I looked like a princess, Hannah was asking to try on the dress herself and suggesting that maybe I "could wear it to a party or something", Joseph was confused and Benjamin was crying about wanting to sleep in the same bed with me. So, the newest wedding shot was of me holding a seven month old baby surrounded by four little kids - the very real fruit of those vows almost 9 years ago.

It was great; and, I thought, "Gee whiz. I wish I could get married again." Still to Dave.
But we both look better now - more comfortable in our own skin and my hair is long (which, stupidly, it wasn't for our wedding). Maybe we'll get some new wedding shots done with all the kids.
Maybe we'll find some time hiding under the couch.

So, that's it. I'll try and post more. So much goes on in my head - some of it half-decent for a post about something slightly thought worthy; but, then someone cries or needs a wipe and I have to make supper.
I'll try harder. Elena