Happy Spring! We've waited through a loooong winter and it's finally here!

Fasting PSA for Pregnant & Nursing Mamas

Every year around this time I notice a common thread of questions in various facebook groups and online forums - "I'm pregnant/nursing - do I have to fast? Is it really that bad if I do? Should I just do it anyway even though I'm exempt?"

Winter Mom-Uniform: Nursing-Friendly Dresses!

I've finally settled into a pretty predictable groove these days, and have managed to get dressed in real clothes every day for the past few weeks!  No small feat for a mom with 5 kids, including a 2-month-old. 

 So I spent a lot of time thinking about what was going to work to nurse in and hide my belly during this awkward post partum phase, and while I love the outfits I can make with skirts and the like, what I find myself reaching for most often are my dresses.  It's so much easier to get dressed in the morning when it's just a matter of throwing on a dress (and belt, leggings, and scarf because it's chilly!), rather than actually have to match a top and a bottom.

Not to mention the fact that my hips are a good 6 inches larger than their "normal" size (and my waist and chest are also 5-6 inches larger), so anything fitted doesn't *actually* fit, and anything stretchy isn't flattering.

One of the only fashion blogs I read is Putting Me Together, and Audrey's hosting a style challenge to wear a dress this week.  Done and done!  When I had my first baby I thought I could never wear a dress again, because I had no idea what could possibly work to accommodate a nursing baby.  Along the way (now that I'm on my 5th nursing baby!) I've figured it out - shirt dresses, wrap & faux-wrap dresses, anything with a front opening is perfect for nursing in!  

I always always accessorize with a scarf because it hides the inevitable cleavage and functions as a makeshift nursing cover.  Oh, and it's something for those grabby baby fingers to hold instead of scratching at my skin!

Patterns are a HUGE plus for me, because somebody is always spitting up on me, or rubbing dirty hands on my skirt, or wiping a nose on my hem...  Patterns really hide that part of life, so I rarely find myself purchasing anything that's just a solid color these days!

Scarf: Amazon

Boots: DSW

Belt: Forever 21

Leggings & Dress: Twice

And the same dress at 35 weeks pregnant!

I do still have some solids, but I tend to pair them with multiple patterns to liven up the outfit!

Scarf: H&M (old)

Belt: Banana Republic via ThredUP

Dress: Ralph Lauren via Twice

Sweater: Banana Republic via Twice

And the same dress & sweater last year, as a reminder that eventually I *will* get back to a more normal size for me!

The dress below works better with a wide belt, but I was taking these pictures during naptime and the baby woke up before I had time to find the right accessories!

I absolutely adore sweater dresses, but they're nearly impossible to find in a nursing-friendly style.  So I was really excited to find this one on Twice, since it has a front zipper to make it SO easy to nurse in!

Dress: J.Crew via Twice

Scarf: ThredUP

  

And the same dress at around 20 weeks pregnant?  Do you see how magical those stripes are?  Camouflage, friends!

And if you're a regular reader you saw this outfit on Sunday - the "pixelated zigzag" dress, according to my 5yo.

Dress: Gap via Twice

Leggings: American Apparel via Twice

Hat: Zulily

What do all these dresses have in common?  Generous waistlines, openings at the front for easy nursing access, and cute enough to make me feel put together even when I'm not leaving the house with my whole brood!

What's your "uniform" this winter?  

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Honeysuckle, etc.

I noticed this evening that there was some honeysuckle creeping over the fence from the neighbors' yard, so I pointed it out to the kids, just saying that it smelled really good...

So they quickly pulled off a branch :/

And tried to figure out if something that smells so good also TASTES so good!

Cecilia was pretty disappointed, convinced that "da bees ate all da honey!"

So I showed her the trick where you pinch off the end and pull out a teeeeny tiny little drop of nectar.  She was ecstatic!  And it reminded me of just how much time I spent with friends at recess in grade school, trying to gorge ourselves on honeysuckle nectar, one tiny drop at a time.

It's kind of amazing, being able to introduce them to things that were such a big part of my childhood!

...

This weekend was rough.  Well, really just rough for me.  I came down with something during my yearly amusement park trip with my students (100 middle school students.  17+ hours "on" with them.  Way too much time on a bus.  I'm amazed I didn't get sicker), and was completely out of commission Saturday and Sunday.  Thankfully my mom was in town to help out!

When I finally managed to crawl up the stairs to join the living on Saturday morning, John Paul ran over excitedly to me:

JP: Mom!  Are you feeling better?

Me: No, not really...

JP: Oh.  D'you have tuberculosis?

Me: ...  No.

JP: D'you have ebonia?

Me: Ebonia?

JP: Pneumonia?

Me: No, not pneumonia either.

Yeah, no idea what it was/is.  Still lingering with headache, nausea, sore back and neck...  Hopefully I'll be over it soon!

The weird part of it is, since the babies couldn't nurse at all on Friday/Saturday/Sunday, they're pretty much weaned.  It was going to happen soon anyway, since my supply is pretty much gone.  But it's still...  Weird.  Elizabeth has asked to nurse a couple of times and is easily distracted, and Mary Claire seems to care not even a tiny bit.

...

I kind of had to be back in commission this morning because my mom was gone and Andrew had work, so Cecilia was SHOCKED to see me in the morning:

Cecilia: Mom!  Are you all better?

Me: Um, some of the way, Cecilia.

Cecilia: Oh.  Did da baby come out yet?

Me: No, not yet...

Cecilia, disappointed: Why not???

Yeah, this little one and the concept of time...  Not so much!

...

Speaking of Cecilia, though:

"It's a baby.  Wif a umbilical cord."

On a birthday card for a pregnant friend.  I guess it's appropriate?

The cord stretched to approximately 5x the length of the baby.  Yeesh, that's a lot of umbilical cord.  She tells me these days that she really wants to be a nun, so I suppose her preconceived notions are moot!

...

It would have been my parents' 35th wedding anniversary today - would you send up a prayer for my dad's soul?  And also for my mom?

Fashion in the First Trimester and Fourth Trimester: 7 Quick Tips

If you've been following this blog for a bit, you may remember how I've been working to build a wardrobe that works for those transitional times - first trimester, post-partum, nursing all the time, etc...  (Missed it?  Here it is: Mom Style: How to Start).  And I've been kind of excited to see how my new philosophy of dressing (and my new wardrobe additions) ended up working in this first trimester of pregnancy.

Am I in the second trimester?  I think so...  14 weeks is 2nd, right?  Oh it all gets so confusing!

(P.S. If you missed the announcement...  Here it is!) 

Affiliate links included below:

Anyway, it seems like things are working really well!  I *did* go online shopping, probably the day we got that positive test...  I got a super-comfy maternity jersey skirt (similar to this one) that I know is going to last through this whole pregnancy, no problem!  

--1--

Tunics are terrific!

Yup, this was that first week...  With my stomach muscles the way they are, I could easily look pregnant in the right outfit, but I didn't *want* to look pregnant yet!  Belting a tunic over a pencil skirt is one of my favorite looks, and if you're a skinny jeans-wearing lady, it works great with skinnies, too.  Move the belt up  higher on the ribcage later in the pregnancy, and the outfit's still good!

(Just please don't wear leggings and call them pants.  They aren't.)

--2--

Scarves hide bellies!

Here's that skirt again, and me about 6 weeks pregnant.  Do you see what a nice slouchy sweater and scarf can do to hide a bump?  It's too warm here for sweaters now, but a nice drapey top will serve you well!  Dolman sleeves are my favorite, and banded bottoms work really well early in pregnancy and ESPECIALLY post-partum.

Sweater: Limited via Twice

Skirt: Gap Maternity (similar)

--3--

Full skirts are your best friend!

This skirt has served me well over the years (and it's on its last legs, sadly...) - full skirts are SO forgiving, and I love how all I have to do is hike up the waistband and suddenly it's a maternity skirt!  Because of the extra fabric, there's a lot of room for belly without it turning into a high-low skirt (I'm talking 30 weeks worth of twins room - it's magical!).  

Skirt: Forever 21 (similar, similar)

Shirt: Express (similar)

--4--

Don't be afraid of dresses!

Dress: J.Crew via ThredUp

Belt: Banana Republic via ThredUp

I can't tell you how many times I hear people say, "Oh, I never wear dresses because I can't nurse in them."  

NOT TRUE!!!  There are so many styles of dress that you can nurse in!

Look for: Surplice necklines

Wrap (and faux-wrap) dresses

Shirt dresses

Henley dresses

Steer clear of: 

Empire waists (unless you WANT to look pregnant)

Super-fitted dresses with no stretch

Anything dry-clean only

--5--

Try (and tie) a button-down!

 

Skirt: eShakti

Shirt: J.Crew via ThredUp (similar)

This is one of my favorite looks, pregnant or not - if you get a shirt in the right material, the long sleeves won't matter in the heat, because it breathes.  But you can find them sleeveless too, no problem!

Tie it over a dress, belt it over a skirt, do a half tuck with your skinnies or a pencil skirt.  This makes me feel SO much more put-together than just a simple t-shirt.

--6--

Belt it!

Dress: Gap via ThredUp (this popover tunic would be PERFECT for a similar look)

I used to steer clear of "shapeless" dresses, but now I gravitate toward them - they're so forgiving to a less-than-flat tummy, and all you have to do is hike your belt up to make it a maternity look!  It might even be worth going up a size if it means a dress will work for the first trimester AND post-partum, honestly.

All of the above outfits have proven to be nursing-friendly (even tandem-nursing!) and first-trimester friendly, which means that for me they're post-partum friendly, too!

--7--

Figure out where to shop!

I love eShakti and ModCloth for their vintage-style clothes, and I love that I can find the brands I love on ThredUp (they even have maternity clothes now!) without having to pay full price. Stitch Fix also offers maternity clothes now, and you can let your stylist know if you'd like outfits that can hide your bump for easy post partum styling, too! (Here's $50 towards your first fix!!) And you know what I love about all of it?  Not leaving the house!

There will come a time in your pregnancy when you need to buy some actual maternity clothes - check out my maternity shopping guide to find the best stores to try!

Five Favorites - Nursing Must-Haves

So I realized that I've been nursing for almost 48 months (63 if the twins count double), and that maybe by this point I've accumulated a little knowledge to share?  Here are my 5 Favorite Nursing Must-Haves:

1. Nursing-wear

Oh yes, I had a few of those awkwardly-designed "nursing tops" when I was first nursing John Paul.  I feel like those are made to fit MUCH more well-endowed ladies than I, plus they ended up sagging in the wrong places and were just UGLY!

I loved my nursing tank tops, but there came a point when I wanted more support, and layering a nursing bra + nursing tank was just a little too much...

Enter Undercover Mama Nursing Tank - I cannot even describe how perfect this is!  It hooks on to your nursing bra so that you're essentially creating your own nursing tank top with actual support!  This is a huge plus for me, because I don't really use a cover while nursing (like Jenna!), and it's really awkward when my older kids point out my wrinkly belly button, so I use my nursing tank to cover that belly and give a little more warmth.  It's nice and long, but thin enough that it can be easily tucked.  Basically I love it and think you should get some!

2. Scarves!

I didn't really get into scarves until recently, and I don't know why!  Before I had the twins, any time I wanted to wear a dress or top that needed to be pulled down instead of up, I had to make sure to bring a nursing cover (because I've never been an "over-the-top" kind of girl when it comes to nursing in public).  But oh man, scarves make this SO much easier!  Just drape a scarf over any exposed area and poof!  Instant nursing cover but it's so much more discrete than an actual tent-like cover!  And I can SEE my babies!  AND it gives the twins something to fiddle with while they're nursing so that they don't gouge each other's eyes out!

If you can't get out of the house, Amazon has a surprisingly fashionable assortment of scarves, and you can also find reasonably-priced and cute scarves at Target and Forever 21.  Or get someone crafty to make you some!

3. A nursing pillow

I loved my boppy when I was nursing John Paul and Cecilia (and really, it's a great pillow to have around for tummy time and sitting up, even if you don't use it to nurse!).  And my Ez-2-Nurse (similar to My Brest Friend) pillow was faaaabulous when I was nursing the twins, particularly since I could hook it around my back in the event that I needed to get up while nursing them in order to transfer them to bouncy seats/wipe toddler bottoms/carry a toddler upstairs for a timeout...

As babies get older, pillow become less necessary.  But it's SUCH a nice help to have one if possible!

4. If you're pumping...

Oh pleeeease get yourself a pumping bra!  It's so awkward and uncomfortable to have to hold that double pump, and my life was so much happier when I realized I could pump hands-free and answer emails/eat breakfast/be a regular human being while pumping!

And PLEASE check with your insurance about pump coverage - after the twins were born my insurance company covered this pump in full!

5.  High-calorie snacks

You may have an efficient nurser and a great sleeper who gives you plenty of time to prep and eat food.  OR you may have a baby who is attached to you 24/7, so much so that suddenly you realize you're about to pass out because you haven't eaten anything all day and it's 2 o'clock!

Do yourself a favor and keep your house stocked with high-calorie, nutrient-rich snacks that are either portable (stick them in the pocket of your nursing pillow!) or easily consumed.  Some of my favorites:

Almonds

Cheese (pre-slice the blocks so that you can eat it one-handed)

Carrots/pita & hummus

Granola bars

Dried fruit

Basically anything that keeps you reaching for that second (or fifth or tenth...) cookie (although cookies and milk are also an excellent snack...)!

What do you think - what would you add to the list?  I'm definitely a big fan of kindles/smart phones and good water bottles for nursing moms, too.  What are your must-haves?

Linking up with Hallie & her Five Favorites link-up!

The Twins These Days

I keep meaning to include the twins more in recent posts, but John Paul and Cecilia always seem to be doing something funnier or more interesting...  Here's what I want to remember right now about both of them:

Eating snow - we brought in a few bowls so that they wouldn't feel deprived because ain't no way I was taking them out in that...

Elizabeth is by far the clingiest child I've ever had.  I used to think I really WANTED one of those children who would just sit in his or her mom's lap while I chased John Paul and/or Cecilia around trying to keep them from destroying all the things.  But Elizabeth IS that kid who wants to sit in my lap all the time (mostly she wants to nurse), but she also wants to go destroy all the things and climb all the things and fall off all the things...

Despite the clinginess, she really does have some amazingly endearing traits - she absolutely knows how to make any of us smile instantly with that scrunchy-nose megawatt grin.  You'd never guess she still only has 4 teeth, because I swear it looks like about a million when she's smiling at us!

She and Mary Claire both have their own individual dance styles, and it makes me laugh SO hard to see Elizabeth dance.  Mary Claire does a pretty typical stand-and-sway that most babies develop, with the occasional bounce move.  She always looks very serious while she does it.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, likes to run in place, gradually getting her feet farther and farther apart until she's almost doing the splits.  Then she starts walking backwards (feet in normal position), and starts spinning in circles veeeeeery slowly.  When she knows she has your attention, she bellyflops to the floor and, arms and legs thrust out behind her, starts doing something resembling "The Worm" - it's maybe the most hilarious thing I've ever seen in my life.

Mary Claire talks. so. much.  About EVERYTHING.  You can tell what a good mom I am from some of her new vocabulary acquisitions:

"Nina" (Angelina Ballerina, whose books and tv shows she is OBSESSED WITH)
"Pitty" (pretty, which applies to hats, hair, bows, etc.)
"Pee-bee" (TV)
"Fee-bee" (Phoebe from The Magic School Bus)
"Wa-wee-gee" (Luigi, because John Paul found the 1989 Super Mario Bros TV show on Netflix today)
"Hopper" (Grasshopper, at least she learned it from a book and not TV!)
"Book"
"Weed-it" (read it, when she gives me a book)

And my absolute favorite is her latest phrase, "Oh no!"

Seriously, does that inflection not make you want to die of cuteness overload?

Cecilia was very proud of her new purple polka dot shirt and came up to Mary Claire saying, "Do you see my new shirt?  Do you wike it?"  To which Mary Claire responded, "Shuht.  Pitty!" (shirt, pretty) and started poking the polka dots.  Seriously, cutest ever.

Elizabeth's still holding pretty steady in the vocabulary department - much more on the normal curve than crazy Mary Claire!  Ball, Dada, bear, please, up, etc.  She was really excited to learn the word "Hair" and is always grabbing at her few lonely strands saying, "Hay!  Hay!"  "Please" is the most important, because she gets pretty much anything she wants when she points and says please!  This is important, because even though Mary Claire can say please, she refuses.  She'll just whine and then start crying if you suggest she say it.  Every once in a while if it's her idea, she'll say please, but mostly not.

They both seem to be dead-set on subsisting only on breastmilk until they move out.  Seriously.  Actually, they'll eat snow, too.  So that's something.  

But no, they must be eating SOME amount of solid foods because my period's back...  However, it seems as though I am once again spending every waking hour nursing them, only now instead of the good old "nurse the sleeping newborns on the ginormous nursing pillow while reading a book" it's more like "nurse the 20-pound toddlers while trying to keep them from poking each other in the eyes/whacking each other in the face/pulling each other's hair/picking each other's noses/bashing their heads together..."

And don't even get me STARTED with what happens when one of them happens to pull off while nursing...  Immediately the other thinks, "OH!  THAT SIDE'S FREE!" and she GOES for it, at which point the twin sitting on that side is cut off and probably sobbing, so I have to try to lift her OVER the baby who is now no longer sitting next to me, but straddling me, so that SHE can get the other side, which is now free.  Rinse.  Repeat.

Snow and breastmilk.  That's it.  Mary Claire likes to very calmly drop every. single. piece of food on her tray onto the floor, because John Paul laughs and picks it up for her.  Sigh.

I won't detail our sleep crises except to say that they don't sleep.  'Nuf said.

Quick Takes: The twins - 10 months!

We hit 10 months on the 14th, so how could I not give you a general update on life with the twins?

--1--

Elizabeth has finally decided to figure out how to get herself into a sitting position whenever she wants.  Before she was crawling too fast everywhere and would sometimes perch sideways on her elbow, but I don't know if it's that she didn't *want* to sit, or if she just hadn't figured it out yet.

In any case, she can do it now and figured it out pretty recently:

Of course, it doesn't last long before she's off to bigger and better adventures!

Do you see that HAIR?  It's really there, it's just so fine and light that it's almost unnoticeable!

--2--

Both babies absolutely ADORE our Ikea tent.  Seriously, if you've been wondering whether you should get one, it's been one of their favorite things for MONTHS!  They spend hours playing peekaboo with each other, with me, with John Paul and Cecilia, they just go in there to play with toys, it's the cutest thing ever!

And the amazing mischievous grin I get...  Love it!

--3--

Elizabeth has continued with her VERY STRONG FEELINGS about all the things at all times.  Something is either THE BEST EVER AND SO SO SO FUNNY or it is SO SO SO BAD AND WHY WOULD WE MAKE HER DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS EVER???

Sometimes I like, leave the room for a minute to go to the bathroom and I'll hear a waaaaaaaaailing Elizabeth crawling towards me for a few feet before she just collapses to the floor in tears because she's so overcome that she can't even CRAWL anymore!

And then other times Cecilia starts sobbing or Mary Claire starts sobbing and Elizabeth thinks it's the funniest thing ever and starts laaaaaaaaaaaughing and doing her terrifying shriek and making them cry harder...

She's still not a great sleeper - she'll sleep through the night sometimes, but mostly she's up earlier than I'd like and is just in our bed for the rest of the night.

--4--

Mary Claire is more vocal about her opposition to things than she used to be, but she's still generally a more chill baby.  She still sleeps better (usually she's down around 7 or 7:30 in her crib and sleeps until 4/5/6 AM), and has been mostly right on with Elizabeth in terms of development.

She also very clearly calls me "Mom" or "Mama" which is kind of surprising to me...  Cecilia was an early talker, and I knew Mary Claire would be because of all her babbling, but I didn't expect any meaningful words until later.  She also very clearly mimics whatever sounds we give her, and is pretty sure she can say a lot of other words but "Dat" doesn't really qualify as "Ball" or "Block" or "Cracker" in my book...

No, I don't always let her suck on Cecilia's bows...

Peek-a-boo!

--5--

The twins are still nursing a LOT.  We've upped their meals to 3/day, although not a lot gets eaten...  Still baby-led weaning, and we'll go for a blood draw tomorrow to see if their iron levels have gone up enough to avoid a supplement.

Elizabeth has 4 teeth, Mary Claire was sticking with just one but all of a sudden two more popped through!  So she's catching up slooooowly.

--6--

They've been playing better together and with John Paul and Cecilia.  I looooove seeing how much fun they have with each other, and am beginning to see how having 4 kids this close together really does have its benefits because they'll never NOT have someone to play with!

Yes, Cecilia put her pillow in the tent.  She doesn't use it on her bed, so I allow it...

--7--

They're keeping me on my toes!  They've been standing on their own for a while, but I think it'll be quite a while before they walk still because I've hidden all the walking toys and haven't tried to let them walk holding onto my hands.  They both cruise pretty well, and I'm hoping we've got a month or more before real walking occurs.

Aaaand they've also decided recently to master a few less-than-desirable skills.  Mary Claire started climbing the stairs.  An hour later, Elizabeth started too.  So out came the playyard that protects the Christmas tree, and it's set up in the basement so that I can have a little child-free cooking time in the afternoons while the big kids watch TV.  It worked for about 20 minutes yesterday, and I'm hoping it continues to work!

Because this is what happens if they can see me and know I'm available:

They *could* pull up on anything.  But why pull up on just anything when MOM IS HERE!!!

So there you have it!  I can't believe we're almost at one year...  John Paul is VERY interested in their birthday party and apparently won't let us get away with just inviting family...  So I told him we could invite the babies' godparents and their kids, and he's happy with that.  Whew!

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary, as always!

7 Quick Takes: More Kiddo Quotes

Because I don't really feel like typing up all the things that are going through my head...  Here are some things the kids said that I've been saving up for you!

--1--

 

Me:  Cecilia, what did you dream about last night?

Cecilia:  A bubble!  And a fish was bwowin' it!  And den it popped.

Me:  John Paul, what did you dream about?

John Paul, looking at the book shelf:  I was comfortable.  And I dreamed about books on a shelf.

And in a shocking turn of events, Cecilia has an imagination and John Paul doesn't!  Oh wait, that's nothing new... 

I just don't think this needs a caption...

--2--

Cecilia, with her hand down her pants:  I'm scwatching my booty.

So glad she told me...

9-month jammies.  Can't imagine why they don't fit.

Cecilia:  I'm all messed up...

Me:  Why are you all messed up?

Cecilia:  Because I...  dwinked milk.

Apparently she gets her fashion sense from Kaitlin's daughter...

Cecilia, picking her nose:  I found a booger.  Here you go, mom!

Again, so glad she shared...

--3--

John Paul:  Elizabeth's a dweeb.

Me:  Why is she a dweeb?

John Paul:  Yup, she's a dweeb.  She is.  She has two teeth, so she's a dweeb!

Poor little dweeb!

John Paul:  I want something special in my snack pack!

Me:  Like...  Raisins?  Or craisins?  Or banana chips?

John Paul:  Yeah!

Cecilia:  I want butterfwy chips...

And now please imagine dried butterflies being eaten by a 2-year-old.

John Paul, after our peach picking outing:  We're going to...  what next?

Me:  Um...  I don't know, where would you like to go?

John Paul:  Um...  The gas station?  And...  TJ Maxx?

An exciting life we lead, if that's the most fun outing he can imagine.

--4--

 John Paul, whispering to a woman leave Mass early:  How old are you?

Think we can teach him to say, "Mass isn't over yet!  Don't leave!" or maybe, "Where are you going???"

--5--

After an incredibly interesting discussion about how Andrew's office is getting new phones...

John Paul:  Oh, I'm getting a new phone at my office too!

Me:  Really?  And where is your office?

John Paul:  It's really far away.  Like, at 7010 like Dad's office!  (correct street number, thank you Rain Man)

Me:  And who are you going to call?

John Paul:  Dad.  And Elizabeth.  And Mary Claire.  And Mom.  And Cecilia.

Andrew:  What do you do at your office?

John Paul:  Oh, I make calls.

Me:  Does anyone work with you?

John Paul:  No, I'm just by myself.

Glad to know he's an aspiring telemarketer?

Just "tummy-timin'" on a pillow...

--6--

Cecilia, watching the babies nurse:  *Gasp*  Dey're eatin' deir BWEAKFAST!

Me:  Yup, this is their breakfast just like you ate YOUR breakfast!

Cecilia:  Dey're just havin' milk for bweakfast.  Not wike I!

Me:  Yeah, you got to have banana and pear and toast AND milk!

Cecilia, giggling:  No, dey're dwinkin' water!

Me:  Oh yeah?  How are they getting water from Mom?

Cecilia:  Oh.  Just milk.  *eying my chest*  And dose are deir CUPS!

Well, I guess now we know where the term "cup size" comes from...

--7--

John Paul, out of nowhere:  When will I be canonized?

Me:  ...Um...  I don't know, John Paul...

JP:  In what year?

Me:  

and later that day

JP:  Maybe I will be canonized in 2150!  And when will I become a bishop?

Me:  Well, I guess whenever the Pope makes you a bishop...

JP:  And how old will I be when I'm a seminarian?

Me:  ...Maybe 22 years old?

He has also been asking when he will die.  And how old I will be when I die.  And many other people... 

More Quicks for the Takin' at Conversion Diary!