WIWS + weekend recap + Mass report cards

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Well, after a less-than-stellar Friday, Saturday was awesome! 

The babies didn't wake up for the day until 7:30 - it was incredible to wake up with the sun already up for once!  After Elizabeth pooped on the floor (I mean, the day couldn't be TOO good) we headed out for strawberry picking and were pleasantly surprised to see that the farm had added tractor rides to the field (last time we were there was 2 years ago) and a nice playground area.  John Paul and Cecilia were less than helpful when it came to picking strawberries (maaaaybe picked 10 between the two of them, and all of John Paul's were orange...). 

(I would give you pictures, but Andrew took them on his phone and never shares them with me...)

8.5 pounds of strawberries later, we were on our way to stop by my aunt's house for a visit, where Cecilia decided she was terrified both of the cat AND a dog statue.  We headed back home and the kids spent quite a while muddying up their knees playing on the swing set while Andrew and I weeded & gardened.  They even got to eat lunch at their new picnic table under the clubhouse part of their swing set!

I got 6 pints of strawberry jam made while the kids napped, and headed back outside with them once they were up.   Goodness the weather was glorious!

So even though Andrew abandoned me to go to a birthday party at one of those Brazilian steakhouses where they let you eat ALLLL the meat but don't let you take home any leftovers for your wife who's just sitting on the couch eating Cheez-its while watching Netflix (no I actually don't mind, not even being sarcastic, because I'm on such a high from a beautiful day and it's not like he EVER gets to go out anyway!), I think Saturday can officially be declared a GOOD DAY.

So on to Sunday...  Here's what we wore!

 
John Paul did NOT wear that hat to Mass - he found it on the floor right before we took the picture.
 
He did AWESOME at Mass.  We had to sit about halfway up because we got there right as the announcements before Mass were starting and all the old people had taken all the back pews (even when we get there 10 minutes early they have them filled...  I don't really understand it...).  I think sitting farther up helped him, because he paid attention and followed along a lot better.  He also retrieved the babies' toys when they dropped them and was overall pretty awesome.
 
I'll give him a B+, since I had to physically drag him out of the pew for communion because he was busy reading the Latin Missal and didn't want to get out of the way.  He got a doughnut after Mass and was VERY pleased with himself!

 
Mary Claire did well, as far as I can tell - she spent most of Mass outside with Andrew and Cecilia, because apparently sitting farther up means "be on your worst behavior" to her... 
 
I'll give Mary Claire an B+ because she was quiet when she was actually in the church.  Points deducted for having a massive poop just before Mass started, so Andrew had to change her and I had to deal with the crazies by myself while he was gone.
 
Cecilia gets a D-, and I'm only being that generous because she didn't physically injure anyone.  She shouted "STOP IT" loudly during the consecration because she was trying to take something from John Paul.  She shouted about various other things all through Mass and had to be taken out three times.  She took her sweater off and carried it around in her mouth like a dog and freaked out when we asked her to stop.  She insisted on licking the babies' toes and talking loudly about it.  Basically she was a disaster...  Needless to say, she did NOT get a doughnut.  She sat there drinking water while we all had doughnuts and juice.  Eventually I pitied her and gave her half a bagel because I figured she was probably hungry...  No picture of her in her Easter dress because I have a trillion and she had already been sent to her room upon our return home.

 
Here I am, rumpled post-Mass.  Andrew asked me if I was going to wear a "pwetty dwess" like Cecilia and the twins, and asked me why I mostly wear skirts.  He thinks I should have accumulated a lot more dresses over the years, and I reminded him that I have, and either they don't fit or aren't nursing-friendly.  I'm going to take this conversation as permission to shop for new dresses...
 
I wore mostly repeats - you've seen the skirt (eShakti) and the shoes (Bass), the belt (H&M), and the baby (Mary Claire).  The shirt is one of my few articles of clothing from college that still fits, a J.Crew purchase.  I kind of wish I had it in every color but when I look at what colors they have available I think, "Hey, blue stripes!  Or blue checks!  I like those!  Or look, light blue!  Perfect!"
 
And then I remember that I already have a blue checked shirt, and a blue striped shirt, and a light blue chambray shirt.  Sooooo maybe time to branch out?  Nah...

 
Best shot we got of Elizabeth...  She mostly quietly sucked on my scarf or chewed on toys throughout Mass, but she also decided to gurgle and blow raspberries loudly at the people behind us, while spitting in my face.  They thought it was hilarious, but once she started shrieking with glee I think it got a liiiiitle less funny.  She got fussy near the end of Mass because it was naptime, so I'll give her a B.

We found out yesterday that our favorite priest is, of course, getting transferred to another church in a few weeks :(  Bad news for us, good news for those of you in Front Royal (Beth and soon Hannah!) because he's great!  Although I'm not sure how good of a preacher he is, since the only part of today's homily I heard was when he started talking about the fact that Wal-Mart sells coffins and you should start shopping for your funeral early so you can get good deals...  This was likely related to something scriptural, or just a PSA for a parish populated by maaaaaaaany old people.
 
Aaaaanyway, linking up with Fine Linen & Purple AND Camp Patton to make you all feel a liiiiiittle bit better about how your kids behave during Mass!

29 comments:

  1. But I think you're getting a priest from Front Royal and that's totally your kind of parish, so he'll probably be awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I LOVE JP's hat, especially with his dapper jacket. Clashing plaids--it's classic little boy.

    You look great in your skirt and blouse combo. But dress shopping sounds fun...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He does love to accessorize plaid with more plaid :)

      Delete
  3. I LOVE this outfit. That skirt! And you wear it so well!! Also, I meant to comment about your "less-than-stellar day" but can't comment on Blogger blogs from my phone (at least not with my wordpress profile; I'll have to fix my blogspot profile) and didn't have computer time yesterday. I guess those awful days we need so that the good days seem just amazing. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I love love love the skirt - definitely one of my favorites!

      Delete
  4. I'm so impressed you made all that strawberry jam..wow! I've never made jam, but it sounds hard. Actually, I mostly impressed you had the willpower to make the strawberries into jam instead of eating them all..which is what would happen in this house.

    I love that shirt..and skirt..they look great with the belt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jam seems a lot harder to make than it is - I was sorting through the strawberries and put all the less-than-stellar ones aside. It only took 2 cups (mashed with a potato masher), 4 cups sugar, and a packet of pectin. So easy! And delicious!

      Delete
  5. Your outfit is really cute! Don't you just love when the baby is doing something that is less than pleasant, like poking you in the eyes and giggling and those around you think it's the funniest thing?

    I feel your pain on the transfer of your favorite priest. One of our favorite priests was just transferred last week. We've had two great priests transferred from our parish in the past nine months. Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is a super-cute outfit! And you're some sort of super-Mom who doesn't collapse for a nap herself after strawberry picking with your 4 littles, but goes on to make 6 pints of strawberry jam!?!?! Woman, do you live on 5 hour energy or something??? Color me impressed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey, they slept until 7:30, I actually had energy for once!!!

      Delete
  7. I lol-ed at the Wal-Mart part. Oh churches with old people, how we love thee. And your outfit is very chic. I was just thinking today (during the prayers...whops. :( ) that I need to hop on the chambray shirt/long skirt train.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love your outfit! And I second everything Ellen said. I'm far too lazy/un-ambitious to try making strawberry jam, as much as I love it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. That skirt is absolutely gorgeous on you! And don't you just love those rare college days clothes that still fit??? So satisfying!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I am so impressed you made strawberry jam, and I really want some, please. You look so beautiful, as always. Yay for a good Mass day for John Paul! Kind of balances out Cecilia? ;)

    And I would be so peeved if Chris got to go to a Brazilian steakhouse without me...but maybe the pregnant me is exaggerating that :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the outfit. How adorably vintage are you?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Now I am craving strawberry jam! Your skirt is super cute :)
    I feel the priest-transferring pain, our favorite priest got transferred to Rome two years ago! Thankfully his replacement has proved to be wonderful as well :) praying the same for your parish!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope his replacement is good! He's actually just swapping with a priest at the church he's going to, and I know the parishes are pretty similar so I'm sure we'll be taken care of :)

      Delete
  13. Mmm, strawberries! Love the outfit, especially the skirt - you look wonderful. We're in the same boat with the priest transfers too. Our diocese is getting priests from a new-to-us-order and they're coming to our parish. So we don't know anything about them. Regardless, we have priests - a blessing in this day when vocations are declining in many places.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rosie, tell me he was just figuring out how to pronounce the Latin in the missal. If he was actually reading for comprehension, I don't think I can take it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. You look so cute, Rosie! mmm- homemade strawberry jam sounds so good!

    ReplyDelete
  16. We were outfit twins! Except I think you look cuter! I just love a colourful skirt...I don't know how this came about but I lovve 'em!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your outfit is so lovely! And yes, I'd take a comment like that as an encouragement to do a little dress shopping...

    ReplyDelete
  18. You are always so cute! Don't be freaked out next week when my outift is basically a re-creation of yours. :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. JP rockin' the Elmer Fudd look!

    ReplyDelete
  20. We had a very similar day Saturday! We went to confession, berry picking, jam making, mud playing (for the toddlers), and picnicking. Weather like this makes my heart so happy.
    Alos, I love that skirt!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's amazing how the beautiful weather can make everything better! Even if we hadn't had an awesome day, the weather would have made up for it :)

      Delete
  21. Love your skirt!! And please share if you find some nursing-friendly, modest, pretty dresses! They're like the holy grail!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know!!! I've been searching for quite a while, it's definitely an ordeal...

      Delete

I *love* reading your kind comments and will always try my best to reply right here in the comment box so we can keep the conversation going! If you have a blog of your own, please do link to it so I can visit back :)

CopyRight © | Theme Designed By Hello Manhattan