Trying out the photography challenge over at Clan Donaldson this week...  The theme is "hats or scarves."

 

So we just got a *real* camera for Christmas and I've been using what little spare time I have to figure out how to use it.  So far I'm REALLY good at...  knowing that I shouldn't use the flash and that manual focus is better than auto focus.  I've explored other settings, but when I've got a toddler who's only going to stay still for so long?  I put it on auto, focus it myself, and see what I can get!

Here's Cecilia looking like, 5 years older than she is.  Her Princess Leia hat is one of her favorite things right now and she wears it ALL the time.  Like, to the doctor's office for her ENTIRE 2-year well visit.  And for a nap. 

She came upstairs wearing it yesterday and told me, "I cwied and cwied."

"Cecilia, why did you cry and cry?"

"Um becuzz I'm a pwincess."

"No, I'm a princess!" whined John Paul.

"I'M A PWINCESS I'M A PWINCESS!!!" she sobbed, jumping up and down and yelling at him.

So yeah, that's the hat.

Embarrassing pictures link-up

Okay, I'm taking Jamie's challenge...  I don't think any of my pictures quite live up to the picture of her with the oranges, but here are a few.

For years I tried to hide those awkward embarrassing pictures.  I would argue to say that MOST pictures taken of me are fairly awkward (I'm just not photogenic...) but I'm pretty good at deleting most of them from my camera before anyone else sees them.  However, all those childhood awkward pictures?  Yeah, those don't go away.  And most of them are in another album, but I found some gems in the "Sisters" book that my sister and I made years ago...

 

I begged my dad to cut my beautiful long hair so that I could have thick, chunky bangs like my best friend.  WHY?  Then I thought I should smile with my mouth closed.  Also, WHY?  And I'm wearing a true 80's-style puffed-sleeve dress with a peplum over a tight-fitting skirt.  OH YES, I was smokin'.

 

 

In 3rd grade I decided to start showing my teeth again, only to realize that they were awkward and crooked.  This was the year that I think I went 2 weeks without washing my hair.  Also, I'm wearing a school uniform:  Navy blazer, white peter pan collar shirt, gray jumper, and navy and green ribbons.  Gross.

 

Here I am a few months later, having made a ginger bread house.  And apparently this expression means, "After you eat this ginger bread house, I plan to feast on your flesh."  I don't understand the creepy eyes, either...

 

 

I was convinced that every picture was the "silly" picture, hence the contrived expression, closed eyes, and scrunchie smack dab in the middle of my head.  That's how I wore my hair that summer.  I thought it was cute.  We also have a series of pictures of me trying to take off a pair of shortalls from this vacation, eventually failing and needing my mom to help me.  These were the things my parents took pictures of?

 

We call this my "British school boy" look - awkward hair cut (again, BEGGED my dad for this one), closed-mouth smile that somehow manages to make me look fat, and this time the ribbons are replaced with a TIE!  School uniform FTW!

 

Freshman year of high school, my sister and I dressed up as Britney Spears, before and after, for Halloween.  You guess who's who.

 

And that same year, we performed "I Feel Sick" at a chorus concert.  She got to wear footie pajamas.  I wore flesh-colored long johns.  Somehow even the fact that the microphone had to be attached to the sagging butt-flap didn't lead us to believe this wasn't the best idea.

 

And lastly, I leave you this.  There are MUCH worse pictures of my sister, because she chose to embrace the awkwardness of photos long ago, and there are about 10 years' worth of pictures of her in ridiculous positions!

 

Sister, I can't find that album full of the worst pictures - like that one from Christmas where I look like a corpse and for some reason decided that a good "pose" would be to shove my tongue under my lower lip.  Do you know where it is?

 

So go check out Jamie's awkward photos (they're SO good.  Seriously.  But I think probably everyone who reads this blog also reads her blog...)

 

And while you're there, check out this photo because it's just so beautiful!!!

Getting comfortable

Just when I feel like things are getting under control at home, maybe even comfortable, something throws me for a loop.

Warning:  This is a story about poop.

I got this email from the babysitter at 10:39 today:  "hey john Paul peed on himself where are his clothes please"

Why yes, he has been potty trained for over a year!  Lately he's been holding it as long as possible and then freaking out and running to the potty while ripping off his clothes.  Once in a while he pees a *tiny* bit in his underwear and has to grab a new pair.  But today?  Nope, didn't run to the potty.  Just peed all over himself.

So I get home and he's just gone down for his nap and so has Cecilia and I think, "Okay, I've got maybe an hour with *just* the little babies!"  Nope, Cecilia decided not to nap and was VERY upset when I suggested that she go to sleep.  Must remind the babysitter to close her bedroom door so that she doesn't see me putting Mary Claire in the swing to go down for HER nap.

So Cecilia comes downstairs with Elizabeth and me and we play and read for a while, swapping Elizabeth & Mary Claire at some point.  Then she decides she needs to use the potty and we realize the potty bowl is downstairs.  "I NOT poop on da floor!  Never never poop on da floor!"

So we head to the basement and it reeks of poop.  My first thought is, "Did John Paul poop in his pants?"  But I quickly dismiss it because he has NEVER had more than a skidmark in his underwear since we started the whole potty training process over a year ago.  We walk into the room and John Paul immediately jumps up saying, "OH it was an accident!" and starts peeling off his pants.  On the white carpet (not my idea, stupid rental townhouse).  So I pick him up and bring him to the bathroom (while nursing Mary Claire), hoping against all odds that maybe this will be one of those super-solid non-messy poops?

Nope.  All those lentils I've been feeding him have been great for his digestive system.  So we have the most disgusting of situations on our hands (and feet, legs, posteriors, etc...) and Cecilia still needs to poop and Mary Claire is still nursing...  So I send Cecilia upstairs with the potty bowl, hoping she'll just take care of business herself.  Meanwhile, Mary Claire is now on the floor, looking around calmly and happily.  John Paul is still sticking his booty up in the air in the bathroom.  I clean him off as best I can and hear Cecilia coming down the stairs...

"I did NOT poop all over myself!"

No.  She.  Did.  Not.  She potty trained herself more than 6 months ago and I can count the accidents on one hand.  Now is not the time.

She's coming down the stairs with her pants and underwear around her ankles and I'm BEGGING God to be merciful and He is because she has NOT pooped all over herself.  She hasn't done anything, she just decided to take care of business on the big potty instead.

Thank goodness.

So John Paul's butt, thighs, feet, ankles, and hands are finally clean.  My hands are clean.  Cecilia is wiped and clean.  Elizabeth is still asleep.  Mary Claire is still calmly lying on the floor.  And I try to calm myself by thinking of all the things that I'm thankful for that made this a somewhat bearable situation.

Like a sleeping baby upstairs, so I didn't have to find some way to clean this up while nursing both babies.

And the calm and satiated baby who was happy to amuse herself while I cleaned up.

 

Edit:  Shortly after writing this, I found out that she's capable of projectile vomiting all the way to her feet when lying in the swing.  Put a blanket on it, changed the onesie, we're good.

And the self-sufficient toddler who happily took the potty bowl upstairs and came back to use the big potty instead, eliminating another possible clean-up task.

And the somewhat helpful preschooler who went upstairs with minimal fussing and got himself a clean pair of underwear and pants.

And the big kids who potty trained at 2.5 and 1.5, respectively.  Because I could very easily still be changing their diapers if they were different children.

And the fact that I just got a Pim DVD from the library and it's definitely time to send the kids downstairs to watch that so I can take care of the twins without yelling at the older kids for waking them up every time they fall asleep...

What would have been better?  Um, maybe no poop in the pants?  But it's kind of a theme in my life that when things get too easy, God gives me a reminder of just how good I have it. 

And maybe this is the last time He'll have to take me down a notch by employing defecation...

WIWS #3

 

Joining all your favorite Catholics at Fine Linen and Purple for another peek at Mass time attire.

 

We had a pretty average Mass - Cecilia had to be taken out when she freaked out because John Paul was reading a book that she had been looking at 20 minutes earlier.  Or maybe it was because she was pretending to ride the kneeler like a boat?  Or when she kept blowing raspberries on my knee...

 

But yeah, nothing new.

 

I actually paid enough attention to recognize the 2nd reading, and came home to my sister's awesome sarcastic reinterpretation - go read it!

 

And I paid enough attention to most of the homily and found out that (assuming nothing changes), there will be 7 new priests ordained in our diocese this year, and 7 more next year!  Arlington Diocese FTW!  Pray for all our seminarians, would you?

 

Without further adieu, here are some of our Sunday outfits.

 

 

Here we see Cecilia in last year's super-clearance Janie & Jack, accessorized by Costco tights and a Carter's sweater.

 

I'm wearing a Target dress (cross-over front, SUPER easy to nurse in), Target nursing tank, Spanx, and DSW boots. 

 

Mary Claire is sporting a consignment store Gymboree jumper, Carter's onesie, newborn BabyLegs that *almost* fit, and my favorite Trumpette mary jane socks. 

 

Not pictured:  Andrew in his blue bow tie and pinstriped suit, Elizabeth in a floral sleep & play, and my cleavage-hiding scarf that doubles as nursing cover.  9th grade me would have KILLED to have any cleavage to speak of, but 9th grade me was rather less modest... 

 

John Paul was rather upset this morning when he told me, "Oh, I want to wead a book about the puwification of the Bwessed Virgin Mawwy!" and found out that, unfortunately, we don't have any books on the topic.  Actually, maybe some of our grown-up books mention it, but I was too busy to check...

 

Anyway, his Cosby-esque sweater is baby Gap via the consignment store, and his pants and socks were actually purchased NEW (on sale...) at Children's Place.

 

And in case you were wondering, the green onions are growing!  I heard a crash from upstairs this morning and was relieved to find that my mason jar growing experiment was not the casualty.  Nope, just a regular glass.

Now check out what all the cool kids are wearing!

An important argument

Cecilia (at 6:30 pm):  It's BWIGHT outside!
Andrew:  It's not bright outside, Cecilia, it's night time.
Cecilia:  It's bwight?  Da SUN is out!
Me:  The moon is out, Cecilia.
Cecilia: Da SUN!
Andrew:  The moon.
Cecilia:  Da SUN!
Andrew and me:  The moon.
Cecilia:  DA SUN!!!
Me: The stars.
Cecilia:  Da sun!
Andrew:  The planets.
Cecilia:  Da sun!
Me:  The Father.
Cecilia: Da Son!
Andrew:  The Holy Spirit.
Cecilia:  Came down!!!
John Paul:  Amen!

And there we go, argument ended by the Holy Trinity.  To which saint should we attribute tonight's miracle?