The Eternal Spring Break...

We are entering week three of the Eternal Spring Break! I know that Spring Break is on the verge of being finally over- but it seems to this individual that it will continue on forever! Two of the kids had Spring Break the week prior to Easter, the home schooled kids took their break during Easter Week, and now Monica is on her Spring break THIS week. Things are not looking too promising, as far as getting work accomplished goes. This week seems to be fraught with distractions and interruptions. See when Colette and Wern were home, they would sleep until lunch time, roll out of bed, and promptly go to someone else's house, or off to meet friends. So there were few distractions while the rest of us worked on school. Last week was fun and easy going. We mostly just chill-axed, (that's chilled and relaxed for those of you not hip to the lingo of the day!) But this week, with Monica being an early bird and itching to go do something, things are well, hopping. So far today Monica got up, ate, beautified herself (which doesn't take much effort, she's gorgeous!) and has gone to get her DRIVER'S PERMIT!!!! Holy Driver's, Batman!! I am surrounded by teens getting their driving privileges! I mean, come on, people!!! I've got teens from the Youth Group driving, teens at work driving! I think the only way this would be any more traumatic is if I had kids of my own driving. That might just be too much to handle. So I have a feeling that the next few days will be filled with requests to take a certain 15 year old driving, and keeping me constantly updated on the status of her boredom. For the WEEKS prior to her B-day, I (and the rest of the free world) received daily reminders of how much time remained until her birthday. Well, anyway, now we get daily reports on how she has nothing to do, but if someone would take her driving, then she'd be happy. LOL! I assume the "someone" she is referring to is moi, but her beautiful puppy dog eyes do not have the same control they once had over me! I am strong! I will not cave! Besides, my insurance won't cover her driving the "Mighty Kia" so she'll have to settle with Mom or Dad. Now, I'd ride with her in one of their vehicles- but that is not a piece of information that I plan on supplying her with for at least another few weeks. I need that long to get all my "affairs in order"!

Be good and God Bless!

Spring has SPRUNG! BOINNNGG!

Alleluia! He Is RISEN!

Blessed Easter to all!

Well spring is in the air! I pray that you all had a blessed Easter. Our's was wonderful! I promised you pictures of the cakes I made, and I'm here to deliver! I decided on the lamb and the egg. Both were cute, but the lamb has a small cake to icing ratio, so it looks good, but it's not the best for serving a lot of people. The egg was great, the bunny would have been good, too. Well, you decide:










What a cute little lamb it turned out to be! I had conflicting feelings chopping him into bite sized pieces. It felt a little like hacking into "Lamb Chop"! Man I loved that little guy! We of course had the requisite egg hunt. The kids were so cute, and they loved looking for the eggs that were a little harder to find. Alexis talked all about the goodies that the Easter Bunny brought her, and Cora kept us all entertained doing the "nay-nay" dance. For all of you unfamiliar with this particular dance move- it's an up and down bopping motion, and really it's something she does because she can't contain the excitement over having nay-nay (candy) it's so cute, and I love it when she does it! I think we should all do the nay-nay dance right now! Come on! Don't be shy- I'm doin' it. Are you? OK. So maybe you need a little incentive. Go get some peeps and do the nay-nay dance!!!!!!!!!






Well, I have lots to blog about, so I better start a new post!

Be Good and God Bless!

Last Day of School!

Well, until the end of Easter Break, that is! Today was a busy day, packed with all the work left to complete for the two days we will be out this week. Tests, creative writing, Religion lessons, etc. Celine is studying the 10 Commandments in Religion and there was a picture of a family praying with their hands folded and their eyes closed. She asked me why we have to pray that way. After I explained that you don't always have to pray that way, and that it is a good way to pray because we aren't as easily distracted, she preceeded to fold her hands, close her eyes, bow her head; but only for about a second. Then she looks up to me and says, "Know what I prayed for?" "No, sweetie, what?" Now, I fully expected some deep, earth changing prayer. One petitioning for world peace, or that all children might have homes and food and mommies and daddies who love them. At the very least a request to " make me a good child of God". What she answered was, "God. I want a pony." That's it. A pony. Not even a "please" was mentioned, much less a "May I have". What could I say? The only thing that was good and right to say: "A pony is a GREAT thing to ask for, Celine!" OK, thinking back I probably should have embraced this teachable moment and told her about all the things she could be praying for, but, hey! Ponies are very important, especially to little girls! And God knows the desires of our hearts, right? So, I say if Celine wants a pony then she should talk to Him about it! Besides we were only on page 2 of a 12 page lesson, and I was sure something else was going to come up- something a little more challenging that we might need to spend more time on, like "Thou shall not kill."





If you are anything like me then you have lots to do to get ready for Sunday! I am sewing Easter Baskets for my nephew and my Little Cousin Lizzy, and I am in charge of bringing the cakes-as usual! I can't decide between a bunny cake or a lamb cake. The last time I made the bunny it came out so cute, but died a tragic death while in route to it's destination. So I think I'll go with the lamb! I don't think I'd survive the loss of another bunny, especially on Easter. Then there's finding something to wear for Sunday, and Mom and I have been working really hard trying to get Shananagins Bags to be a little more productive, so I should be working on that every spare moment! This is a picture of the poor little bunny, RIP, Mr. Bunny! You sure did taste good! I'll be sure to post pictures of the ones I make for this Easter!





Wow, I had best get busy- lots to do, so little time to get it all finished in! Have a great day!





God bless and Be good!

All Work and no Play....

I just thought I would give all of you out there a glimpse into my reality. Life here at work can be stressful, and busy, and well, trying; I've mentioned all that before, but honestly- that is a MINUTE part of the time spent here! The laughing and fun abounds! Ha! Ha! In fact just the other day, I was able to capture such a moment of fun on film. Should I share it with you? OK, I shall. And afterwards I shall explain:

So that was Meghan and John Paul, playing the XBox. They are my heroes- Guitar Heroes, that is! The two crazies running in and out of the frame are Grant and Celine. This was Meghan's first time playing- I'm the veteran having played it THREE times! It's a joke, really. The kids like to see how many notes the old ladies miss, even when playing on EASY. When we're not perfecting our Hero Skills you might find us in a rousing billiards tourney, or having a tea party. As I type this there is full out Jedi battle in the next room. I can hear little ones spitting everywhere as they simulate the sounds a light saber makes. HEY! Stop that you guys! That's unsanitary! As I was saying... We could be engrossed in a board game- Electronic Monopoly is the favorite at the moment. That and Pick-up Sticks. Or, my favorite activity, cuddled together reading a book, or 20. Meg even took them off to the beach in my absence. Man! You guys have all the fun when I'm gone! Hold on....

I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU KIDS TO STOP ESPECTULATING! It's GROSS!

Sorry. We feel it's important to expand their vocabularies whenever possible. OK, so that's a bit of a stretch, but it never hurts to learn new things right? Does moving up to the next level of difficulty on Guitar Hero count? If so then these kids are geniuses! (we think that they are regardless!)

One last note:

Brian saw me posting a picture of him on yesterday's blog. And he says, "Is that about me?" I kindly pointed out that not everything on this great Earth pertained to him. He replied, "Well, you have to admit, I do some pretty funny things and say some really funny things, too!" I had no argument, like I said, genius! Until my next post that, according to Brian, is going to be all about all the wonderfully funny things he says and does...

Be Good and God Bless!

Wishin' Ye all A Happy St. Patty's Day!

Wishin' all ye laddies and lassies a

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Today was a bittersweet day. A dear friend of the family was laid to rest today, Rosemary Ann Aeschbach. She was a feisty lady, with a heart of gold! Mimi, as she was called by those close to her, loved all things Irish, and so it was fitting that she be memorialised on this day that she so cherished. She is survived by her two daughters- Lisa and Lori, and her three grand children-Johny, Jacob, and Tess, and finally her precious Great-grand daughter-Caroline. It was a day of remembering the love and spirit of a wonderful soul, where friends gathered from far and wide to celebrate the life she lived. We love you, Mimi, and you are missed! Pray for us!!!




Even though today was tinted with sadness, there was much merriment as well! The kids have been anxiously awaiting this day, though I'm not sure why. They aren't Irish, but you might have thought so by the excitement level around here. They were vigilant in their quest to find some poor soul not wearing green, in the hopes that they could pinch the heck out of them! OUCH!!! Not me, though! I was properly attired in the color of the day. I was bombarded by requests exclaiming; "Kiss me! I'm Irish!" Which quickly became, "Kiss me! I'm NOT Irish!" after they were reminded of their Italian heritage. Brian, or O'Brian as he was called for the day, took his attire quite seriously, as you can see! Meg was a bonnie lass, and happy to sport her "Irish" tee; and green just happens to be her FAV color! Imagine that!






WARNING!!! The following is devoid of adorable quips about the cute things that the munchkins in my life do and say! Don't say I didn't warn ya!

After work tonight I went to see my very dear and very Irish friend, Penny. We had a blast spending time with her family and old friends! Believe it or not, I did not partake in any adult beverages, not even a drop! I'm not a big "drinker"-except for maybe WATER! I drink that like a FISH! But I digress... (By the way...why am I using "big" words today? I think I'm coming down with something!) I may not have been drinking- but the drinks were a' flowing over at Pen's! She insists that her increased volume levels and excited chatter was a result of her being "tipsy". Sure, Pen, you were tipsy. I believe you, really I do. Oh, by the way, how are the Shamrocks this morning? That's what I thought. "You'll never get yer 'ands on me Lucky Charms!"

Well, that's all for today. I am EXHAUSTED! I have no clue what my problem is-maybe I kissed the Blarney Stone one too many times last night? I don't know, but I think I'm going to need the assistance of another beloved Irsh tradition to make it through tomorrow- the Irish Coffee!




Be Good and God bless!

Deuce is ONE!!!!

It is hard to believe that my precious little nephew is ONE YEAR OLD today! He is getting so big! As much fun as it is to say, "Deuce is ONE!"; it will be even MORE fun to be able to say, "Deuce is TWO!" You know, since "Deuce" means "two"? OK kinda corny, but he is a "junior"; named after his Daddy- so that makes him the Deuce. That's what his Daddy says, at least.

He has learned so much in his short year. For instance, he has mastered crawling, and is now quite the pro at walking! He has grown a number of teeth, and is now eating solid "grown up" foods with them! He's just begun trading stocks on Wall Street, and we have high hopes of him making his first million before his second birthday. OH, and he has a sure-fire way of breaking any fall or tumble with his forehead! We're even considering hiring him out to other toddlers for instructional purposes. He's just that good at it! My what a little person can learn in the span of just a year!

This Sunday we had a little pre-birthday celebration for the little guy. Later we will have a proper party to mark this special milestone. Katie was thinking of a "Farm" theme. Actually, in our family people don't really get a birth"day"; it's usually more like a birth"week" or sometimes a birth"month". Deuce is no different. Seeing as he and his sister's birthdays are only 2 weeks apart they get a giant joint birthday party. But to mark today Katie was going get him a cake and let him practice blowing out candles. He wasn't too good at it on his first attempt. He sure liked the way the candle sparkled, though! Deuce's daddy instructed his mommy that if she DID get a cake today, that it needed to be chocolate. Why? "No sissy yellow cake with fluffy icing for my boy! And absolutely NO girly sprinkles on the top!", I believe those were his words. Well, as you can see from the picture above, we already did the "sissy" cake, so I guess he could stand one that was a little more macho. Is there such a thing a a macho cake? If there is, Chris will find it! It'll probably be camouflaged- then my hope would be that Deuce could find it to blow out the candles!

SO-

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, CHRISTOPHER DOUGLAS!

You are very loved and very blessed!

And WE are blessed to have you in our lives! Have a wonderful day, all of you!




God bless and be good!

The importance of proper pronunciation...

This time change is on the verge of rendering me useless. I was amazed to learn that some countries actually don't participate in Daylight Savings, and so, I have decided that I am going to stop observing it myself! Who cares if I'm the only one in the Free World who does. At least maybe I won't be so groggy!

I think we are all feeling the loss of Saturday's hour of sleep. John Paul tells me today that, "Baptism is a snackrament that gives us the life of grace and make us children of God." Hmmm. A Snackrament? Not gonna touch that one. And then Grant just told us that Bishop Newman wanted to be able to speak to a young girl in her native "garlic". Now he was supposed to read "Gaelic", but added a "r" to it and so for the past 10 minutes we have been discussing "garlic" vs. "Gaelic", and name origins and meanings. Turns out that Grant, Meg, and my own name are all "garlic" in origin. WAIT! News flash! Meg just found out that her beloved name, which she has thought was Gaelic until this very moment, is in FACT- WELSH! Sorry, Meg, guess you aren't as "garlic" as you thought. It's OK, though, just go eat at Al's and you'll be VERY garlic-y! Well, at least your breath will be.

OK, enough.

Be good and God bless!

Little Blue Men...

And no, I don't mean the Smurfs! So Chris is taking the four youngest to see the Blue Men Group tonight. They are so excited! It's all they have been talking about for days now. We all went out to lunch today and of course the main topic of conversation was tonight's activity.

Brian says to me, "Shanny, I CAN'T baweave that tonight is the Ba-woo Men Gwoop! It is going to be awesome! I hope I can get a Ba-woo Men Shirt." I started wondering how one would spell "ba-woo", so I asked him. He didn't even think about it, he just said, "You know, 'ba-woo'- b-l-u-e. 'Ba-woo'." I have no idea how someone can spell something that they can't pronounce correctly! It must be a testament to my ability to teach him Spelling. HAAAA! Anyone who knows me right now is probably screaming: "The real question is- how can someone who can't spell themselves, teach someone else to spell?!!"

I have a feeling that regardless of how Brian pronounces it, they will have a "gweat" time tonight. I'm sure I'll hear all about it on Monday, and I'm sure he'll have the t-shirt to boot!

Be good and God bless!

A Day in the "Wife" of Brian...

I am struggling to make it through Math today! It is by no means my best subject, but even I can handle second grade arithmetic! But today is a horse of a different color! My brain is fried! We are learning about parallel line segments, and Brian is understanding them, for the most part. This lesson is taking forever, though! We started BEFORE snack break, and here it is 12PM, and we are still doing Math! It may have something to do with the 30 minutes we spent on reviewing subtraction facts that he’s having a tough time memorizing, or it could be the billion or so distractions he finds so intriguing! I just want Math to be done for today. PLEASE!


It is amazing what comes out of these kids mouths! You never know what they’re going to say , and sometimes you can’t understand what it was they said. Brian has a hard time pronouncing his “l”s and “r”s . His “l”s sound like “r”s and sometimes “w"s, and his “r”s sound like “w”s, too. It can be very confusing at times. Today when we were learning about parallel lines and I asked him to repeat the term to me it sounded more like “parw-a-welw wines”. No matter how many times I try to get him to pronounce it correctly, he still has difficulty! I started calling him “Scooby” today. He seems to "rrrlike" it. We don’t tease him, but we have started bringing his attention to it more. He just doesn’t hear himself like we do. It is pretty cute, though! One day he'll just stop, and then we'll miss it.


Today Donna brought the kids some lunch home. Kids have specific tastes, just like adults, and these kids are no different! When asked, Grant requested his usual - Chicken Nuggets; JP- a double ham-booger (no, not a typo!); and Brian asked for his usual as well- a plain hamburger, "with out the ham". What he means, is that he doesn’t want any cheese, no matter how many times we tell him that's what “plain” means, he still asks for it that way! So today he asked for just a hamburger, and most of us replied in chorus, “Without the ham?” He responded, "Of course!"


Well, that's it for now. Have a wonderful day!


Be good, and God bless!