I am waaaaaaay behind on my blog reading & commenting and responses to comments...  So here's a VERY brief WIWS post and I promise I'll respond to all your awesome comments on Friday's Awkward Conversations post!  I just don't know when...

I felt like a flamenco dancer with that veil...

Kaitlin requested more pictures with my veil, so here you are!

Dress:  eShakti

Scarf:  Forever 21

Shoes:  DSW

Veil:  Veils by Lily (recommended by Laura)

The pants-free linkup is open until the end of the day (Eastern) on Wednesday and so far a grand total of... ONE person who is not me linked up!  Thanks, Erica :)  So go show it some love!

And check out some more timely linkers at Fine Linen & Purple!

Awkward Conversations

I've been trying to venture out with the kiddos a little more lately, which leads to the inevitable remarks on our family size from strangers.  And I just can't help but wonder...  Don't they realize what an awkward situation they're creating?

For instance:

Scene:  I'm at an afternoon farmer's market with Elizabeth and Cecilia in the double stroller, John Paul sitting on the footrest, and Mary Claire on my back in the Ergo.  We walk up to a booth to buy some cherry tomatoes when the vendor glances at us incredulously.

Kind of like this, minus the husband...

Vendor:  All those kids yours?
Me:  Yup!
Vendor:  You been BUSY!

Cue raucous laughter from surrounding vendors.  I smile knowingly and walk away (very slowly, because pushing a heavy stroller uphill with 80+ pounds of children isn't the easiest feat), tomatoes in hand.

Now, this didn't really offend me.  But I found it extremely awkward.  How exactly does one answer that comment? 

"Why yes, my husband and I have had intercourse at least 3 times!"
"I just can't keep my pants on!"
"We're like bunnies!"
"I find it's my personal duty to battle the low birth rate in this country."
"Someone's gotta pay for your Social Security!"

Honestly, I thought it was better to just walk away...

The next scene was slightly more offensive, though:

I'm at Costco on a weekday morning with Elizabeth in the seat, Cecilia sitting inside the cart, John Paul riding on the back, and Mary Claire in the Ergo.  The children are behaving remarkably well, as they tend to do at Costco because of the samples.  We approach a cart of samples of squeezable applesauce and a 50-something male customer glances at us and mutters something to the employee manning the table.

Man:  That's like birth control for me...
Employee:  Awkward polite laughter

Now, he wasn't talking directly to me, so I didn't respond.  But really?  Really? 

My four adorable, well-behaved children sitting quietly in their cart, smiles on their faces as they approach a VERY exciting sample cart...  That convinces you that you shouldn't have any (more?) children?

Disgusting, they are.  Who could possibly want MORE of these?

Honestly, that convinces me that you probably shouldn't have any (more?) children, too!  Because if all it takes is the sight of four children ages four-and-under to terrify you, it's probably a good thing that you aren't procreating.  But really, I think this is an example of someone with NO internal filter and I'm just going to assume he had Tourette's. 

This last scene though, it was the winner of the awkward award:

I have just spent hours preparing a meal for almost 20 people from Andrew's dad's side of the family and his dad's fiancée's family.  We're hosting at our house because otherwise we wouldn't be able to get to dinner at all once bedtimes are factored into the equation.  The kids have behaved pretty darn well, especially considering it is now more than an hour past bedtime for the big kids (the babies are both asleep).  Cecilia, who has been nothing but adorable, cheerful, friendly, and sparkly this entire time (a HARD feat for one as shy as she is), is throwing a rather ridiculous temper tantrum in the bathroom because first there was too little toothpaste on her toothbrush, then too much, then I needed to wash it off and then how dare I wash it off?  I close the door to the bathroom and leave her to decide how she wants to handle this...

Random relative:  I don't know how you do it...  Four children!  You aren't planning on having more any time soon, right?
Me:  No, not any time soon (meaning not in the next 9 months, since I'm pretty sure I'm not pregnant right now)...
RR:  You mean you're going to have MORE???

Mind you, she is sitting at the dining room table in front of a picture of St. Cecilia, an icon of American saints, and an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  And she chooses to start this conversation...

I continued going about my business cleaning up after dinner, turning to make an astonished face at my sister who later told me that her other response, which I didn't hear, was as follows:

RR:  I would kill myself.

Now that I wish I had heard!  Because my immediate response was, "Well then I guess we won't be asking you to babysit!"

Obviously, these faces would make ANYONE suicidal!

Apparently she also warned my brother-in-law and his serious girlfriend not to have so many kids.  Because, you know, it would clearly make them both suicidal.  After all, she had two kids two years apart, and there's NO WAY she could have handled more!

It's not like I haven't written about this before - and Kendra pointed out how much better life is when we don't assume the worst from what people say.  But I think sometimes it's raaaather difficult to assume anything BUT the worst! 

And it makes me appreciate the fact that I am one of the least emotional people I've ever known - my sister has always lamented the fact, but perhaps God gave me a heart of stone so that I don't get terribly hurt every time someone tells me just how insane I am to have sooooo many kids already (it's like they think I CHOSE to have twins!).

I just figure, at least I'm the one repopulating the earth singlehandedly (well, with Andrew's help I suppose :P) and not them, right?

7 Quick Takes - Important Blogging Tips

I think we all know that just about everybody is going to be talking about blogging and different types of blogs and the effect that they have on people in the coming days.  And I have to admit - it's very confusing to me.  The conclusion I have come to is that there's just no. possible. way. to please everyone.  So here are my 7 tips on how to write a blog that offends nobody!  After all, I have dozens of followers and at least 10 page views every day!  If that's not success, what is?

--1--

Use your own voice.  Write authentically.  But if you're boring, try to imitate someone else whose blog you like.  Consider switching blogging styles to emulate on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. 

--2--

Nobody wants to read a blog that isn't funny.  Self-deprecating humor always gets a laugh.  But don't beat yourself up because then you'll make people upset that you take blogging too lightly.  Make sure not to joke about serious subjects, but consider adding some lighthearted humor to any post that touches on a hot-button topic.

--3--

Don't be too perfect all the time!  Vent about every single bad thing that happened to you today, but make sure that you're still super-uplifting so that you don't scare anyone away from your vocation to motherhood/teaching/rodeo clowning/medicine/eating as many cinnamon rolls as possible.  Don't spend too much time dwelling on the negative, but make sure to include a LOT of it so that nobody thinks you're living too perfect a life.

--4--

Everybody likes pictures in a blog post!  Make sure to go out and buy a really expensive camera JUST for blogging.  Then include only beautiful pictures with no trash on the table, no toys on the floor, no uneaten food strewn about.  But be sure that everyone sees these things so that they know your life isn't perfect and is something they can emulate!

--5--

Write all your birth stories in gory detail, making sure to insert snarky judgments of anyone who doesn't subscribe to your particular philosophy.  Make it impossible for anyone to click away by enlisting some sort of hacker who can ensure that a click on the little X simply sends visitors to the same page again.  In fact, consider doing this with every page, since no one should be allowed to close a blog post and stop reading.  After all, it's not our own choice what we read on the internet - it is the fault of bloggers for writing something we don't want to read!

--6--

When commenting on other blogs, make sure to correct grammar as often as possible.  Check for factual errors and enlighten the writer.  Take offense to everything that is written, and comment away!  If your comment is particularly caustic, make sure you click that "anonymous" button so that you don't have to own up to your nasty nature.

--7--

Above all else, know that regardless of your intended audience, whether it be family members, other parents, the general public, etc. much of what you are blogging about you are WRONG about, and everyone is probably offended.  You are making someone upset who is reading about your perfect life.  You are angering someone who thinks you complain too much.  Everything you are doing is wrong.  And it's your job to please the masses, since they can't just click away, they are being FORCED to read your blog!

And just in case you can't tell, this is intended to be sarcastic.  Blog about what you love.  Blog about what you don't love.  Nobody's forced to read your blog, and if a post of yours makes someone feel bad about how bad their life is in comparison/how bad your life is/how dirty your house is/how clean your house is/how skinny you are/how good your hair looks all the time/how cute your kids are/how depressing you make everything IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT because YOU ARE NOT FORCING ANYONE TO READ YOUR BLOG.

Now, can we all please stop complaining about everyone else's blogs?  People like different things.  People write different things.  The internet is big - if you don't like something, you don't have to read it.

This post would have included funny pictures but my memory card is stuck in the camera, so...  You just get to read about how annoyed I am.  And I don't mean to offend you but if I do...  Sorry!  Feel free to close the window.

{PHFR} - 8/8

{pretty}

 

 

Cecilia in her flower girl dress - she's going to be performing the role of her life on Saturday and is sooooo excited!  But I'm betting she'll freeze up or throw a tantrum when it comes time to perform - that's just her style :P

 

We went out today for special girl time while the twins napped (And John Paul "napped") - hair cut & Trader Joe's, super-exciting!  It felt really weird just having one child with me, and all attention was on her, with many a random stranger complimenting her on how cute she is, and how good she was being, and how talkative she is.  Normally the babies are the ones who attract all the attention when we're out, so she definitely wasn't sure how to react!

 

{happy}

 

 

These two really do love to pose for the camera!  They're extremely proud of their newfound ability to pull up on pretty much any furniture item, although it does get rather tedious having to spot them...  Mostly I try to pile blankets and pillows around them so that when they fall, at least they have a soft landing!

 

{funny}

 

 I had a headache and these two did NOT want to nap during afternoon naptime...  So I was a really good mom and gave them crackers to munch on.  You'll notice I didn't take a picture of the floor afterwards...  But it was pretty funny watching them swipe crackers from each other and eat the crumbs off the floor - no discrimination here!  Come to think of it, no discrimination from John Paul and Cecilia, who happily ate the remnants that they found...

 

{real}

 

 

Four years old.  FOUR.  And he looks like he's practically an adult here...  Okay, with pants that are way too long, I'll give you that!  I'm struck far too frequently these days by just how old he has gotten! 

 

 

 Also real...  Do you see Elizabeth's very very sharp bottom teeth?  Yes, I have the marks on my fingers to prove it.  Someone's favorite game is to grab a finger (preferably mine or Andrew's) and chow down!

 

 

And I just got a kick out of this simultaneous toy grab while we were taking pictures!

 

Check out more posts at Like Mother, Like Daughter!

Summer Fun!

I think you know by now that we rarely leave the house...  I mean, I suppose we go outside, but we don't go all the places that most people seem to hit up during the summer.  It's a LOT of work to time naps just right so that we can get out of the house together - we're pretty much limited to the 10-12 time slot (IF the babies have taken morning naps at a normal time) or maybe 3-5, but that's only if I don't really need to make much for dinner. 

 

And since we're still transitioning the babies from 3 naps/day to 2, half the time one of them (usually Elizabeth) desperately needs a late afternoon nap, or just wakes up ridiculously early and has to nap early, so our entire day is spent waiting for a baby to wake up and we can't leave.

 

So we've taken to creating our own fun in the yard!

 

 

A sprinkler inside a wading pool

Total control of the water!

The occasional sibling conversation

Hanging out with Aunt Sister!

And of course, attempting to consume fists full of grass (Elizabeth was napping, or she would have joined in)!

Discovering what the rainwater has done to the sand...

And "painting" her swimsuit with it.

Of  course, the tummy needed a little love, too!

"You mean I wasn't supposed to do that?"

How are you staying entertained at home?  Obviously one of our favorite activities is collecting bug bites (sarcasm)...  What are your favorite stay-at-home summer activities?