Saying Yes

I've been trying to say yes more often. Sometimes as a mom I find that I'm spending too much time saying no. No, to more screen time, to sugar, to purchases, to requests, to lots of things.

I think I say no so often that it just automatically comes out of my mouth. I need to work on this.

Listen, and breath and then decide.

Sis asked me if she could get out Play-Doh. I wanted to say no. But, I said yes....even though I really didn't want to. I was inwardly cringing because I was busy and I knew it would mean extra cleaning for me.

But, Sis taught me a lesson. Sometimes my kids surprise me. I'm encouraged to say yes more often.

God (and Moms) love a cheerful cleaner. Okay, I know the saying is that God loves a cheerful giver. Cleaning or giving me cleaning help...same thing! Love this helpful girl. She cleaned up every single bit of her mess.

With Love

My dad made this for Baby George. I saw a similar truck hanging in an antique store and I took a photo and sent it to my dad. It turned out so cute!! It holds lots of cars. BG had so much fun putting them all in today. Thanks Grandpa Jim!!

The Slice

Time to do a little journaling again....

Outside My Window - Grey skies, bright green trees and lots of blooming rhodies and trees. Spring rain and sun have made everything beautiful. Despite the cold and wind today we have had some very nice weather.

I Am Thinking - How I seem to always get around to The Slice when I have a sick kid. Today I have two with tummy aches. Nothing major but they stayed home from school. These are the kind of days that I'm a bit lazier and seem to sit on my bum and find time to blog. 

I Am Thankful - That the tummy bug is mild.

From The Kitchen - Navy bean soup is cooking. I'll make cheesy bread sticks to go with it. It's a soup kind of day. Popcorn is coming up for snack time...with apples.

I Am Wearing - Old black sweats with purple stripes up side, heather grey t-shirt, and of course socks and slippers. Pony tail too!

I Am Creating - Our calendar for the summer. Lots already going on and being booked. Swim lessons for all the kids. Bball camp for Mr. P and an art camp for Busy Guy. Vacation and some weekend trips too. But, we will be doing lots of lounging in between.

I Am Going - To take Sis to Kindergarten open house tomorrow night. She will get to tour the classroom and meet her teacher. Fun! I cannot believe this!! Time warp!

I Am Reading - I read Everything Was Goodbye for book club. It was good. I liked reading about the Indian culture here in America....actually it was in Canada. The book was also sad and tragic. I like a happy ending but overall it was good.

I also read Molokai and Honolulu. I loved both of these books. Fascinating reads!! I really enjoyed reading about the history of immigration to the Hawaiian islands as well as the history of the lepers colony. Great books that I was sad to finish. Now I want to go to Hawaii again....soon!

I Am Hoping - To grow our first garden....of food. The kids have brought home seeds that they planted. Everyone is VERY excited about growing food. They've divided up the goods before anything but sprouts have grown. I'm buying a 4 X 4 cedar bed and moving the starts outdoors this weekend. Wish me luck...or send your advice. I'm a city girl and am clueless. Maybe there is a Gardening For Dummies book....even though I don't like that word.

I Am Hearing - The dishwasher and Sis playing with her baby doll. She is talking so sweetly to her while she puts her into a new outfit. It reassures me that I did a few things right around here. I always say if you want to see a bit of yourself in action then tune in when your kids are playing house. It can be nice...like today...or an eye opener.

I Am Laughing At - This morning Baby George told me to tell his teacher that he couldn't come to school because he yakked. Lovely. But funny. 

Around The House - Toys and laundry. Always. No matter how much I pick up or how much I wash it's still always there. It has a life of it's own. Without it I'd be bored and lonely and sad...but clean.

One Of My Favorite Things - Garage Sales! And it's that time of year again!! Love it! This last weekend Sis and I hit a bunch of sales on the way home from gymnastics. I scored an ottoman that matches our sectional in the family room, $14. Wow! Then a couple houses down I found a nice chair in the same style furniture. It had a huge purple ink stain on the arm and a long green marker stain on the back. I went home and got my cleaner and came back. I asked if I could try cleaning it. The stains seemed like they would come out so I took the chair, $20. At home I was able to get all the stains out! Bargain. Plus I got sis some clothes from a sale, free! Nothing like a bargain to make me happy.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week - Field trip to the beach with Busy Guy's class tomorrow, TKD for the boys (Baby George is now in Tiny Tigers) and gymnastics for Sis. Kindergarten room visit, gardening and an extra long weekend. Yeah for holidays.

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing -

Carnival Ending

Sunday morning we give the kids Pascha baskets. Candy for all, swim shirts for the boys and a new gymnastics suit for Sis.

Then off to church....again....for the Kids' Carnival. So fun!! Bouncy house is always the biggest hit. Even our priest jumped this year!

Face paining is so fun!

Who is that mustached man?

The weather was nice....actually really hot! After playing outside all day...eating and jumping and running around the kids were beat. Okay, I was beat. The kids were happy!

Holy Pascha

The service starts at 10:30 pm. Long past our usual bedtimes....we get all spiffed up and head to church. It feels really exciting...and really strange.

Before leaving we had Busy Guy snap a photo of us.

Baby George got all dressed up and then promptly went to sleep in the car. Cam carried him and laid him on a pew where he continued to sleep for the rest of the night. 

Mr. Tuba and Busy Guy looking so handsome. 

Sis was AWAKE and excited!

Mr. P served as acolyte. He says it helps him stay awake. 

The service was beautiful. The kids one by one started to fade. Busy Guy went first and laid down at our feet to sleep. 

Sis literally bounced around and then laid down and was out in 2 seconds.

After the service we go downstairs to the fellowship hall and celebrate. Christ Is Risen! All the kids woke up and enjoyed our basket of food. Cheese and salami with crackers, deviled eggs and soda pop! We got home and in bed at 3:00 am. That's early for us. 

Of course the kids were up at 7:00. Ugh!

Then onto the Carnival....

Holy Saturday

The service on Holy Saturday is my favorite of the year. The colors change from purple to white as we celebrate Christ conquering death. We are always tired and the service is so fun and invigorating. 

Our boys and our friends' boys reading a Bible story. How cute are they?

This cracked me up. Busy Guy is looking tired while listening to the reading.

My friends (the one on the right is our kids' Godmother) ringing the bells.

The priest sprinkling bay leaves. There are still flower petals on the floor from the night before. This makes for so much fun for the kids. They scoop it all into big piles....stuff their pockets and toss stuff in the air.

Mr. P served as an acolyte.

Of course I got in some snuggle time. Sis is still pretty light but I know I won't be able to hold her forever. I'm enjoying it.

After the service we take the kids out for donuts. Then it's home to prepare for Holy Pascha. We washed clothes, shopped for our basket of goodies, tried to rest (this means we all went to bed for naps. Cam and I slept 7 minutes...the kids slept 0 so after an hour we got up), and then got ready to go. The service begins at 10:30 pm. 

Holy Week...Friday

We attended services all week. Well, some of us. Mon. and Tues. Cam took half the kids. I stayed home with the other half. I need to pace myself so that I can enjoy and endure all of Holy Week. 

On Wed. night we had Holy Unction. It was a lovely service and each of us was anointed with Holy Oil. Thurs. night is the Passion Gospel service. Christ is nailed to the cross. A somber and moving service.

On Holy Friday we always take a family photo. You can look back over the years and see us each Holy Friday. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. So fun.

This is the 2013 photo. I love it! Matchy Matchy of course. We are sitting on our back deck enjoying the sun!!

Friday night service is The Lamentation Service. The young girls in the church represent Myrrh Bearing Women. They sprinkle flowers around Christ's Tomb. This year Sis got to be a Myrrh Bearing Girl. So exciting!

Tuba was just excited to get candles...and be at church again.

She was very excited and very proud. She was thrilled that it is something just for girls. Each girl wears black skirt and white top. All the girls had braids and flowers in their hair. So pretty.

Sis is not known as the kind of kid to sit still....ever. But, she stood so still and quiet with the other girls waiting to sprinkle the flowers.

She even held her own candle. Yes, I was nervous.

A view of the church's dome.

We follow the priest outside and process around the church building. As we re-enter the church we pass under Christ's tomb. Cam is one of the men holding it up.

Buuuuusy!

It's Holy Week. Which means BUSY! Church services galore. Plus, I always wait too long and then rush around getting clothes bought...ironed...and ready for so many service. And then throw in getting ready for the Kids' Carnival on Pascha. Oh, and the regular business of raising kids and keeping house. Whoo!

So I could use some laughter. I'll leave you with this.

Not very holy...but funny. Sometimes I have to remind myself to laugh. This is one of those days. Carry on friends and remember to laugh.