Palm Sunday Visit from Grandpa

Grandpa (dear hubby's adoptive father) came to visit today after Mass. It was such a nice day out that we were able to do all kinds of activities with the kids. The swings were first, then bikes, roller skates, scooters, and ride-on toys followed. It was a very nice visit and the kids were able to run off a lot of energy. I think even Grandpa got a work out pushing kids on scooters, bikes, and ride-on toys. The weather tomorrow is going to be rather cool and a possibility of snow flurries, so it was good he was able to visit today!

After Grandpa's visit, we had taco night, prayed the family rosary, and I showed our oldest daughter how to "braid" the blessed palms. I don't really know the technical term for it, but we have traditionally segmented each palm into four parts and then done a kind of achordian box weave. I remember seeing something very similar when making key chain decorations out of plastic rope or friendship bracelets in the early 1990's. Whatever you call it, I can rememer "braiding" blessed palms at my house with my mother as child and I wanted to carry on that tradition. Last year I meant to do it, but we were so busy on Palm Sunday that I didn't get to the Palms until Monday afternoon, by that time they were too stiff and dry to "braid". The stick straigth palms were a constant reminder all year long that I had failed to follow the tradition of "brading" the blessed palms. I was determined this year that wasn't going to happen and I made the time to do it. I think my daughter was really happy to take part in this little family tradition. She asked if we can do it every year. I told her with her help, we sure can. It is something very little, but I know it will mean a lot to her someday.

Play Date on Tuesday

Tuesday we attended Mass and then had some neighbor kids (who are home schooled) over to play while their mom went to the doctor. All the kids were really good, shared very well, and even used their manners. Most people would think I was insane for having 10 kids under the age of 9 in the house, but, hey one of them is still in utero. So it was a breeze!

Actually, my oldest daughter was a great help. She "played" school with some of the older kids for quite a while. It was rather rewarding to watch how patient she was while reading to the kids, asking them questions, praising them for their answers, and making everyone wait their turn. She'll be quite the good little mommy, or maybe a sister who teaches at a Catholic school, someday. I am so proud of the young lady she has become. She was quite the different little lady when still attending our local Catholic school.

Yet again, for those nay-sayers, here is an example of how well socialized home schooled children can be. Any other bunch of 9 kids, would never have played so well together, taking turns, sharing, being polite, and even asking if I needed help when lunch time rolled around. Seven of these kids are preschoolers or Kindergartners! Pretty amazing, I'd say. I think it is due to being socialized by adults (their parents) and the good example of their older siblings and not by a huge group of their peers. Large families can be such a blessing. The good example of the older kids goes a long way.

If you want to help your preschooler or Kindergartner, make sure to have an older sibling who is a good examples. So, I guess I am saying...have a large family (God willing), be sure to spoil the first child with lots of extra teaching time, tell him/her to be a good example to siblings, spend extra time praising him/her for being so grown-up, and then let him/her model that great behavior and lavish his/her affection upon the younger siblings.

Just a thought, I had. I didn't plan it that way, but it turned out to be what has happened in our family. I don't think I could have planned it any better if I tried. Funny how God always seems to know what He is doing even when we don't.

The Rest of Our Trip up North

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I went to the chiropractor for my injury to my tail bone. I was in extreme pain, so we canceled our plans to visit the three remaining museums and attractions I had planned to see. The kids weren't disappointed at all. On the contrary they loved hanging out at Grammy and Paw-paw's house, riding horses, doing yard work, and watching movies. They had a little cabin fever toward the end, but overall the remainder of the trip was fine.

On Friday afternoon, I took some pain pills and loaded up the kids in the van to head to Indianapolis. There we stayed with my brother and sister-in-law and their kids. Dear hubby drove up to Indy to be with us. The next morning we decided to brave the crowd (and it was a very large crowd!!!) to go to the Children's Museum. It was probably not the best idea, with a broken tail bone. The kids enjoyed themselves, but I was very miserable. The crowds were overwhelming at times, but at least the kids were able to see a lot of the exhibits. I am sure we'll be going back in the near future to see the rest of the exhibits. Maybe I'll be feeling better and enjoy myself, too.

We spent Saturday night in Indy, and attended Mass with my brother's family on Sunday morning. I was pleasantly surprised at how well all the kids behaved at Mass. Thank God! I think God was having mercy on me, because I was in so much pain and the pews were especially hard. After a wonderful lunch, we headed back home making only a few brief stops, to see dear hubby's sister, to make a potty break, and one to the Russel Stover's Candy outlet, again. Despite, my broken tail bone, the vacation went rather well. At least everyone else had a good time!

Tuesday of Our Northern Trip

Tuesday, my parents and I were able to go to Mass again in the morning. Later in the day we tackled the yard work. A few months ago an ice storm just about decimated my parents' trees. Limbs and sticks are everywhere. My oldest brother has helped them to cut some of it and put them into piles.
The kids enjoyed the tractor rides inbetween picking up piles of sticks. We worked for over three hours and are only about half way done.
After dinner, we went to a roller skating rink. It was the first time some of the kids have rollerskated. Uncle Eric, Aunt Susan, and Grammy joined us. Things were going rather well, until I was helping our three year old daughter to rollerskate. She insisted that we try the wooden floor rink and not just the carpeted area. As I was helping her she started to fall. To keep her head from hitting the wall, I grabbed her under the arms, but she fell backward onto me. I lost my balance and landed right on my tailbone. I couldn't move for quite some time. When I finally got up, I knew something just wasn't right. By that evening I was in excruciating pain. In the morning, I went to a chiropractor and she thinks that I may have broken my tailbone. Not quite what I had planned when I decided to take the kids to go rollerskating!

The rest of our vacation plans, which was supposed to include three more museums and a lot more horse back riding, are now on hold. Hopefully I'll be feeling well enough to go to the Children's Museum in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Monday of Our Northern Vacation

Monday was filled with only a few activities since it was colder. My parents and I left the kids home with Uncle Eric while we attended the 7:15 am Mass. The first picture is of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (where we attended Mass). I used to attend Mass there in grade school. It looks totally different now than it did when I was a kid. The new alter and renovated sanctuary have been a vast improvement. The church used to scream of the 1970's and now it has been restored and returned to a very reverant appearance thanks to the most recent pastor.

After lunch, the ferrier came to trim the hooves of my parents' horses. Our oldest daughter was asked to help trim the gentler horses' hooves. She was rather impressed with herself. Of course, she said it was harder than it looks. Mr. Jessy Zink, the ferrier, was really great at explaining to the kids what he was doing and how to be safe around the horses. It was a great learning experience for the kids. I appreciate his patience with all our questions. Thanks, Mr. Zink!

Sunday of the Northern Vacation

Sunday was rather warm for this time of year for Northern Indiana. We were able to attend Mass, play outside, ride bikes, work with the horses, target shoot, and go bowling. It was a very long day.

The kids were very happy to have Grammy, Paw-paw, Uncle Eric, and Aunt Susan there to play with us. We were even able to play with some of the arcade games after bowling. Lots of fun and very tired kids by the time we finally went to bed. Lots more fun to come!

Northern Vacation

Our trip to Northern Indiana was very long this time because of so many stops. I planned ahead this time and purposely chose a few locations we've always wanted to see up close. Our first stop was the Russel Stover's Chocolate Outlet in Seymour, IN. The kids were in candy heaven! I couldn't believe how many choices and how costly some chocolates can be. The wonderful thing about this outlet, though, are the "Bloopers". They taste just as great as the originals, but aren't perfect in appearance. We got 3lbs of assorted Chocolate for $4.99! If you are crazy about chocolate and are driving on interstate 65, I highly recommend you stop at Seymour, IN and check out the Russel Stover's chocolate outlet. Yum, yum, give me some, please!

After that we made a very unusual stop at McDonald's for a sundae and then off to a nearby Rest Area. The kids were able to run off some of the candy and ice cream before we headed off to see the home of Garfield and James Dean, in Fairmont, IN. We saw lots of memorabilia from movies, books, and magazines for James Dean. The kids picked out a pretty cool magnet for Paw-paw that had two pictures of James Dean. When we finally gave it to Paw-paw he was very grateful. While in Fairmont, we also stopped at the VFW post where the kids were able to get their pictures next to a helicopter, airplane, tank, and very large boat propeller. That was probably their second favorite part of our trip, after the candy outlet.

Lots of fun thus far, but much more to come as we are planning to visit museums, ride horses, go to Mass at the cathedral, target shoot, bowl, roller skate, and much, much, more. I'll try to post new pictures each night. God bless.