Look out, world!

I know I've talked a lot about my kids and their spring birthdays lately... it most definitely is that time of year! And now, if you'll humor me, I just can't believe that my baby boy will be a year this Saturday. Yes... yes... May 21, 2011 has gotten a lot of fanfare this year, due to the fact that Rapture is supposed to also take place on this day. Oh boy. While the Orthodox don't believe in a rapture, or that one person can prophesy when "Judgment Day" will take place at all, it is indicative of this crazy world that my little man has been born into, and how it's not necessarily getting any better. A reminder of just how much I need Christ and the Church, and the sacraments, both for my own strength and healing, and to strengthen and guide my own children as they grow. Having been raised in a Christian family my entire life, and having been Orthodox for the past 9 and half years, it's so very easy to shrug off the life of the Church as burdensome and taxing. The temptation is strong to question one's devotion and ask if it all just a product of guilt-induced habit. But the truth is, I can't live without it-- otherwise I start to feel so hardened and out of control. This is a refuge from the world, the Hospital for the soul. Jesus came to heal the sick, and I have to remember how very much in need of healing I am. The little church we made one evening, complete with a Bishop (sitting next to the altar), parishioners, and a presvytera at the chanter's stand (behind the Bishop)

Wow, how was that for a diversion? I guess I've been thinking of a lot more than just my kids and birthday cupcakes lately :) We just gotta keep fighting the good fight, you know? I know I get so distracted from that simple truth.

And then, on a lighter note, there's sewing.

This is silly, but remember that dress I made? I actually really like it a lot now. I'm in love with cotton lawn, it's so soft and comfortable to wear, yet has a elegant drape to it.




This is Carrie's dress. The purple marks are just washable marker spots from when I needed to make buttonholes. I have tailor's chalk and water-soluble fabric pens, and two fabric pencils... and yet, I keep coming back to my trusty washable Crayola markers. Go figure.


And here's my "Sunday of St. Thomas" dress, since it wasn't finished in time for Pascha. I felt self-conscious in it at first, but then I got some nice compliments on it, which always boosts the ol' ego a bit and helps me relax. (favorite quote, Michael Scott: Michael: "Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. But it's not like a compulsive need to be liked. Like my need to be praised.")


Here here! A shirtdress that finally worked for me.

I haven't sewn very much since, because, well, my third child has elevated from "bump on a log" status to "active, viable, energetic child" status. And, he's a BOY, and boys get into everything. Seriously, it happened overnight. Now he's eating everything, finding hidden jellybeans and dirt clods in the most forgotten corners of our house. He's also crawling everywhere and quite proud of himself for it all. Now I know why God gave me two girls first...! Yikes. So most evenings are spent either a) accidentally falling asleep early, in my clothes or b) cleaning or c) vegging out. But tonight, I'm hoping to sew. Wish me luck.

Hope you are well! Christ is Risen (we're still in the Paschal season!).

Of Mice and Lynde

Good evening bloggers. It is October! I can and cannot believe it at the same time. Time has both flown by and dragged on. Usually I'm flabbergasted at the quick transition of time that seems to be a symptom of motherhood (or maybe adulthood in general?). But this year, for some reason I'm not too unglued about it all. Perhaps since the first five months of this year were spent in the waddling, cranky, slow anticipation of pregnancy. And since then, everything has been a steady, crazy, ovewhelming and yet happy blur.

"Tawly" (that's my baby boy) is a joyful mound of dough and such a joy. Still just a happy little camper, but he's learning how to reel Mommy in when he wants his way. Even when he does cry, it's almost like he's faking... like he's just a cute, flustered old man having a squeaky little hissy fit.

Big news here: We are moving! Yep. I know I've lamented about our desire to live closer to family and friends and our parish, and now it will happen! It will come at the bittersweet cost of moving out of our cozy little "70s cottage" and leaving our quaint surroundings. But, thanks be to God, doors have opened, and we were able to sell our home relatively pain-free. We'll be closing on our new home in just a few weeks. I am very thankful. Job and I are excited about this next chapter in our lives, and we hope to be in this home for, Lord willing, a very long time. All of this has happened pretty quickly; it's hard to believe I'll be washing dishes in a different kitchen this time next month. Even though I'll miss my current kitchen... isn't that funny? Of all things, too. Well, it makes sense. I guess that IS where I spend most of my time... though not always barefoot, and not always pregnant :)
Hahaha.

Sometimes it pays to be significantly "behind the times." For instance, we still have a VCR. Then a few weeks ago I found that Goodwill sells VHS tapes for just .50 cents now! I scored a barely used (yet probably 20 years old?) VHS of Charlotte's Web (the cartoon from the 70s). The girls have enjoyed watching it. We enjoy quoting Templeton and imitating his whiny, wavering voice. "Why does that voice sound familiar?" I asked myself. And look! It was none other than "Uncle Arthur" himself. Now, which would be more terrifying, finding a rat in your house...



or having this grill stare back at you?



Now I'm really staining your brain by ending on such a bizarre note. Oh... after blogging for 6 years, there's not much else to say that doesn't make me sound like a broken or at least an uninteresting record. I thank you for reading and to those who take the time to comment, really you are too kind. But for me, anything interesting I think of blogging about falls into the camp of: Too public, too personal, too boastful, too neurotic, too unhealthy-stream-of-conciousness-logismoi, too pretentious, too boring. Anything worth sharing revolves around my faith, and God, and we all know there are much greater and edifying resources for such spiritual enrichment. I have no clue whether or not this blog has expired. If you have any input, or would like to say hello in the comments or via e-mail for the first time, feel free (e-mail grovereatsbeans(at)hotmail(dot)com.

Wordy Wednesday or My Life is Lunch or Don't feed the animals

A "light" toothpick lunch. A big winner,
but I say "light" because, of course, they were
"still hungry" afterwards. Sheesh.

Greetings friends, fellow bloggers, lurkers, SAHMs. It's been a while now, hasn't it? Here I am, slurping on the remains of my "morning coffee" (at 12:30, no less). AND... I have to go make lunch. Haven't I already made lunch today? Seems that my life is lunch.

I'm realizing the genius in sit-down meals. Of course, our family does sit-down dinners together every evening. This is a no-brainer. I grew up with it, and I never envisioned my own family doing anything different. Now I know how busy life can get, and how easy it would be just to snack our way through a hodge-podge 'serve yourself" type of dinner. Trust me, we do experience that every so often, I'm not perfect. But breakfast and lunch were never a sit-down-together event. However, I'm starting to realize that that's the ONLY way I'll ever get to eat breakfast or lunch. It's so easy to slap out some sandwiches or hot dogs and serve the kiddoes and then run off to accomplish something while they stuff their cute little faces. Unfortunately, I'll never, ever eat a square meal this way. Instead I'll wash the dishes and eat a cookie or consider a second cup of coffee my lunch. Ha! Horrible, horrible, I know. I'm going to try to make an effort to make enough food for myself and actually sit down with my girls while they are content and filling their tummies and free of NEED for ten minutes.

Novel idea, I know. :)

Why are my kids always hungry? Really? I make them food constantly. I try to limit my food-prep to three hearty, filling, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meals a day to eliminate constant snacking. It drives me bonkers when, after making them a considerably large breakfast, they are already complaining of rumbling bellies. I don't get it. Really, I think they are just bored. This is frustrating. Oh, that I had my act together and made life interesting and fun for everyone. Sorry to complain... I guess I see where they get it now. V. needs pre-school. I have no talent for homeschooling. At least, that's how I feel now. If we move, she'll get to start preschool at our parish. Yikes... that's a whole other blog post, thought! Whatever God wills.

In other news, I've been sewing a lot. Okay, maybe that's not "news." As you know, I took up sewing about a year and half ago. Well, when I was in the third grade, our class did a unit on learning how to sew (just hand-sewing). It was really interesting, I don't think that's completely normal for third graders to do. I remember making small hand-stitched pillows for my friend, Amy :) Then, in the seventh grade I took a sewing class that was offered in school that introduced me to using a sewing machine and some of the basics. I liked that class a lot. I think I took a few more classes. Freshman year I took another one (with Amy! hehehe), and even made a dress. But after that, I never got around to sewing.

In the winter of 2008, I started hand-stitching a few Christmas gifts, just for fun. My friend Heather came over and saw me laboring over my work, and said, "I have a sewing machine, you can borrow it." And, well, the rest in history.

Like any hobby, it's hard not to get too obsessed and distracted from real life. Back to earth, XK, put down the rotary cutter and back away slowly. *sigh* But, when I do get the chance to sew, it's very relaxing, challenging (in a good way),productive and rewarding. Sort of like a giant puzzle. As my friend R., put it, it's actually something that you can FINISH, unlike anything else that has to be done around the house. Hehehe. Right now I'm finishing up the Lady Grey coat from Colette patterns. It's probably the most challenging project I've worked on, and yet, not impossible or frustrating at all. In case you haven't already picked upon it, I'm a HUGE fan of the Colette patterns, they're so easy to follow. And no, I don't get paid or compensated at all to say that! :D

Well, it's been a long, long time since I've blogged. There's a lot I would love to blog about; our little family whereabouts and updates, adorable baby pictures and milestones, the patented XK rants, reflections and pretentious pontifications. More will come later, Lord willing, if I have the time and energy. Both are in short supply these days, I tell ya. But we're all swimming along just fine, me and my sweet Job and our amazing three (THREE! I say that in astonishment and complete and utter joy) children. Glory to God, despite my own day-to-day shortcomings and imperfections, we truly are doing well.

Talk to you later!