Well, Andrew had the week off from singing, so we decided we'd try the noon Mass because there was a reception afterwards for our priest who's being transferred this week.  This was a nice break from the 8:30, because we had a loooong leisurely time to get dressed and out the door!  I made lemon-blueberry pancakes, we all stayed in our pajamas for a while, and then started getting ready still way too early...

 

Which gave us plenty of time to take pictures!

 

 

I think Cecilia is finally starting to understand this posing thing?

 

Although the genuine smile is still a little lacking...

 

Here's the only shot I got of John Paul's ensemble (he did NOT take the toy clock to Mass).

 

This is sadly the best shot we got of everyone...  I don't even know why Cecilia's posing like that.

 

Anyway, outfit details:

 

Shirt:  Repeat x a trillion, Forever 21

Dress:  Yeeeeeears old from New York & Company

Shoes:  DSW

 

Mary Claire's godmother, Beth, got coordinating outfits for the twins, which we were pretty excited to debut this week:

 

But at this point the babies were getting pretty sleepy, even though Elizabeth mostly just wanted to suck on that little tie...  And Cecilia decided to throw a pretty epic tantrum because she wanted to bring Princess Seraphina to Mass but she didn't want Princess Seraphina to wear a dress, or maybe she did but she did NOT want us to help put it on, but it was really upsetting that it was off and cryyyyyyyyy cry cry cry!!!

 

So we decided to leave Cecilia and the twins home with Andrew so that they could all nap, and John Paul and I went to Mass together.  Poor Andrew has to hit up a Sunday night Mass later, which usually means awful happy clappy music with out-of-tune guitars, but I think this is a no-music Mass, so it should be okay.

 

John Paul was REALLY excited to sit in the front pew.

 

He is not ready to sit in the front pew...

 

No outbursts, just a lot of squirming and asking what words mean and the like. 

 

So...  Grades?

 

John Paul:  B

Cecilia:  Disqualified

Elizabeth:  A+ (napped the entire time we were gone)

Mary Claire:  B+ (napped half the time we were gone)

 

Hopefully we'll all go together next week, assuming there are no huge tantrums before we even get out the door...

 

Check out more outfits at Fine Linen and Purple!

7 Quick Takes

Life has been moving slowly and way too fast at the same time - I feel like there are so many things I *could* blog about, like all of Cecilia's conversations on the potty, or how much she and John Paul fight about things that don't matter, or the games we've invented to keep them outside as long as possible, or how we're doing now that the twins are 7 months old, but I just have no energy for it!

 

So...  Here's what we've been up to lately:

 

--1--

 

 The kids are trying to sprout bean seeds in plastic bags because, you know, it's a thing to do...  So far we have no action, but it's been a day.

 

 

They've been prepping their pot for planting, slooooowly filling it with dirt.  Unfortunately, they decided that using their hands was more effective than shoveling...

 

--2--

 

Every night after the kids go to bed we head out to work in the garden - the tomatoes are growing well and we've added some new herbs to the mix:

 

And Andrew got some raised bed kits, so we've planted peppers, squash (pretty sure that one's dead already), cantaloupe, strawberries (everbearing, so we might get to eat some this summer!), beans, basil, zinnias, and marigolds.

 

Of course, right after we planted the marigolds to encourage bees, all the lilies on our neighbor's side of the fence started blooming - how beautiful is this?

 

--3--

 

 

This guy is learning how to pump!  Unfortunately, he still can't get himself going, but we're getting closer to independence!

 

Although there's still a whole lot of "MOM!!!  Push me on the swing!  A JILLION pushes!"

 

And Cecilia follows up with, "I need a HUNDERdog!"

 

--4--

 

And speaking of independence, the babies are sooooo close to crawling!

 

But they're VERY frustrated that they don't have it down yet...

 

Thankfully Mary Claire has a sense of humor about it!

 

--5--

 

John Paul has really long eyelashes and a borderline unibrow...

 

--6--

 

We've been heading outside most nights after dinner, setting the babies up on a quilt while the big kids play.  It really helps with that last fussy hour of the day when it's too early for bed but too late for anything else!

 

Look, she's getting some meat on her bones!

 

AND I figured out how to capture a sun flare!

 

You see how ready she is to crawl?

 

Just not quiiiite there!  And I'm in no hurry - when these two start crawling, it's all over!

 

The kids keep taking their shoes off and running around the yard with "bear" feet - they love it and I kind of love how ridiculously dirty they are at the end of the day :)

 

My mom says we have poison ivy in the back - is this it?  I thought it was supposed to be shiny...

 

--7--

 

Have you entered my Firmoo giveaway?  5 $20 vouchers, and IF 50 or more people enter, they'll give away a free pair of glasses, too!  So even if you don't wear glasses, you can get sunglasses, and if you don't want the voucher you can enter anyway and give someone else a chance to win a free pair! 

 

 

Well, somebody's gotta have something (or a lot of things) more interesting to say at Jen's!

5 Favorites - Sugar High

ONE

Saltwater Taffy

 

Caramel Corn flavor

Specifically, Taffyshop.com

Seriously, if you ever need anything to get me for my birthday or Christmas or Mother's Day or just because you love me (or maybe for the anniversary I have coming up in just 9 short days...), THIS.

LOOK at the flavors and tell me there's nothing for you.  Buttered Popcorn.  Caramel Cheesecake.  Cinnamon Roll.  ALL AMAZING!

 

TWO

 

My First Piano Adventure

 

John Paul is weird.  You knew this already...  But he keeps taking my old piano textbooks from college and trying to teach himself how to play, so I finally got a book for him that's aimed towards kids his age (well, 5 & 6). 

 

He LOVES it.  The pictures are adorable, the teacher parts are easy enough for me to play, the lessons for teaching technique are cute, and it keeps him busy for a loooooooong time.

 

I haven't listened to the accompanying CD yet (no CD player at home), but he loves it even without the CD.  It presents notes in a variety of different ways without going straight to the staff, so he's using different parts of his brain to figure out how this all works.

 

THREE

 

 

Haribo Gummi Bears

I would go so far as to say that these are the ONLY gummi bears that should be consumed.  Ever.  Seriously, there is nothing better.  They're SO delicious!!!  And the fact that a 5-lb bag on Amazon is only $12.63 right now?  Yeah, I think I know what we'll be ordering soon...

FOUR


 

San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa (Blood Orange) Sparkling Water

 

Don't ask me why it's called sparkling water, it's soda.  And it's delicious!  And does NOT cost what Amazon would sell it to you for...  Go to your grocery store and pick up a 6-pack for $5 - so yummy!

 

FIVE

 

 

Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, gear, clothes, strollers, maternity wear and much, much more!

 

Given the chance, I will over-research every baby product on the market and ultimately make no decision because the results are too overwhelming!  Baby Bargains takes out the guesswork - concise descriptions, comparison charts with grades, and every baby product you could imagine!  I like to get this as a gift for expectant couples, since it's relatively inexpensive and so useful!

 

 

Join up with the other ladies at Moxie Wife, or just check out the links!

 

PS Need a new pair of glasses or sunglasses?  Check out my very first giveaway!

 

 

Summer Giveaway - Got Sunglasses?

Summer!  It's practically here!

 

 

As a teacher, I'm preeeeetty happy that summer vacation is here, even though it's technically not summer quiiiite yet.

 

  And while I don't really have a "vacation" because this just means I'm doing the mom thing full-time, it means no worrying about the babysitter eating half the brisket that's in the slow cooker for dinner, no wondering if there's enough milk in the fridge for the babies, no needing to get dressed and out the door by 8:30... 

 

And it means a whole lot of play dates, watching the big kids try to push each other and the babies on the swings (Cecilia pushing John Paul = funniest thing EVER!), and day trips on Andrew's days off.  So excited!

 

With all this time outside and on various outings, I keep my sunglasses with me ALL the time.  But I'm just not a huge fan of them...  They're kind of huge, a little tight, and not all that flattering.  I mean, who has time to try on sunglasses with a trillion kids at home?  Not I!

 

That's where Firmoo comes in!  Not only can you get your first pair free (INCLUDING sunglasses!), but they offer free shipping for US orders over $39!  And they have an online system where you can virtually try on the glasses after uploading a picture.

 

 

You can customize how your sunglasses are tinted, even if you want to look like this lady:

 

 

Nobody's judging you, chick!

 

Here's where YOU come in!  The awesome folks at Firmoo want me to give away five $20 E-vouchers to use on their Classic Series frames.  In addition, if I get 50 or more valid contestants, they'll give the GRAND prize of a pair of FREE glasses from the Classic Series, shipping included!

 

So what are you waiting for?  Leave a comment to tell me your favorite Classic frame, like my facebook page, follow me on twitter, and tweet about the giveaway!  Not only are you giving yourself a chance to win, you might help someone else win the GRAND PRIZE!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received no compensation for this post - I just wanted to give you all a chance to win some stuff!  And if 100+ people enter the giveaway, I get a free pair of sunglasses and I'm thiiiinking of getting purple ones, so enter, okay?

What I Wore Father's Day

Linking up with everyone's favorite Sunday link-uppers, Camp Patton & Fine Linen and Purple!

Well, apparently Cecilia wanted to make up for being sent to her room right after Mass because she decided to be ALLLL the cute in these pictures, so I couldn't pick just one...  Just look at that kid!  Given the fact that her normal pose is a sullen glare, these are pretty brilliant:

They did NOT wear those clothes to Mass, they got changed as soon as we got home because that way we normally don't have to wash their Mass clothes...

John Paul pressed the button, which always results in over-exposure because his hand ends up in front of the lens and confuses it...

Dress:  Easter dress from Shabby Apple (you've seen it before...)
Scandalously low neckline:  c/o two babies who just finished nursing and a mom without enough sense to pull up her tank top in order to spare you from her whitewashed sternum.  Don't worry, I wore a scarf AND a baby throughout Mass so I wasn't sporting any cleavage in church.  Because I know you're judging...
Shoes:  Falling apart at the toes and I'm maybe considering super-gluing them solely because they're not too ugly and they're comfortable?

We had kind of the perfect storm during Mass today - John Paul was pretty good, but Cecilia was her usual self and on top of THAT, both babies decided to be preeeeeetty much as loud as possible, so one of us was always out of the pew pacing, which meant Cecilia wanted to be with me whenever I was pacing, which meant she thought she could just leave the pew whenever...  So as of this moment I'm planning on leaving her at home with napping babies and Dad next week and I'll take John Paul alone and actually give him (and Jesus) the attention he deserves.  We'll see if no pretty dress makes her willing to behave a little better...

Mass grades, in case you were wondering/want to feel better about your kids:

John Paul:  B+.  Points deducted for sticking out his hand to try and convince the EM that he needed Communion, most points deducted for initiating the "mail slot" game, in which he and Cecilia collected all the pew cards and started dropping them down the slit between the pew & the hymnal holder (the one moment when Andrew and I were both pacing with babies.  SERIOUSLY FOLKS, WOULD IT KILL YOU TO LEAVE ONE BACK PEW OPEN FOR THOSE OF US WITH A TRILLION SMALL CHILDREN???).

Cecilia:  C-.  Points deducted for needing to be taken out, loudly yelling that John Paul was kicking her when he wasn't, and the same old Cecilia antics as usual.  She actually did really well at the beginning and I thought that maybe switching things up and sitting in the balcony area might have inspired some good behavior!  Nope.

Way to find awesome lighting, Mom...

Elizabeth:  C.  Fussy, needing to be walked, made several of her loud screechy eardrum-piercing shrieks at key quiet moments.

This dress may be a liiiittle big...

Mary Claire:  C-.  Fussy, needing to be walked, babbling loudly because you know, "Aaa...  Aaaa...  Babababababa dadadadadadada aGAAAAH!", blew loud raspberries, and bit me HARD when I tried to nurse her.

But I suppose I should give her bonus points because the poor thing looked like she was dressed like a "little fella" this morning...  So I'll bump her up to a C.

John Paul always wanted a brother!

I changed my mind, she just puked on my neck while I was being a fun mom and tossing her in the air. Back to a C-!

Anyway, Happy Father's Day to the man who can rock a bow tie like no other:



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