Oh How I Love the Pitter Patter of Little Feet

It happens without realization. The sound of pitter patter becomes the sound of kids growing up. My 5, almost 6 year old, no longer pitter patters down the hallway when he gets up in the morning. I don't even remember when it stopped. It just suddenly hits you that it no longer has that baby/toddler/little one sound to it anymore. Thankfully, sixteen months ago, I had a wonderful oopsie-baby & get to hear that pitter patter every morning when Ella wakes up. It's a beautiful sound.

Stepping Stones Post

IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE MY DOOR: It's a perfect 72 degree-makes-you-have-spring-fever-and-crave-an-adult-beverage kind of day.

IN AM LISTENING: to my boys in their bedroom playing with their friend Jake. I just missed part of what Jake was saying, but it was something about his mom pouring cereal into water, then into milk & I think he said put it in the freezer???? yuck.

I AM WEARING: capri pants even though my legs haven't been shaven in TOO long... spring is here, time to shave daily again! :-)

I AM PONDERING: an email that was sent to me today regarding one of my kids & something that her 1st grade daughter claimed happened & didn't. It's a little upsetting. I don't like my kids having other kids lie about them. I trust my kids. I know they are kids. They make mistakes. They try to get out of trouble, but this is different. I don't like it.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR: my dad & mom. they always put us kids first. today my dad came up, all the way from smallville to put a belt in my dryer. what a great dad! i'm so blessed.

I AM READING: Bleak House by Charles Dickens. It's good, thought I don't love it as much as David Copperfield, but I think I like it more than Great Expectations.

I AM THINKING; that it is 4:51 pm and i have no ideal what I am making for dinner!!!!!

I AM CREATING: well, i started knitting a headband about 2 months ago.... someday I would like to finish it.

I AM LEARNING; that life isn't always fair, but we still have to make the best of it.

I AM PRAYING: for my neice chelsa who has to have a mammogram this week.

AROUND THE HOUSE: as usual, chaos. someday the kids will be grown & gone & it will be clean & lonely.

FROM THE KITCHEN: it's a rough week or two on the budget for food... no idea what to make tonight. perhaps pasta with chicken.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: the Brookside st. Patrick's day warm-up parade just happened last weekend. it was tough this year though because Patrick had to work so I was on my own with 5 kids.

THIS WEEK: co-op, parks, library, doctor, school, hmmmm am i forgetting anything?

Loveable Liam

He's boisterous, silly, loud. He loves to read, loves to play basketball, loves to wrestle. He is sweet, big-hearted, and easily has his feelings hurt. He makes up comics that are a little bit too-much-boy-humor, but are still sometimes pretty funny. He and I bond over our love of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, more for the two of us, Harry Potter. We have read them aloud, together, 2 or 3 times, separate, even more. He is so sweet. He was the most excited when I told him we were pregnant with ella. he was the most sad when I told him his Papa had died. His heart is so full. I remember looking at him on the way to midnight Mass, Christmas Eve 2001, when he was a mere 7 weeks old, thinking to myself how much completely and utterly in love I was with him. We were sitting in the backseat of the car (we only had 2 kids then and still could fit in a car!), it was nearing midnight and thus DARK. We were driving from Lebo, KS to Emporia, KS since we were spending the night at Grandma & Grandpa's. I just looked at him & felt this enormous amount of love. Not sure why that night stuck out to me, but it did. Perhaps because we were celebrating Christmas, the night of our Savior & a more immense love than even my own for my son. He's now 10 years old & sometimes questions my love for him. I think to myself, how could he doubt how much I love him???? However, he is a kid & we have to butt heads sometimes, either over school or sibling rivalry or following rules. Last week, he was upset because WE were upset on one day because he drank the last of the milk without checking to see if everyone had breakfast. The next day he was upset because he ate the rest of the cereal without checking to see if anyone else wanted any. yes, you read that right: HE WAS UPSET.... he doesnt' understand why I have to get onto him about things like that. He doesn't understand that it is BECAUSE of my immense love for him that I have to correct him when he does wrong, punish him for mistakes, reprimand him for behavior that is inappropriate. He doesn't seem to realize that I KNOW he is a good kid. I know that his heart is good. I know that his intentions are usually good. I know that when he messes up, he doesn't do it out of cruelty or spite. he does it because he is a 10 year old boy. His heart is solid gold. He is worth mroe to me than an enormous pile of gold. I wish he trule knew that. He says he wants 10 kids. I hope he gets them. he will be such a wonderful husband & father. I already see that. He has a lot of growing up to do, but heck, don't we all? I'm 42 and still have a little growing up to do.

ok, i'm getting this idea from someone else...

so it's been many months since i have posted to this blog. how can i ever, ever achieve my dream of becoming a writer if i never, ever write??? alrighty, so i have seen a couple different mothers with blogs use the following stepping stones to do a quick little blog post... here we go. let's see if it makes me write more often.

IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE MY DOOR: the ground is covered in yellow, brown, red, orange, and gold. there are jack-o-lanterns whose smiles are starting to change. there is one pumpkin that helped a squirrel stock up for winter. and there are 3 boys working on a fort.

I AM LISTENING TO: complete and total silence. baby is sleeping, big girl is in her room playing with dolls. and 3 boys are outside working on a fort.

I AM WEARING: comfy brown pants that are far from figure flattering, cowboy boots, and a garage sale shirt that my mother picked up for me. it's not my style at all, but my mom is always thinking of me. for that i am so grateful.

I'M PONDERING: how to instill kindness in my children. they are usually kind to others. however, within our home, amongst ourselves, i often see them be mean to each other. it makes me sad to see them hurtful to one another. don't get me wrong, they are often all the best of friends. it's those times that they are not that I just wonder how to best teach them all the wonderful virtues that i would likek them to have.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR: a husband who loves me. children who are able to laugh and run and play. parents who have always put their kids first. and God for creating such a beautiful world.

I AM READING: Dickens' Great Expectations. I'm about 1/4 the way through. It's good. However, I have been so tired since I started it. I'm not really "into" it, not like I was with Dickens' David Copperfield which I fell in love with immediately.

I AM THINKING: that I am so full from a yummy lunch of cheese, meat, and crackers.

I AM CREATING: a pinata for Liam's birthday which is themed Harry Potter. The pinata is going to be in the shape of a golden snitch.

I AM LEARNING: along side my children every day....

I AM PRAYING : for many things. one of which is a dear friend whose daughter has a tumor. They are still figuring out what the next step is.

AROUND THE HOUSE: is chaos... it's always chaos. however, today it is more than usual due to the garage sale over the weekend. i need to send the boys down in the basement with the boxes.

FROM THE KITCHEN: tonight will be grilled cheese & tomato soup, the one meal that Liam truly hates... oh well. it's fall & it sounds tasty!!!

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS: trader joe's hummus with rice crackers. we had that for a snack today & we all enjoyed it immensely!

THIS WEEK: busy, as usual. planning liam's birthday. planning co-op class. bible study. scouts on two nights. moms' meeting on 3 nights, but will probably only go to one of them. little flowers for ciara. oh yeah, cleaning, school, etc.