Hippo Birthday to Rachael!

My Rachael is 8 years old and such a treasure. Last night four of her friends came over for a slumber party. Rachael counted down as we got ready for the party and watched the clock until her friends arrived. Rachael had a hard time deciding how she wanted to celebrate her birthday with her friends. First she wanted to ice skate with her friends like Emma had done, but when she realized that Emma had never had a slumber birthday party it became more appealing. As her friends arrived she brought them downstairs to set up their sleeping bags. This was the first sleepover for 2 of the girls and they were all excited.

This year Rachael had a hippo theme party, so we played a few games like hippo on the head relay and hippo on a spoon relay. She also wanted to play the Wii with her friends so we did that as well. She picked an ice cream cake this year so I only had a little bit of decorating to do on the cake. Rachael added purple and green (Speckles' colors) M&M's around the edge and made an 8 out of them on the cake, then she placed a mom and baby hippo on the cake. It took her 2 tries to blow out all of her candles.

They were going to watch a movie so we made popcorn ball creations as a snack. All of the PJ clad girls found their spots and they watched "Jumanji". Megan and Emma were both upstairs angling for the ability to stay up late too. Megan was already tired and started crying really hard. Rachael heard her and came up to help her feel better. I stayed with Megan until she fell asleep and then went down to check on the party girls. I found the movie paused and the girls finishing up cards for Megan, all wishing her a good night sleep. It had been Rachael's idea.

Rachael was having a great time and we let them talk for a while after the movie was over. Around 11:00 Jim let them know it was time to quiet down, but they really didn't fall asleep until midnight. Jim and I woke up early to make pancakes for Rachael's breakfast in bed. They were all sound asleep at 8:00AM when Em, Meg, Bridgie, Jim and I went to the basement and started singing. Breakfast and the rest of the morning went smoothly.

This evening we went to Rain Forest Cafe for dinner. It was Rachael's pick. This visit Bridget found the animals and noises very scary and spent the first part of our meal wrapped around my neck watching the big fish. Those she liked. We did walk around and some of the animals grew on her.

We returned home and Rachael unwrapped her gifts. The guitar was a hit. Jim set it up for her and she then walked around the house with it slung over her shoulder. She is hopeful that Emma can teach her to play. Emma didn't look quite sure that the skills she was learning on violin would be sufficient for that job. Luckily we have an instructional DVD as back up.

Rachael is an amazing girl. We sometimes find it hard to parent her but that is on us not her. She abounds with energy and ideas and she goes in many directions at full speed. But she is also sensitive to harsh words and touch. She feels things with great intensity: excitement and anger, joy and hurt. She makes me see on both subtle and amplified scales our impact in how we discipline and reward. Rachael is a blessing to us, and we thank God for the responsibility to guide such a wonderful child. She truly is a gift who made her appearance into this world in the same way she lives; with intensity.

Christmas Eve

Our house is active as soon as we wake up on Christmas Eve. The party started at 12:30 so we spent the morning doing last minute clean-up. I think we were more together this year than any other I remember. It is nice to feel prepared. Each of the girls wore matching silver skirts and tops. They were so pretty dressed up. Megan loves the full skirt because it is perfect for spinning. All of my siblings and their families came as did my parents and Aunt Liz and Uncle Theo. Everyone brought food to share so we had more than we needed as usual. Heather made my Aunt Mickey's bourbon ball recipe. It is my Christmas favorite, Yummy.

After we ate the adults did a white elephant gift exchange and we ended with the kids doing there gift exchange. My girls each enjoyed shopping and purchasing a special gift for their cousin. It was also fun for each of them to receive a gift from a cousin. Bridget received Little People bath toys and immediately took the people out to play. William had picked Megan's name and was excited to give her the cool markers and huge art pad he had gotten just for her. There was a flurry of wrapping paper and happy children in our small living room. After most people headed out Megan shared her art pad with her sisters and they all drew together in the living room laying on the floor. It was a scene to treasure.

Having snacked all day I hadn't been watching what the girls ate and realized as we were getting ready for church that it would be 7:30 when we got back. Bridget brought this to my attention by pulling on my skirt. "I hungy Mommy." So I made each of the girls a tiny sandwich that they ate as they got themselves in coats. We headed to Mass at 6PM to celebrate the birth of our Lord. Rachael was very concerned on our way over if we were also going to have to go to church on Christmas and again on Sunday. The air was unseasonably warm and humid and Emma declared it felt like summer time.

As we were driving home, we all talked ourselves into opening all of the gifts sent from Colorado. We made some reindeer food (oatmeal, cookie crumbles, and sparkles) and the girls went out front to spread it in the grass. Rachael had fun throwing hers into the wind, while Bridget delicately sprinkled hers on the ground. Megan was eager to get back in to open gifts as was Emma. Jim had sorted gifts while we were outside so each girl sat at her pile. They took turns opening gifts, although Bridget did keep trying to unwrap Megan's. Emma was quick to realize that each girl was getting Christmas PJ's and a Jewelry box. She was ready to put her jewelry in it right away but reluctant to put her ballerina one out of use. The girls had a busy and fun day. Megan made sure we remembered to get Santa his cookies and beer.

Bridgie turns 2

Our baby is two today. She is so big, smart and able. She is also so gentle and snuggly. She looks to us and needs us. It is a good age. We celebrated yesterday as a family. We went out to dinner to Applebee's and we ended the meal with waitreses singing a birthday song and dessert. Bridget was a little freaked out by the singing and attention but smiled after they left and said "Ladies sing 'happy to me' ". She dug right into her sundae.

When we came home, she opened her gifts. First she opened gifts from Grandma Kate and PawPaw. It took her a long time to get the wrapping paper off of the first few gifts. Rachael and Megan were eager to get them open and sometimes took over. But they found the balance of helping and not hindering and then letting Bridget do the final reveal. As soon as Bridget saw the puzzle that PawPaw had made of her name, she had to take it apart and put it together. It is always fun to hear her say "I did it". Megan couldn't help herself, she helped unwrap and put together and play with all of the new things. The new Snoopy played the happy birthday tune many times even while Bridget's hands were full with a new barbie of her own and a baby Snow White doll from her sisters.

Birthday breakfast started Bridget's day off sweetly. She was the first kid awake so I rocked her in the rocking chair in her room while they got the food ready. She beamed when they came in with the breakfast tray singing "Happy Birthday". Today she got to enjoy the syrup and waffles first. Then she shared pieces with each of us. The big girls and I had work and school, but Jim, Megan and Bridget had the day to enjoy. Jim said Megan and Bridget played with barbies and the little kitchen and baby dolls all day. When he suggested lunch they ran away and back to toys.

Bridget is such a constant of pleasantness and kindness. She is teaching me so much. We feel so blessed and couldn't imagine our family without her. We will have a big family party in conjunction with Rachael's, Megan's and Sarah's birthdays in January.

Rachael's birthday is next Monday. On the 23rd we printed and sent out invitations to her slumber party. It is only 5 days notice before the party. That is a personal worst. I hope most of the girls can come. The invitation is super cute. It has a picture of Speckles wearing a party hat.

Preparing for Christmas

With Thanksgiving being so late this year I felt like this Advent season went at warp speed. It has been very wet this December and the temps rather mild. I took advantage of a random 60 degree day and pulled out the Christmas lights. Jim was working from home that day and I was home with the little girls. So while Bridget napped, Megan played outside and I put up lights. Jim came outside to climb on the roof for me and help with the tree lights. While he was up there he cleaned the gutters out. Megan kept asking "What is that?" as he tossed muddy leaves down to the grass. She gave a big "Ewwww" when she inspected it closely. When Bridget woke up Jim brought her outside. She was pretty impressed, "Look at that" she said repeatedly.

We bought our fresh tree from the boy scouts this year and Megan "helped" Jim carry it in. I put the tree lights on and that evening the whole family decorated the tree together. We have so many ornaments now that Jim and I only put up a selected few. Bridget was excited to have a pile of her own and after watching her sister's technique, went at it. She got to practice quite a bit as her ornaments usually fell off and needed to be rehung. Rachael was up and down from the end table to reach high sections. Emma stuck mainly to the other side were she was the only kid who could reach up very far. This year Megan had much stronger memories of her ornaments and I think it increased her enjoyment.

We also have spent a lot of time making our Christmas cookies. We started with the sugar cookies because if they are last I run out of steam and get too frustrated to enjoy it. The girls all crowd around and take turns putting in ingredients. Bridget got to help this year as she sat on the counter. Her stirring looks a lot like churning butter but the concentration and involvement makes her help worth while. After the girls roll and cut out their shapes I send them into the dining room to decorate them. I think more sugar sprinkles wound up on the tray and floor than the cookies, but those cookies were not lacking for sprinkles. Rachael really enjoyed the freedom of this part. She tires of me bossing her around in the kitchen. Her cookies were beautiful, I look forward to seeing her continue and maybe neaten her technique in the years to come. Emma is an amazing helper and I can hand things over to her so I can tend to other things. Megan stays cheery throughout the cookie process even if I am getting frustrated by fingers in the bowl and lose the fun that I want it to be. Cookie making extends over a couple of days. When all was said and done I think we did over 17 dozen this year.

Jim has restarted a tradition from when he was a kid and has been making a Christmas Cookie Tree each year. Emma and I rolled and cut the green stars. Then Jim stacked and decorated the tree. Bridget was wowed by this yummy creation. We will share it with the family on Christmas Eve.

Sacraments

We enjoyed a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving this year. The girls woke up on their regular schedule so I didn't get to sleep in, but we let Papa sleep until Megan and I left for Mass. Rachael is really into the parade every year and gets excited for it to start. She parked herself on the sofa in anticipation at 7:00 AM. It is a good thing we don't live on the west coast.


We had a smaller scale Thanksgiving Dinner this year. None of our extended family could attend and Will, Heather and the kids were with her family. But still we had 14 kids and 10 adults. The adults gathered in the dining room and the big kids in the den. Apparently there were spies doing reconnaissance while we the adults ate, talked and enjoyed a glass of wine.


That weekend my dad baptized the 2 newest members of the family, Benjamin Shumaker and Lillian Jauquet at Our Lady of Victory Church. We ran late and showed up just as they were get doing the entrance song. This meant we were not able to find a seat up front that would accommodate our family of 6. Emma was full of suggestions of how one of us to go up to look or maybe squeeze in a few rows ahead. She has great ideas but frequently isn't aware of when to defer to Jim and I or that timing them during the opening prayer isn't going to help her cause. Luckily she was tall enough to see some of the baptism. The rest of the girls were not. I held Bridget up to see and she spotted Sarah on the altar being held by Uncle Erik. I think the whole congregation heard Bridget saying "Sarah" over and over.

After the baptism Will and Heather and Becky and Erik had a reception dinner. The food was yummy and it was nice to visit with so many friends and to catch up with some of my relatives. They set up a kids table full of games and toys so the kids were all very happy. We ended the evening by taking the annual Cousin picture. That is such a feat.




Then on Saturday 12/6, Rachael received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The 6 of us went and Rachael's godmother Dawn joined us. The service was good and Father Whatley spoke directly to the kids. Rachael was serious about the event. She decided to go to Father Whatley to hear her confession and so did most of the other children. Jim got in line with her and they waited for over an hour. Emma and I were able to receive the sacrament from other priests. Rachael was dedicated and after her confession went off by herself to pray.



Dawn came back to the house with us and we shared girl scout cookies. Rachael then took her down to the computer to show her the world of Webkinz. All of us enjoy playing the games that earn them kinz cash. Rachael loves to spend every cent, while Emma saves hers up for thought out purchases.