Dominic's Thanksgiving pageant at ACS

We just got back from the most beautiful evening at Dominic's school! We went to the Thanksgiving pageant at his preschool and we were so impressed! The grounds were all decked out for the pageant, the children were sitting in groups in a circle facing out to the audience, wearing Native American and Pilgrim outfits which they had made. There was a group of older students playing in a stringed quartet. There were lanterns hanging all around the perimeter. The teachers were festooned in Native American and Pilgrim garb. There were beautiful little tables set all around waiting for families after the show. The children sang lovely songs of Thanksgiving, for strength and health, and some performed folk dances and traditional Native American dances. When all the groups had finished their songs and routines, (maybe only one of which Dominic participated in - he kept coming to sit with us on our blanket. good thing I had a starburst in my purse to convince him to finish the program - sighhh!) we all took the lanterns which the kids had decorated and walked as families on a nature walk through the "woods." When we came to the end, the teachers were waiting for us with homemade chicken soup, rolls, homemade pumpkin bread and hot apple cider - which was WARMLY received by us because it was getting quite chilly out. We sat by the bonfire as we ate, and the stringed quartet began to play again. And then the older students handed out s'mores for roasting but we had to leave at that point - as much as we wanted to stay! We just had such a good time tonight, we were so impressed by the program and we're excited to be part of the ACS family!

Sears Portraits

So we put on our Sunday best and got our pictures taken this weekend. I really like the quality of the Sears portrait studio, but I somehow always end up walking away dissatisfied with the poses and backgrounds (I like plain backgrounds better), and I never speak up about it because I don't want to come across as a pushy broad. So I passive-aggressively vent about it on my blog instead. :) The sears staff did a GREAT job and they were so great with the kids, and at any rate, we didn't have a sitting fee, and we got a free classic portrait and 20% off our purchase, so we got a great deal on some nice new photos! I am not a fan of ANY photograph with myself in it (which is why you rarely see me on the blog here if I can help it at all). I am delighted to have a beautiful family to focus my lens on nowadays instead :)

Marimba Band

Worldfest 2008

Worldfest was today! This has to be my favorite festival of the whole year! Some edible highlights from our time there, as you can see above, include peanut butter fudge squares from India, fruited milk with avocados and papaya from Indonesia as well as chicken satay with peanut sauce, sauerkraut from Germany, iced gingerbread cookies from the Czech Republic as well as kolaches, pakoras and tamarind chutney from India...and much more. Luckily for us, St. Joe's was selling homemade Indian food again this year and we were giddy about that and piled our plates high. I love Dr. Miranda!!!!! Other than eating, (it's no secret that Bronius and I are like moths to the flame for ethnic food), we watched a man having his turban wrapped, saw the Japanese drumming group again, I experienced henna painting on my hand for the first time, we heard an AWESOME Marimba group from Austin, and bumped into LOTS of friends. I wanted to stay all day, and the kids were holding up beautifully, but it was time to pack it in. This was such a fun festival, so many countries and cultures were so well represented. There was so much information, great artifacts, jewelry, clothing, bags, crafts - a kidzone even. The musical and dance performances were excellent, and we only saw a tiny bit of the program. I really hope we can get involved in it next year. We noticed there was no tent for Lithuania so clearly we need to represent next year! ;)

Around the house moments

I have the choice to write or sleep...and there was a time in my life I would have chosen to write...but alas...sleep is more critical to my survival at present. So you're off the hook tonight, no listening to me rambling about this and that...just some daily life moments to enjoy instead. :)


I love our "at home" days. This was a no hustle, no bustle, enjoy the rain and read stories kind of day!















These marbles are Dominic's latest obsession. He loves to arrange them in "designs" as he calls them. I continue to be utterly amazed by his abilities and the things which draw him in.















Are these guys starting to look familiar to you yet? I realize I've taken about forty five thousand shots of them rolling around on the floor together, but I can't help it!

Not too far off

Me: Guess what day it is?
Dominic: It's Friday.
Me: That's right! So then what is tomorrow?
Dominic: (with his big eyes all aglow) CHRISTMAS!!!!
Me: You're pretty close actually....it's SATURDAY!

Trying out some new sounds

Announcing the newest member of our family.....

Movin' on up!















The Mazda MPV! :) Watch out world, there's another minivan on the road! We love this car, even though we've only known it for a few hours, it feels like it has been with us forever.....oh wait, I'm not writing about babies. Seriously, we are thrilled with our newest addition. Even though this is a more "mini" minivan then its other friends, we were so psyched with the amount of space we had on our drive home, among so many other features we can't believe we were living without. On the way home, I was able to spoon feed Milo his dinner from the back seat and play "I spy" with Dominic. I probably could have napped in the backseat on the way home, but I restrained myself. I changed diapers and nursed all in the comfort of the front seat. And, in other good news, blockbuster will now thank me for not running over their curbs every time I return movies in the drop off bin, because I can finally see over the dashboard - who knew! :) We're so relieved to have finally decided on our "family" car!





Bye bye Old Mazda, hello new(er) Mazda! :)

Fair trade gifts for Christmas! Buy a gift, help a family!

Everything about my consumer views changed when I was introduced to serrv international back when I worked for St. Mary's and we sponsored the Work of Human Hands Christmas sale every year. Serrv international is a nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating poverty wherever it resides. They work in cooperation with Catholic Relief Services and other Christian non profit organizations.

By purchasing these lovely, handmade gifts from these talented artisans, we are able to bring hope to families all across the world by providing them the opportunity to have sustainable work to support themselves and break the cycle of poverty!!!! How is THAT for making a difference that matters????

There are nativity sets, handmade linens for the house, bags, woven baskets, kitchenware, handmade soaps and candles, jewelry, toys and fair trade chocolate, tea and coffee. You can browse their online catalog, or visit St. Mary's for the sale this year (I'll find out when it's happening and post soon!) You can find a TON of information on their site - meet the artisans, request a catalog, find out how to sponsor a sale...and much more!

Here is a description from their website:

Your purchases give you the chance to have a direct impact on our global market’s great injustices: the inequality in income and quality of life for people living in developing countries. With your help, SERRV becomes a powerful tool for putting right the imbalance in the world.

Our work encompasses more than just buying and selling.
We offer prepayments so our partners can sustain their business.
Create new designs so they can build their markets.
Teach new skills so they can develop their craft.
Provide grants so they can expand their resources.

We support equal rights for women.
Guide sustainable development.
And of course, pay a fair wage.

For 60 years, we have worked on behalf of the world’s Artisans and Farmers. One of the first alternative trade organizations in the world, SERRV is a founding member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) and a member of the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).

SERRV with us and craft an experience that will reward every person it touches, and build a sustainable style of life that’ll be enriching for us all.

What did they put in Milo's breakfast!

Around the house moments

Congratulations Mr. President and family

While we are heartsick and devastated that Obama's election presents a huge step backwards for pro-life initiatives in our country, we also recognize the victory and hope that President Obama represents for so many others. We admire the vision he holds for our country and we stand behind him to support him in the good that he seeks to do. We're excited that our children will know an African American president in their lifetime, and we have great hopes for our new president, and believe that God can and will work miracles through this new administration.

We pledged as a family that if Obama was elected, that we would make it an even greater priority in our family for the next four years to rally around opportunities to champion for the right to life for unborn babies, as well as finding ways to improve the quality of life for the mothers who find themselves in crisis pregnancy situations. Here are some ways we can get involved in our area.

http://www.austindiocese.org/dept/prolife/gabriel_project.php
http://www.austindiocese.org/department_home.php?id=36
http://www.coalitionforlife.com/


If you have some information to share, please share it with me - I know there are so many opportunities and agencies out there. I hope we can inspire people to believe that they can make a difference, whether it is through prayer, donations, mentoring or activism - we ABSOLUTELY can make a difference in spite of this setback...we can not lose steam. We may not be able to change Obama's heart and mind overnight, but surely we can try our best.

Praying in the last moments before the election....

Lord God,
as the election approaches,
we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city, state, and country,
and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.
We ask for eyes that are free from blindness
so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters,
one and equal in dignity,
especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.
We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned,
men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.
We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to
your Kingdom.
We pray for discernment
so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word,
live your love,
and keep in the ways of your truth
as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostles
and guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.
We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

-USCCB

Prayers for our faithfully departed - All Souls Day Nov. 2

The Prayer for the Holy Souls

O God, the Creater and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of thy servants and handmaids departed, the remission of all their sins; that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Who livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen.

Milo is six months old!

My goodness. Where has the time gone? Mister Milo is a half year old! And he is such a fun baby. I'm not sure if he just has to roll with the punches as determined by his birth order, or if he really is super mellow, but he's an easy going little fellow. And it helps that I'm less high-strung as a Mommy this time around. :) We love to watch him grow and learn, and it's really neat to see how our family has really blended together. Can't picture life without Milo now! :)

Milo stats:

Eating - he's still nursing about 7 times a day, and I try to give him some rice cereal and bananas whenever we gather at the table for lunch and dinner. He takes solids in small, runny quantities and makes funny faces when he is fed!

Sleeping - I never thought I'd see this day, seriously. I have been so stressed out about Milo's sleep! And I know things are subject to change at any moment. But he is sleeping in 4 hr chunks at night and occasionally a 5 hr chunk. This makes us all VERY happy! His naps are also starting to extend to 1 hr to 1.5 hr naps without me having to rush in at the half hour mark to help him fall back asleep (which rarely worked anyway). We still have our half hour nap days, but I'm so encouraged that things have improved. He is so much less cranky now that he is getting restful sleep!!!! We transitioned him to the crib last week, and we no longer swaddle him, we just put him in a sleep sack. I was REALLY worried that would be a rough transition, but he has done great! He loves not being stuck in the sleep positioners and being free to kick and move about the crib. He loves reaching for his own pacis too!

Playing - Milo has a few regular hang outs around the house. He loves his exersaucer and his bouncie chair, and if he's not there, he's in my arms or a baby carrier of some form or fashion. Milo is really into playing with Dominic now. They mimic each others noises and giggle at each other, Dominic rolls balls to Milo and he tries to roll them back while on his tummy (this is the only way I can get him to do tummy time!). He wants to be part of EVERYTHING that's going on. He lunges forward when I hold him in my lap at everything he sees before him. Still not much interest in tummy time or crawling, or rolling over, or sitting - but all in good time, I'm sure. After watching Dominic become SO mobile and busy SO quickly, I can see the benefit of having a baby who isn't in a hurry to move! :)


Milestones- As Milo was chewing on my finger at church today I felt his first tooth coming in on the bottom! Gosh it all seems to be happening so fast. Milo is due for his 6 month shots on voting day and so I'll be updating this section then....

Happy Halloween 2008

Here are the kids at the entrance to St. Joseph's Halloween carnival. Dominic was Wall E (a costume handmade by my ingenious husband out of foil, duct tape, paper bags and coke cans) and Milo was a little baby bat. We both really love the dressing up aspect of Halloween - it is so much fun to have an excuse to be creative and let your imagination run wild ! :)



Here's Dominic at his school carnival with two of his schoolmates that LOVE him and take care of him at school.

Now I have to figure out how to get us admitted to the candy detox program - it's EVERYWHERE!!!!