Ouch!

Rebecca and I slipped out to the mall the other day to get her fitted for a dress. She will be a maid for a friend's quinceanera in November. Afterwards, Becca requested some new clothes for the new school year, and seeing all the Labor Day sales, I was happy to spend some girl time at the mall.

Rebecca instantly found some Levi jeans on sale. She rushed into the dressing room and came out looking sleek and slim in her 550's.

Me: Oh, man Becca! You look so good in those jeans! I remember when I was that thin....before 5 babies!

Becca: (laughing) Oh, mom. Don't worry about the extra weight. The old you is in there...... somewhere.

How much is that baby in the window?

Jack and Gus were the first to head back to school last week. As usual, I snapped the annual "back to school" picture where the boys held up their fingers to show what grade they were going into. Jack and Gus moaned and groaned at the reality of school starting, but as you can see, there was at least one other family member saddened at the sight of his brothers heading back to school. Oh Henry!

A challenge for you

Find the big difference between these pictures:





























The kids in front of the Immaculate Conception Shrine on the campus of Catholic University. We attended Mass inside the Shrine before this picture was taken, and yes, Gus DID wear those lovely flip flops.

The best hotel in D.C.

On our recent trip to Washington D.C., we stayed in a hotel which gave us a lovely view of the Washington Monument. We ended up buying two rooms so that we could fit comfortably. The free amenities of this hotel were beyond compare so we recommend the place highly:


The dance club played all our favorite songs. We danced the night away.





The maid was exceptionally efficient, and kept the place impeccably clean.







We had the finest transportation; our very own metro to and from the hotel.







And CABLE TEEEE VEEEEEE! Entertainment for boys unaccustomed to so many channels. Who NEEDS a hypnotist!

Kid thought of the day

Jack: Mom, (as he chews his apple thoughtfully) vegetarians are hippies.

107 Degrees....it's HOT!

This is how we beat the heat!

Plan B

My 11 year old son Nick will be entering Middle School in the next few weeks. He's been growing so tall and changing so much that I can now see glimpses of what he will look like as a full grown man and it just blows me away. Where did my first born baby boy go?

Anyway, I was having one of those "in the car" conversations with him, asking various questions about the future, how he felt about going into Middle School etc. And at this tender age, my son still talks to me and tells me about his dreams, thoughts and feelings. One sure thing about Nick is that he loves to talk...in circles he goes...on and on about a small detail...so when I asked him the following question, he did not hesitate:

Me: Nick. So what do you want to be when you grow up?

Nick: (quickly) A race car driver.

Me: (trying not to shatter his dream) Well, you know, Nick. We all have dreams to become something really exciting and different, (I've always dreamed to be a Bet Midler type entertainer, dressed in a glitzy red gown, laying gracefully on a baby grand and singing my guts out to a sold out crowd....could still happen...you never know! Bah, ha!) And it's good to pursue those dreams, but it's always a good idea to have a back-up plan of what you want to be in case your dream of becoming a race-car diver does not happen.

Nick: Oh, yeah, well that makes sense.

Me: OK, so, what's your backup plan? What do you want to be if you can't be a race-car driver?

Nick: (quickly) An actor.

What little boys are made of..

Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails?






Hmmm. Mine must be defective because he is
obviously made of Cheerios.

Tour of duty

WWII Memorial in Washington D.C.


We just got home from a short trip to our nation's capital. As part of our sightseeing tour, we viewed some of our country's finest monuments. One of the most beautiful memorials was the WWII Memorial recently completed in 2004. As the kids ran around the fountains and pillars of marble, I sat and thought about the 400,000 men and women who lost their lives in this massive war so that I could sit and watch my children grow up in a place where they could pursue life, liberty and happiness. These soldiers and paid the ultimate price for me, a stranger. I was moved. I was grateful.



The kids in front of the North Carolina pillar at the WWII Memorial.

Later on the next day, we moved on to the
Arlington National Cemetery where we viewed Kennedy's grave, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the changing of the guard. We passed thousands upon thousands of headstones of people who fought and died in the Civil War through to today's Iraq war. I thought about the many mothers and the millions of tears shed. I thought about the wives and the fatherless children. I thought about many things as viewed the rolling hills of white. After a hefty walk in the heat, I sat on one of the benches in the shade next to a war veteran of about 80 or so years. He was just sitting there. Quiet. All by himself, staring out into the hill. He looked pensive, sad, and not really open to talking. So we just sat there quietly together. I wanted to turn to him and ask him so many questions about his life, his service, what he saw, what he thinks of people today, if it was worth it, would he do it all over again? What he would want my children to know? I wanted so badly to thank him for all his generation did for mine, and I wanted to apologize for the shortcomings of my generation. He did not speak, and I did not ask.



Jack and Gus stand at attention and silence during the changing of the guard at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier-Arlington National Cemetery

I wonder if the veterans of WWII and the other wars shake their heads at my generation when they hear that we now have the freedom to kill a million babies a year as part of a freedom of choice. The freedom to sit in front of a talking box hour after hour watching violence, s*x, foul language, and crude humor as part of our freedom. I wonder if they throw their hands up at us when they see the millions of broken homes due to drugs, alcohol, pornography, and lives engulfed in materialism. I wonder if they want to turn their backs to us with tears in their eyes when we criticize the military, burn the flag, and throw out the Pledge. Are they disgusted when kids kill each other for the latest video game system or for the best I-gadget? The list goes on and on. Is this what they fought for? I think not. I feel my generation is missing out on how to live with honor, respect and dignity. We don't know how and don't seem to care about finding out. We're spoiled. We've been given way too much and did not have to work very hard to get any of it. Spoiled.

So I felt really sheepish when I looked at all the self-sacrifice before me and concluded that the best way to honor the men/women who fought so valiantly for me and for future generations is to live a life of honor and respect. To raise children who are aware of how BLESSED they are to have been born American. To teach my kids to respect authority, honor those who deserve it, remember the times of difficulty and appreciate the important gift of life. To live a life in the positive mode, and not wallow in negativity or darkness. Most importantly, to never ever blame others for any lack of success...but to hold themselves accountable for mistakes made...to learn from them and to move forward.

I think that veteran would have told me that.

The tooth bully

Gus: (excitedly) Mom! My tooth came out!

Me: Oh! How exciting!

Gus: Yeah! All Jack had to do was punch me in the mouth and my tooth came out!

Hair Days of Summer

The days of summer are long and so is the hair on top of the heads of my boys....but not for too much longer!


For some, hair cutting is still a chore.

Becca taunts her brother.

Becca: Gus, could you change shirts, because that one looks a little fruity.

Gus: What??! Huh? I don't see any fruits on it!

Becca is back....

and the family rejoices...although she has more facial hair than we remembered. Hmmm.

Cool Word Art

Fun Catholic Stuff

Here is a great u-tube video-podcast by the Rosary Army that encourages living the Gospel in ordinary ways. It's called,
"That Catholic Show". Check out the website for more educational videos (excellent for short attention spans! Eh Hem...not wanting to name any names here). If you liked this video, you'll love the podcast that you can subscribe to for free. Oh and while you are at it, add the Rosary Army podcast to your i-pod as well. Great to listen to while you are working out at the gym or running errands around town. To share all my podcasts with my five kids while in the car, I purchased a great little
i-pod cassette adaptor that I pop in the tape player. Very inexpensive, yet extremely functional! Everyone can listen to the i-pod in the car with that little beauty!

Gus just being Gus

As we sat down to dinner, Gus wondered out loud,"Hey, don't I get something for being the funniest person in the family?"

Me and the boys

Summer is rip roaring along these days. Rebecca has gone off to her yearly Band Camp experience for a week which has left me with a houseful of testosterone driven boys. Gone for a week are the girl type behaviors of Rebecca and I slipping out for a quick pedicure or for trip to Southern Season for some jelly bean candy or gourmet chocolate. I have no one to eagerly volunteer for a late night trip to the gym or for a walk in the neighborhood. Nope. Boys are different. Instead I have learned some valuable skills from my boys this week. Skills that may impress my neighbors and colleagues one day.

Gus proudly demonstrated the furious "popping" sound of bubble wrap while sitting on it, "MOM, doesn't that sound like a fart?"

Nicholas demonstrated how one can entertain neighbors outdoors while squeezing his lips between the door and the door jamb while singing a song.

Jack's high pitched whine can help clean out any china cabinet.

and Henry, well he's still a baby, but he is a very useful alarm clock if any of you would like to borrow him. He'll get you up at any hour of the night and test your patience while he sneaks up the stairs determined to find his brothers.

All these talents and more await an unsuspecting future wife, but for now they are for me to enjoy. I'm blessed with a herd of boys whose enthusiasm and joy for life goes unmatched; but for my great love for each of them. It's been a wonderful week with just me and the boys, but I do believe it's time for a pedicure.

Laugh of the day...

A new priest, born and raised in Texas , is nervous about hearing confessions, so he asks the older priest to sit in on his sessions.

The new priest hears a couple of confessions, then the old priest asks him to step out of the confessional for a few suggestions. The old priest suggests, "Cross your arms over your chest, and rub your chin with one hand, and try saying things like 'yes, I see,' and 'yes, go on,' and, 'I understand.'"

The new priest crosses his arms, rubs his chin with one hand and repeats all the suggested remarks to the old priest.

The old priest says, "Now, don't you think that's a little better than slapping your knee and saying, "No shit...what happened next?"

HT: Teresa P.

Cousins

At the sight of Henry's large hulking size, Uncle Geoffrey exclaimed, "Henry, please don't eat my baby!"

You have got to love his thighs and little Mary's daintiness.

Poor blogging, great summer!

Now I know I have been a poor blogger of late, but who can really blame me with five kids at home for summer break, a great vacation to Myrtle beach with the Clemens family, vacation bible camp, and summer projects galore! We are making memories here at four crying out loud as quickly as we can, but have little extra time for details! Please settle for a picture bonanza of moments of grace and love! Oh, and happy 70th birthday to a gal who raised my handsome and ever-lovable husband, Chris!


Uncle Jon and Chris surrounded by grandbabies!! You can't misplace a grandchild or adult in our specially designed neon-orange t-shirts!!



The whole Clemens clan for a group shot. Wide angle anyone?


Jack and Gus: The boys of summer....and their castle!


No. They are not waving for help from the lifeguard....they are waving at ME!


Becca and best friend Lizzie at the water park!

Grandma Dot and Grandpa Pat at Dot's birthday celebration! Medieval Times no less!