Happy Easter 2013!

Christus Resurrexit! Christ is Risen!

A Russian Cheese Pashka (GF and nut free for my husband). An Orthodox Pashka is usually decorated with a Russian cross and the letters XB which represent the first letters of the Pascal greeting "Христос воскрес!" (Christos voskres!) On our Pashka, I used the letters C & R to represent "Christus Resurrexit" and a Latin cross but I also included the usual symbols around the sides and also an XA for the Greek "Χριστός ἀνέστη!" ( Khristós Anésti!)

One for me, one for you!

Naturally Dyed Easter Egg Roundup

Naturally dyed Easter eggs from 2010

For those of you looking, you can find a round-up off all of my posts on dyeing Easter eggs with natural dyes (veggies, tea, coffee, etc...) by clicking here. We are on Spring Break this week and are going to be tackling some spring cleaning, preparing our house and our hearts for the celebration of the Triduum. I will be popping in to post some pictures. Have a blessed Holy Week!

Happy Solemnity of St. Joseph!

Sunshine put together the little altar (sans food to donate for the moment). I put together the meal: Italian frittata, crostini and Cream Puff Cake. Kind of like this all over again. Happy Solemnity!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Soda bread on the counter, colcannon in the pot, St. Patricks on the table and that's about all I've got.

Nobody is sick, but our allergies are making little things like, oh...gee... breathing kind of miserable right now. But we did enjoy the nice weather enough to get some things cleaned up in the yard (well, Sean and The Professor did) and to get the grill fired up for the first time this season! So, no corned beef here, our cabbage is mixed into our potatoes and our dessert was picked out by the 15 year old man child who guessed correctly in the family pool that it would take 5 ballots to elect the new pope. We should take that child to the racetrack.

Oh, and if you haven't yet had the joy of your children dancing around singing "Give me a beer!" then you must show them this immediately. (Feed readers might have to click through.) So that mine aren't the only ones. (Yes, we think this is funny even though Sean is allergic to beer and I don't like it.)

Happy Feast of St. Patrick!!!

{phfr} Habemus Papam!

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ with the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter

{pretty}

 I've had this Rycraft cookie stamp of St. Lucy for several years now and I just got two more...

A moon (so that Cupcake can always have moon cookies) and a tea cup. Aren't they so pretty! I took this picture after I finished using them. The flour in the crevices highlights the design better.

{happy}

We were very happy to shout "Habemus Papam!" Shortcake and Cupcake were sitting together when the white smoke came out. Cheers and jubilation soon followed. God bless Pope Francis!

{funny}
Apparently apples are more important to the under two crowd than a new pope. It's understandable. Apples are pretty awesome. (Feed readers will have to click through to see the video.)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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{real}

I promise, I'm not trying to make Auntie Leila feel bad. I wrote this section before I read about her sewing machine and the mixup with the glue and the oil. I'm so sorry. I hope it's fixable!

 I feel like I've accomplished something real when I get a chance to sit down at the sewing machine. Thanks to my husband and big kids for holding down the fort while I sew.

I made two blankets recently. This one is for Cupcake who likes to have a nest of blankets around her when she sleeps. The fabric is called Vintage Circus and I love it! I thought it looked kind of Curious George inspired when I first saw it. While I was checking out, the lady at the counter said, "That reminds me of Curious George!" True story!

And this one for a sweet little boy who is hopefully coming to Texas some day with his family.  I wasn't sure of the colors in the blanket when I had it all disassembled, but I think it really came together in the end. The kids commented that the bandanas looked like blue jeans and the boots only added to the effect. I'm calling it Blue Jeans and Boots. Original, I know. But it fits. 
I don't know why the funky formatting. I think the video embed is throwing things off. I didn't get this posted yesterday but Auntie Leila says it's OK, so... happy Friday!

My first IKEA hack!

Back when we painted the big kids' rooms, we also swapped out their beds. The girls had a twin XL bunkbed set that we had purchased a long time ago from an outlet center, but their mattresses were always standard twin size since they were not and still aren't very tall. The Professor, on the other hand, needed the extra long length, so we gave the boys that bunk set and decided to unbunk the girls and give them each their own space. We purchased two of these Fjellse bed frames (and slats) and set them up in the girls' room. At the time, we left them plain but I had plans to redo them when we put new flooring in their room.

This weekend, we decided to get a third bed for Cupcake and I got to try out my plans. 

First, I picked out a pretty leaf trim and cut (three 17" strips and one longer 37.25" strip) and glued them to the three center slats and along the top rail. We decided on just the top and the slats and not all the way around because we didn't want it to look too fussy. Plus, we didn't want to have to worry about mitering any corners. (Read... lazy!)

Ignore ugly garage floor and drop cloth.

Husband used liquid nails and tape to secure the trim while it set over night. 

We wanted Cupcake's headboard to have a backing although the big girls say they'd like theirs open. I had the very helpful people at Lowe's cut this 1/4 plywood panel to 40" wide and it was supposed to be 20" long but their saw shorted out. We left it the size it was and just cut the notches at the bottom to make room for the bolts that attach the headboard to the rails.

When the glue was set, I painted everything including the rails and the footboard (not pictured) and we used some small nails to attach the back panel to the headboard.

 Detail of the trim (painted)

And now we only have two more to go!

 

7QT: FB Roundup

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I realized that I've fallen into the Facebook vortex that I used to complain about before I started using it. It was so frustrating to find out that a blogger I enjoyed reading was posting stuff to FB but not sharing it on their blog. Like everyone else, I have a love/hate relationship with FB. I like that I'm able to stay in touch with my family and some friends who refuse to communicate any other way (you know who you are but you won't see this because you don't read blogs or answer emails) and I like that it is a place where people are having discussions because discussions are fun. But I don't like that I've found myself posting little things there and not here... and it's still a visual train wreck!

-2-

For example... I posted this the other day:

Who told Sunshine that she could take a break from math for the next two weeks to play Dragon Box instead? Oh yeah... that would be me! #homeschoolingrocks

I added this information below:

 More information (so as not to cause scandal)... she is only 10 lessons away from finishing her math for the year (7th grade) and they just introduced some algebraic principles. Dragon Box will teach her those principles in a fun way, then I will show her how they apply to her math.

For those of you not familiar with Dragon Box, you can find their website here. I don't remember if Lissa or Karen first alerted us to it's existence so I'll thank both of them! It might have even been something my husband saw in his technology news. I'll thank him later! It is a fun game that teaches algebraic principles without any wailing or gnashing of teeth. I KNOW! Now, it doesn't teach your children everything they need to know about Algebra, but after playing the game and learning the principles, you can write a simple equation and show them how to solve it using what they learned in the game. Even your 8 year old will say, "Hey...wow! I understand Algebra now!" True story.

-3-

My latest children's book rant is with {affiliate link} Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?. This is probably my kids' all-time favorite Dr. Seuss book. Our copy was a much beloved board book that went everywhere with us. I read it so many times I can still recite it from memory. It finally could not be taped anymore so we said goodbye to it and purchased a hardback edition for Cupcake. I sat down to read it to her and found that my eyes were fighting with my tongue. The words on the page were not the words in my memory. What the heck? Instead of Mr. Brown can sound like a cow, on the page it said "Mr. Brown can go like a cow" which conjured up a really disturbing image of Mr. Brown in a field looking for a place to use the bathroom. Seriously! I don't think that's correct grammar. If it is, it shouldn't be. So I put the question out on FB and the friends who responded said their older editions/ board book copies used "sound" not "go". So my question is... who thought they had to dumb down Dr. Seuss?

-4-

We had two kids at the dentist last week and two this week followed by an ortho consult on Thursday! Whoo. Hoo. 

The oldest two will be getting braces after Easter... I'm letting them have one last jelly bean filled extravaganza and then that's it! And sweet Shortcake needs a baby tooth extracted because it might be  fused to the bone. Doesn't that sound fun? I never thought my week would end with a call to an oral surgeon. Thankfully my husband saw some of this coming (Shortcake's tooth was a surprise) and was wise enough to have us save up so our financial responsibility is only about "Wow!" How much is "wow"? It's right in between "ouch" and "boing". (Bonus points if you guess that movie reference!)

-5-

Are you a Conclave Junkie? We totally are. There is even a new conclave app! I love waking up and finding out the latest news from Rome so I can share it with my kids at the breakfast table. Which Cardinals hadn't yet arrived. What is going on in the Sistine Chapel. I love that they are 7 hours ahead of us. I love that they think the conclave might begin next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.  As I was typing this... they just announced it will be Tuesday. We could wake up to a new pope next Thursday or Friday! Squee!

-6-

Speaking of Cardinals, I really like what Timothy Cardinal Dolan had to say in this video. The vocations crisis we need to address now is to the married life. Amen! Fun little factoid...Why Do Cardinals Have Their Title In The Middle Of Their Name? Click over to the Aggie Catholics blog to find out.

-7-

The Professor takes the National Latin Exam next week. An extra prayer or two would be appreciated (in Latin would be even better!). He's a little nervous. It's his first Scantron test, you know... fill in the bubbles. Those instructions about #2 pencils and filling in the whole bubble are kind of scary. Oh yeah... and then there is the Latin part. :)

{p,h,f,r} It's not Thursday yet?

UPDATE... Now it's Thursday!!!! 
No, it's not Thursday yet but since tomorrow is shaping up to be an extra busy day (on top of the usual busy Thursdayness, we threw in an ortho consult for the oldest three...just for fun!), I'm posting today and hoping that I have the brain power to remember to link up tomorrow.

{pretty}

My pretty girl playing outside! Her favorite thing to do in the whole wide world.

{happy}

This was our daffodil cake for St. David's Day. I served it upside down because the big kids said it actually looked like a daffodil this way, especially with the center of the cake pushing up higher than the edge (which you can't really see in this picture, so... neeeeeeh-ver mind).

It was marbled on the inside but I forgot to take a picture post baking. We only used a tiny bit of glaze frosting to help some sparkles stick, so it wasn't an overly sweet treat but made for a very happy St. David's Day!

{funny}

Shortcake recorded this video of Cupcake sitting on BigBoy's bed playing pat-a-cake with one of her stuffed animals. She loves playing pat-a-cake with us but this was the first time she had done it with one of the stuffed animals. I was working on dinner so Shortcake filmed it. (That's her very excited voice you hear at the end, not mine! :)

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

{real}

Cupcake loves the stars and the moon. She has to say goodnight to them every night before she is ready for bed. "Goonight, moon. Goonight, byoofull sars. Goonight, byoofull trees." She also loves her cookies. So, I made her a batch of stars and moon cookies. Yes, I know they are Star of David cookies, but that's the only star cookie cutter I have right now.

Cookie Heaven! 

Or should that be... Cookie heavens? Celestial Cookies?

~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~ with the lovely ladies at Like Mother, Like Daughter

More from Aquinas and More!

Great news from Ian and Paula of Aquinas and More!

To our wonder, the outpouring of support for Aquinas and More from our customers and the Catholic community at large has been overwhelming. We graciously, graciously thank you.

This has left us in a bit of a quandary. We could not realistically continue in our present state of affairs, but the void in Catholic shopping and Catholic service left by the closing of Aquinas and More is also real. We've always felt that Aquinas and More was truly a mission. Are we being called to continue? Are we not? I know what I want, but I also know that -- more importantly -- I want God's Will. In this regard, Aquinas and More has decided to launch an “all-or-nothing” crowdfunding campaign over the next two weeks (Tuesday March 5- March 19) to return to its mission of serving others with their authentic Catholic online shopping experience.

You can go to this website (SAVE AQUINAS AND MORE) and make a donation. If and only if they reach their goal will the donations will be collected. It couldn't be any easier than that! If you want to listen to the appeal straight from the owner's mouth, click play below! (feed readers will have to click through)

Goal Recap: 

Raise $250,000 in two weeks in order to replenish inventory, overhaul the website and retain excellent Catholic customer service and results. If Aquinas and More doesn't reach its goal, your angel donation won't be processed, and we will not be reopening. 

Thank you in advance!

 

7QT: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi edition

-1-

The first quick take on March the 1st! Happy St. David's Day! Sunshine (with the lovely Welsh middle name) crocheted little leeks for those who wanted to wear them in their caps, like the good little Welshmen they are (just a few generations removed).

-2-

We will be having our traditional potato leek soup for dinner and Daffodil Cake. You can find my recipes and past St. David's Day posts here.

-3-

Yesterday was an historic day for Catholics and quite a unique opportunity. I am so thankful that my husband is in the technology industry and we had the means to mirror play the live stream of all the events yesterday on our TV and watch all that history in the making. Who needs cable?

-4-

I fully expected to cry. I didn't put on any makeup because I thought, "What's the point? It's just going to end up on a tissue" but then I read what Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said to the College of Cardinals before leaving for his retirement. I posted this on FB:

I was totally prepared to weep today, seeing him leave, hearing the bells, listening to the Catholic pundits talk about how alone and sad we should all feel, but then I read what he had to say to the College of Cardinals...

"I want to tell you that I will continue to be close to you in prayer, especially in the next few days, so that you may all be fully docile to the action of the Holy Spirit in the election of the new Pope. May the Lord show you what is willed by Him. And among you, among the College of Cardinals, there is also the future Pope, to whom, here to today, I already promise my unconditional reverence and obedience."

We are not alone. The Pope Emeritus is prayerful tending to the Church and the future Pope is already among us! We will pray that God's will be done and that that Pope is elected quickly and decisively.

And we might just have something special tonight. Everyone gets a retirement cake, right?

-5-

Well, we decided to skip the retirement cake but we did have brats for dinner with cream of veggie soup and pretzels. I wish I'd thought to pick up some German wine to toast with. :(

-6-

If you haven't seen this yet, please go look at it. It's a lovely virtual picture book of the Pope Emeritus with quotes from his writing. The internet design snobs will tell you that the parchment background and comic sans font makes it hard to take seriously, but just ignore them. It's a very sweet tribute.

-7-

For all you UD fans... never have I been so proud to be a former Spring Romer!

From the University of Dallas FB page

More than 100 UD students dressed in multi-colored togas took a break from the Geek Olympics to send a message to Pope Benedict XVI, as he flew within 300 yards of the UD Rome campus on his way to Castel Gandolfo.

AWESOME!!!