Since Lance and I had babysitter so we could take pictures for Squirt, we went out with our good friends, Nikki and TA to celebrate their anniversary.

We are such kindred spirits, Nikki and I.  We have a blast anytime we’re together.  And last night, we took our friendship to a new level…she let me borrow an outfit!  First, I was taking pictures at prom, then I’m borrowing clothes from a girlfriend!  I truly felt like I was back in high school.

 Pictures at William’s Tower

 Sister coming to check out the date and friends

 I swear to God, Lance asked if I wanted the date in the picture.  I wasn’t trying to be rude, but no.  (And no, she didn’t hear him ask that silly question.)

 But what a pretty girl she is.

 Did I think it was my prom?

 Me and my handsome senior!

 Squirt has a tendency to smile with his eyebrows and it drives me batty.

 Nobody seemed to mind taking a lot of pictures, not even Lance!

And the best picture of the night!

We returned to the car to find this.  Only a warning.

To celebrate Earth Day at our school, the kids fly kites.  I hate this day.  In theory, it sounds great to spend some time outdoors on Earth Day.  But how is buying a new kite every year beneficial to the Earth?  Aren’t we supposed to be leaving less of an imprint on this planet?  (And don’t even get me started on the waste of money this is.)  How about celebrating Earth Day by making an art project with recycled objects?

As usual, nobody cares about my opinion.

But this year, I could do something different.  I don’t agree with this way of celebrating, so I didn’t go.  I sent Lance instead.  How smart am I?

One thing didn’t change this year, we threw away the kite as soon as the time outside was over.

Actually, one thing did change, we tossed two kites, instead of just one.  Happy Earth Day.

Today is the anniversary of Chelsea and Squirt’s Baptism.  These were the first kids we baptized.  Pretty cool when you think about how many children we’ve taken into our church and had baptized.  We had a small celebration to remember the day they became full members of the church and received the grace of the sacrament.  I pray that they always recognize the grace received from that day.

That day was pretty cool, I still remember Squirt jumping up to receive the waters of Baptism and Chelsea making the decision on her own to get baptized that day instead of waiting longer.  It was a long mass, but one I cherish always.  God Bless you two always, I love you both so very much.

** Snax started swim lessons this week.  For two months he told me he wanted to take swim lessons at the YMCA, not Houston Swim Club where his brothers had taken lessons.  Then all of a sudden, he wanted to go to HSC.  This put us completely behind in lessons…had I known this I would have started the first week in March.  And why, you ask did I let him decide?  Because I didn’t want to do the damn two week, daily lessons that HSC requires. So here we are, and you know what?  It’s fine.  Sure, we missed a day due to the virus, but we went the rest of the week.  And it was great.

** On the way to lessons the first day, I asked Snax who has a tendency to scream what he would do if he felt uneasy during lessons.  His response: scream “HELP” really loudly.  How could I argue with that?  To be clear, he hasn’t screamed once.  I am so proud of him.  He is floating and not freaking out!!!  We saw our favorite instructor who did the thing to make me happy by asking about Goose and Baby Hulk.  Kind of sucks that Snax waited a month because he will only have 3-4 months of lessons before next fall.

** Why does that matter?????  Because next fall my next kid leaves me.  Not only did Snax qualify for the Vanguard program, (I will leave my dubious opinion of HISD’s standards out for now) but he got a spot, which means no swim lessons in the middle of the day.  I know, he really is the smartest of all my kids.  We all know this.

** Am I sad?  VERY.  Things that may have been said recently: I can’t believe you don’t support me homeschooling our children.  Who do you think taught your kids to read and write and learn numbers and about nature.  Exactly what is special about this school?  What do they do that is different?

** BUT….can we just say it’s time for payback????  Have fun with SNAX, teachers, have fun.  HE IS ALL YOURS!!!

** Am I giddy thinking about the amount of teacher conferences in my future?  Yes and no.  Since the teachers at this school aren’t required to give regular conferences on any of their students, not even once a year, it makes me happy to think that they will more than make up for it by having monthly conferences about Snax and his behavior.

** Like I said, payback.  FUCKING PAYBACK.  Yes, I think like this.  I hope this doesn’t disappoint anyone.

** Him leaving me puts a major cramp in my plans for the rest of our learning year though.  I had planned on a relatively easy end of year and fun summer.  Mostly working on phonics and reading.  And handwriting.  Units with the older boys over the summer but nothing big.

** But now, I have to make sure he can write smaller than three inches.  Because that’s how big he writes his name the majority of the time.

** Handwriting…I always assumed he would be here next year, the year we would do great unit studies and learn to write proportionally and complete Horizons Math.  Now I don’t have next year.

** Do you realize how much they write in K?  And how they don’t teach handwriting in K????  AT ALL?????  Ridiculous, I know.

** They also cut a lot of things out.  Not clue why.

** So my plan for the next four months is to write and cut as much as possible.  Finish Explode the Code to assist in our reading, which is really pretty good for his age and demeanor.

**  But mostly, my plan is to enjoy this child.  Enjoy the heck out of him, this sweet child who refuses to tell anyone other than me “I love you”.  Because the reality is that while I am his parent, his teachers will have him most of the time.  For the life of me, I will never understand how anyone can think can think this is normal.  But most people do.

** Time goes by way too quickly.  Plans change.  They don’t work out the way you saw them working out.  I will adapt.  I don’t really have a choice, do I?

** And I have Sunshine.  For three years.  ALL. TO. MYSELF.  She is already showing signs of being a mini-me and her fine motor skills are to die for.  We will have fun.  The wheels are turning.

** Until then, Congratulations, Snax, on getting the chance to join your brothers at Rogers!  Give them hell!  Let’s make the most of these final months.

What grand, glorious plans I had for this week…there was the lunch with a friend on Friday, a field trip with my favorite K child, and a play-date planned with two adorable boys, one which I would be allowed to hold for the entire play-date, that’s how nice his mom is.

Throw in the Audubon on Tuesday and storytime on Wednesday at our church, lunch with my parents and the week was near perfect with some daily swimming lessons thrown in for good measure.  I wasn’t even scared of daily swimming lessons.  That is how in control of things I was.

And the universe laughed.  And laughed some more.

By 5:15 Monday evening, I had one child resting in his bed after puking twice, a toddler running around the house, a four year old causing trouble and an eight year old supposedly studying for a test.  All day I had felt a bit off, so much so that while at the grocery store I had a banana just I case I puked.  The thought behind this: it wouldn’t taste gross coming up and might mask my earlier meals.  Seriously, I think like that.  All. The. Time.  (And now you realize what Lance goes through living with me.)

Squirt called from less than a mile away for me to pick him up.  I couldn’t go by then, Baby Hulk was puking again.  By the time Squirt walked home, I had joined him.  I recall Snax coming in and patting me on the back, then saying he was tired.  He slept until 7 when he woke up to puke.  At this point, Lance is home and has taken Zofram in hopes that he can escape the misery within this house.  Snax sat in my bathroom for the rest of the night puking off and on the entire night.  By 9, Goose was puking in the hall bathroom.  Lance was running from room to room trying to help all of us.  And trying not to get too close either.  I don’t know what I would have done if he had been out of town.

At 1 am I heard Squirt moaning in the hall bathroom.  I managed to get Goose into my bathroom so that Squirt had some privacy.  He puked all night long.  Loudly.  Then Goose and Snax went back and forth every twenty minutes until 6 am.  It was a long night, and I felt like dirt.

Thank God, Squirt was able to help when I first got sick because I felt like I might die.  I vaguely recall begging God for mercy.  Over and over.  My sweet boy Squirt offered to help Goose study for his test and make sandwiches for everyone else for dinner.  He also kept Sunshine away from me, not the easiest task that time of the day.

In my mind, I kept thinking this was a 24 hour bug and by the next afternoon  I would be wanting a burger.  Not so much.  I never got sick again, but always felt on the verge of puking.  I kept the elementary kids home two days, but Squirt had to return Wednesday.

Wednesday evening had both Squirt and Baby Hulk sick again.  And again this weekend.  I’m not sure why these two can’t shake this, but they haven’t completely.  It frustrates me for them, but honestly, I’m glad it’s just two and not the rest of us.

As my mother in law said, nothing worse than puking except 6 people puking.  So damn true.

And can I just say, I expected to lose, maybe ONE FREAKING POUND…..Is that too much to ask?  Apparently, I am not worthy of give me weight loss points because I didn’t lose anything.  The boys all looked like I starved them all week long while I didn’t change a bit.

And no, Sunshine didn’t escape.  She started this mess last Saturday night.  Five hours and she was done.

So not my favorite of weeks, not the week I planned but at the same time, it was a week full of love for each other, help for each other, a son that really stepped up when I was down, friends calling to see what they could do to help and a house that smells like Clorox.  It’s so bad my hands have smelled like Clorox since Tuesday…because let me pat myself on the back, I may have been sick, but this mom freaking disinfected the house and washed towels and sheets like a freaking demon.

Here’s hoping next week allows us to spend time with friends and family we missed this week.  Although after hearing that two kids are still puking, nobody probably wants to be around the Zierleins for quite some time.

Who likes them?  Whose child actually does the entire project on their own?

School projects literally bring out the worst in every person in this family

First, there’s the child who always waits until the last second to even start the project.  That woudln’t be so bad if said child were ready to work and actually knew more than just basic information.  But my child doesn’t work that way.  And when you start questioning him, he immediately shuts down.  And when he shuts down, I lose my patience.  We’re both working on those areas of our personalities.

Then I also go on and on about how we’ve had three weeks to get this project started and how disappointed I am.   Then there is Lance who goes on and on about how his parents never helped with his projects.  (I am almost certain his mom did type his papers which I am sure were done at the last second.  As did my mom.)

So there we were at 10:35 last night: one big happy family.  The only happy person awake at that time was probably Squirt.  He was helping Goose edit his project with me harping about how Squirt can’t do the work, Goose must help, Lance telling everyone how this is the last time he is ever helping with a project again.  And Goose trying to stay awake.

All I can say is he better make an A on this project.

I spoke with another parent this morning who asked if they thought the kids actually got anything out of these projects.  In theory, they should gain more knowledge, but I just don’t think so.  Although I’m not a fan of textbooks and tests, Charlotte Mason fan here, I just don’t see projects as the way to go.

Why?

Because of the parents.  I remember when Goose was in first grade.  He had to complete a diorama of a landform.  Following our rules of very minimal involvement, his diorama had him collecting sticks in the yard for trees and cutting out green triangles for the leaves.  His painting was simple, he glued rocks and grass from the yard and put some stickers on it.  It looked like a first grader did the work.  We got to school to find huge dioramas that clearly were completed by someone other than his classmates.  I refuse to compete with that.

I just had the worst thought ever: Baby Hulk having to complete a project.  Seriously, I should be homeschooling.  No way, I can handle that stress.

 ~ This post is really picture heavy, like really heavy~

Have I mentioned that I love being Catholic?  Yes, I guess I have.  For me the best part is the Easter Triduum.  The mass that never ends.  Three days of really long masses.  Really long, like two hours.  With littles long.

Holy Thursday is such a beautiful mass: the washing of the feet, the Eucharist and the gift of the priesthood.  Father Troy asked us to pray for all priests, including himself.  While Baby Hulk was pretty nervous about someone washing his feet, he loved the mass.  My kids know what happens during this time.  And they were good.  Really good during this really long mass which coincides with their bedtime.

The best part, Squirt serves during this mass, (which means we were at church 30 minutes early sitting in the pews).  It was so awesome watching my son serve during this mass.  He has served at this mass every year since he was 10.  And the past two years he has had the privelege of walking next to the Blessed Sacrement during the procession.

Good Friday had us praying the Stations of the Cross at our favorite location: the grotto at Our Lady of Lourdes.  We’ve been there so many times and never seen anyone.  Friday was different, there were so many families praying together.  Squirt has never been there before so that was a nice treat for him.  We stayed so long, I guess prayed so long, that we barely made it to 3 pm mass.

First Station~ Jesus is condemmed to death

Second Station~ Jesus Carries His Cross

Third Station~ Jesus falls for the first time

Fourth Station~ Jesus meets his mother

Fifth Station~ Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry his cross

Sixth Station~ Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

Seventh Station~ Jesus falls a second time

Eighth Station~ Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

Ninth Station~ Jesus falls  third time

Tenth Station~ Jesus’ clothes are taken away

Eleventh Station~ Jesus is nailed to the cross

Twelvth Station~ Jesus dies on the cross

Thirteenth Station~ The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross

Fourteenth Station~ Jesus is laid in the tomb

Yes, Snax wore sports shorts with a dress shirt and a sports coat.  You only wish you were so cool.

Holy Saturday was a quiet day, still preparing.  I spent the evening attending my favorite mass of the year, Easter Vigil.  I go each year with my mother.  Goose acted like he wanted to go as well, but at the last second three hours scared him off.  This mass is so beautiful and once again watching the new converts is inspiring.  I could see why there were tears in their eyes.  I’m so grateful that I grew up Catholic, but watching converts is totally different.  Sure, some people are converting for the sake of their spouse (yet it all starts somewhere doesn’t it?), but there are also those that are just truly convicted.  Watching them brings me chills.  It’s a nice tradition to share with my mom.

And then I came home and prepared for Easter.  We’re simple with baskets: books, candy and a small toy, this year flip flops.  Note to self: you will never need to buy plastic eggs again.  Ever.

And finally we say Alleluia because we can celebrate, it’s Easter.

No shame in finding more eggs than the younger siblings

Happy Easter!
Easter lasts 50 days, make the most of it!