Spring Break

We have had such a relaxing week! We had a movie night with our neighbors, met friends at the park, took a day trip to Washington on the Brazos and met friends for a picnic, had a visit from Papa and Grandma, and finished with a fun St. Patty's Day get together. Bronius also took the boys to see a WWII re-enactment at the Museum for the American GI. We all enjoyed the relaxed schedule and a little "stay-cation." We are saving up for our new home build and so we didn't feel like we missed out on anything :)

Here are a few snaps at Barrington Farms.









And just some Jonas cuteness :)

Lent

Lenten family goals

- Lenten lotto box/crown of thorns wreath/ashes to Easter donations
- Journey to Lent daily discussion with kids
- Reading at least one bible story per night
- Rosary on Friday nights
-Neighborhood service projects (1 per week)

My personal Lenten goals have been a little nebulous, but they are taking a more clear shape this week. I am starting by adoring the blessed Sacrament once a week, fasting from evening t.v. in lieu of reading spiritual material (with the exception of Sundays when I can watch a favorite show) and taking on more prayer for certain world issues and personal intentions of people we know. Things may be built upon these, but I'm writing these down here to keep me accountable!

May the things that we give up and take on in these 40 days bring us closer to the heart of Jesus. May the little pains we experience help us remember that all self-denial and suffering can be offered up to a higher purpose through our Lord to help others and draw us to Our Father and the joys and riches of everlasting life. The less of the world we need, the more room we can prepare for Him! Wishing us all many real and true opportunities to reflect on the journey to Easter.

Matthew 5: 3-10
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 3)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. (Verse 4)
Blessed are they who mourn: for they shall be comforted. (Verse 5)
Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill. (Verse 6)
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (Verse 7)
Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. (Verse 8)
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. (Verse 9)
Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Verse 10)

Still here!

Weeks may go by in between my posts, but I am definitely here. :) We've been trying to strike the right balance between leisure and activity here, and I think we're doing a pretty good job :) In fact, things were calm enough around here that we decided to sign Dominic up for soccer on a whim. He'll start his first practices and games in March with a league called Upward. It promotes a neat philosophy that combines a focus on faith and respecting family time. I hope D enjoys his first real season of soccer!

D is still very happy at school, we have his school carnival this weekend to be excited about. He still reports liking science, art and computers the best. I'd be fibbing if I said I didn't miss him while he was at school, but I'd also be fibbing if I said I didn't enjoy the quietness in the house. :) We are on the wait list for KOR school in the Fall, in the meantime. It's not that we're not happy with Dominic's school - in fact, school has brought about many good things! We just want to be sure he is getting what he needs, and so we remain open to options. He is still taking piano and Milo is observing group violin practices. I thought about signing Milo up for soccer too but he spends the whole time asking for snacks and "when can we go to the park?" :)

Milo is really enjoying preschool a whole lot more than last semester when I had to use his gummy vitamin as an incentive to go every morning. He's independently doing jobs and REALLY diggin' (no pun intended) all the mud play and gardening that's going on this month. Every single day, the kids are outside in their rain boots either pulling from their garden or digging in the mud with huge shovels. Pretty soon they will be doing their "landform" unit outside as they practice learning what peninsulas, isthmuses, capes and islands look like. I am so happy Milo enjoys school and I can't wait for Jonas to go when he turns 3 :) Dominic and Milo have been playing beautifully together lately. I'm not sure what I did to deserve this, but THANK YOU, Jesus. Lord knows we've had our difficult phases where I almost jumped out of my window with insanity. I am enjoying this strange oasis of peace, for however long it lasts.

Jonas, is finally sleeping through the night - all by himself! Of course now that I said that, some new teeth will start sprouting, I should just hush. But really, this is big for us because Bronius and I have felt like giant tree sloths for a whole year and finally things are lookin' up. Jonas is 15 months old and BUSY. He is climbing tables and chairs, getting into cupboards, trash cans and toilets. If it's messy, he'll be in it. But he's so so so sweet and cute. Still nursing about 4x a day, takes 2 naps most days. I think he has about 6 teeth, and he is varying his tastes in regards to food but still not a big fan of cow's milk. Loves reading and playing silly games. I hope to be able to take him to more storytime/music classes this semester.


Bronius has been swamped with work, he definitely seems to be in a busy season, but he enjoys it and is blessed to work with excellent people. He gets out and about to sing with SCOLA Cantorum, Men's breakfast and play volleyball, and usually helps me get the kids to music lessons in the evenings. When free time presents itself, we are getting our house ready to go on the market and making plans for the house we are building in our neighborhood. Writing continues to be my "fourth child" at the moment and I am flirting with the idea of going to a few writing workshops to continue some professional development for myself but in the midst of this home sale, I'm not really sure what I can do. But I'm keeping it on the horizon because I always need a carrot to chase or I just feel lazy. :)

We are very very very excited about the home we are building. After a whole year of praying, discerning and considering moving out of town - we are relieved to feel peace with our decision to "bloom where we have been planted." We hope to see many friends around our table there!

Thank you Lord for my happy and healthy family!

My birthday, some sillyness and goodbye to the Toth family

It's time for some February favoriteness. It's a fun month in our house. This year is a little different since we're losing some wonderful friends (or rather, California is gaining some wonderful friends!) The Toth family has been such a blessing to us these past 2 years. Jen's husband was one of the football coaches for the Aggies and they are now moving to California to be part of another great school and team. We've never been much into football, but Jen has made it more important to me and I'll never forget that and so many other special things about Jen and her 3 boys. We will miss you, sweet Toth family :(

In happier news, for my birthday Bronius treated me to a tasty dinner at Fuego's and then we went to see the Moulin Rouge ballet through OPAS. We both loved it! This weekend my family will come up to join us for our first ever Monster Truck Rally. Put it on my list of things I never thought I would do, please!

And some bonus pictures of a Grandma and Papa visit and some of me with Dominic. Trying to catch this boy is like catching the wind, so I snapped some pictures while I could. Sorry, future self, that they look so grainy!

2 Jonas funnies

‎2 hilarious things Jonas is doing that can't be described in words (but I'm going to try) is 1) if you walk into a room and he's holding something he thinks someone is going to take away from him (which is everything) then he spins around in the other direction on his heels and goes running with it (or pitches it on the ground and proceeds to "run" 2) if you are sitting on the ground, he backs up like a dump truck into your lap with a book (usually the star of bethlehem or animal habitats). Alternatively, if you are standing, he bumps into you with the book and grunts at you until you read it.

Living in the present - kiddo updates January 2012

This one's going to be long, so go make that cup of tea you were thinking of making and then have a seat. :)

Jonas:

Jonas turned a year in December, and started walking shortly after. I am sad that I missed his birthday post AND a walking post. I have some serious catching up to do! He is going everywhere and getting into everything, in true one year old fashion.

I was walking around the house looking for him the other day, and he was quietly standing on the kids' table drinking his sippy cup (hoping I didn't notice him maybe?) Well, I didn't. He's sneaky! He climbs up into the fireplace hearth too. I put a baby gate up in the big brother room so they can build legos and Jonas will climb up on a stool and stand by the gate and watch them. He loves them. He's so sweet he'll sit in the swing in the backyard and just watch everybody run around - and he's totally content with it. He has 6 teeth and one on the way, and the sleep interruptions to prove it. :)

Poor Jonas... he had bronchiolitis about 6 months ago, and as a result, every time he gets a cold, he wheezes. So we have a neubulizer that we use for breathing treatments if he starts wheezing. Fortunately, it's not severe, but it's possible it could develop into asthma. We're praying he will out grow it by some miracle! Even when Jonas is seemingly healthy and not teething, he continues to wake once or twice a night. He sometimes takes 2 naps but always one, and still nurses a few times a day, but is exploring lots of different table foods! He loves to read books, and enjoys splashing in the toilet when he thinks no one can see him. We love our little joyful Jonas!


Milo:

Milo is just sweetness. Even when he's feeling like the middle child, he's still so sweet. Thoughtful, sensitive and easy going. He loves puzzles, and is still in love with his cars and trucks. He does "fantasy" play and I never saw it with Dominic at this age, so it's fun to watch him in his own little world. He is at Montessori school 3 mornings a week and he's very happy there, making friends and learning skills! He gets most excited about rainy days at school because it means he can put his boots on and stomp in the mud! (not sure if the teachers are as excited about that as he is?) I guard my time jealously with Milo when he's home, and we go to the grocery store and library and park - but we both enjoy home time. We read books together and lately have been playing a LOT of cops and robbers with legos. Milo still naps, but I let him skip on days that we need him to go to bed early. We call him "floating Milo" because he floats around a lot. He just loves to be near people. Milo is a Daddy's boy, and having Daddy at home is pretty awesome for the boys. It has truly changed our family dynamic. I'm so glad our boys will grow up seeing their Dad so much!


Dominic:

Our fearless leader, as usual, just charging ahead and being independent. I've enjoyed his transition to 1st grade. It was much smoother than kindergarten, almost seamless. He is helpful, he is polite...so creative, and very affectionate. He is maturing, We are able to expect more from him without feeling guilty about it (as we used to last year!) He loves his school and we hear from everyone we see there "Dominic has a lot of friends!" I find this funny because he has always been so fiercely independent. He doesn't wait around for peer approval or a sense of "belonging," he has too many ideas of his own. But comraderie has mattered more to him this year, and that makes me happy! He has been taking piano since the summer and has been doing very well. We are contemplating signing him up for city soccer but anxious about the stress another week night event creates for us. Why can't they do sports in the summer when nothing's going on? (aside from the obvious reason...the infernal heat, of course?) Angry birds continues to be his true love, and my leverage for getting him to practice the piano and do chores...although...the kids find it fun to clean the bathrooms all of a sudden. Maybe it's the unsupervised usage of a water spray bottle? He is really into building lego battleships. He and Milo do this morning, noon and night - no joke. They are getting along SO BEAUTIFULLY. I always joke with Bronius and say it's because they've had to unite against the destructive forces of an adorable drooling one year old.


Life with these 3 keep me busy, but what worthwhile work it is! As my neighbor said the other day, "motherhood keeps us on track." It's true. I've always been a pretty good time manager, but having kids has helped me prioritize my time so much better. The balance I feel I am achieving has taught me to work hard (and fast) on the things that are important to us and leave the the other things for "later." Who knows when "later" will come, certainly not me...I'm trying my best to live in the present. :)

Thank you Lord God for my happy, healthy family. Thank you for your faithfulness to us. I pray to strive to live fully in the present, and that we open our eyes each day to the opportunities to serve those around us in Your name. Amen.

My favorite kind of day

with my favorite guys.

Milo moment

Me, calling from kitchen through the open back door - "Milo, is Jonas okay?"

Milo: "Yea."

Me: "What's he doing?"

Milo: (now sweeping the porch) "oh he's just walking around on the ceiling."

Me: "The what?"

Milo: "The ceiling."

Dominic, impatient that I missed the reference, says from the computer "Mommy, that's from Jack Attack."

It was just cute..the first time he referenced a movie joke. He really is a Mendonca sometimes!

New Year's goals revisited

So I've had a week to practice my goals, and I have a better idea of how to specify them. I'm writing them here to keep me accountable, but I'll only check in periodically after that. Too many other good things to blog about :)

1) Getting into bed by 10.

Well, I maximized vacation time instead but plan to start tomorrow, since we get back into the school schedule tomorrow. My time is being used online at night house-hunting - which is a blog for another day! Anyway, I'd much prefer to be in bed reading.

2) Carb & portion control.. Dedicated exercise 30 mins a day.

Doing pretty good. Planning my grocery list out now to ensure that mine (and the kids) meals and snacks are fruit, veggie and protein-rich.

I tweaked my exercise goals to running every other day and doing pilates on days between, with a family walk to the park on Sundays. Not going to cancel the gym membership until these 10 pounds are history!

3) Be less defensive.

Probably the hardest one of all, since it's an old habit (32 years old approximately) and requires the most mental, conscious effort. But making strides. The people closest to me are already thanking me. :)

4) Reading and reviewing books on book sneeze.

So I never specified the frequency of this. Would it be pathetic to aim for one a month? If not, I think this will be feasible.

5) Develop chore chart and stick to it.

I made the mistake of writing it on the chalkboard. Surprise surprise, it had been erased by a mischevious child the next day. The prank was on him, however, when he realized he still had to sort laundry, wipe down counter tops and make his bed each day. Note to self - make a chart that can hang inside of pantry door - lest I forget that I have able -bodied children who can help me keep my house in order.

6) Family prayer time once a week.

Joining another Pilgrim Queen of the Family group has motivated us to hold fast to this. The liturgical seasons give us ample and concrete opportunities to pray together and we need to stay motivated to do so during ordinary time. We are aiming for Sunday night family rosary.

7) De-cluttering. - 1 bag per week

You might have guessed from earlier hints...we are preparing to sell our house. I would like to form one bag of donations/trash each week, at least the size of a grocery bag. I have a personal organizer coming this week to give us a consultation on how to maximize our laundry room, pantry and closets. I am not naturally efficient and I think I've been mis-using our storage space. Sadly, I'm too inefficient to care passionately enough to do it myself, because I'd rather be blogging. So I'm bringing someone in who does! :)


Ahhhhh. That was soul cleansing. Happy to be making some progress and hope to report soon with more success soon. :)

2012

Okay, I just wrote an article on how to create realistic goals, and I am having the most difficult time doing it for myself. I am still trying to prioritize my goals, and I'm only "publishing" a few here as the others are directed inwardly.

1) Go to bed early (aka CLOSE YOUR LAPTOP by 10pm)

2) Carb & portion control as well as dedicated exercise 30 mins each day. I am still carrying 10 lbs of baby weight into 2012. Granted, I am still nursing and I don't drop weight until nursing is done. 2011's challenge was to learn to love my motherhood curves but 2012's is to tone them. :)

3) Be less defensive. Oooo. This is a biggie. I'm a little afraid to say this out loud actually.

4) Reading and reviewing books on this blog. With number 1, I'm not sure how this will be possible. Hope to read and review at least one book a month, but with writing articles each month too, I'm going to start off slow.

5) Develop a chore chart and stick to it, so I can stop fussin' about how "no one cleans up around here" and instead spend that timeg being the fun-loving Mom I am deep down inside!

6) Family prayer time at least once a week, other than bedside prayers. We used to maintain Friday nights but that has become movie/game night. Maybe Sunday night will be better.

7) Thanks to pinterest, an on-going commitment to de-cluttering. Need to find a website that gives me a concrete plan or tool to make this possible. Would welcome tips!

There are more, but I am evaluating their prioritization. Wish me luck!

Neighborhood party and Papa's pics

Mom and Dad hosted their annual post-Christmas party (which is usually our chance to invite old friends from high school to the house and catch up!) It's fun to meet and re-meet my siblings & parents friends.

Christmas and New Year revels

We celebrated Kucios on Christmas Eve at Senele's home after the children's Mass on Christmas Eve. This year, Dominic sang in the children's choir! While he didn't sing the whole time, he really enjoyed the experience and we hope this will get him excited about participating in music liturgy at church. After a lovely meal, we put happy children to bed and while Bronius left to sing in Midnight Mass, I helped usher in the Christmas traditions. :) While we didn't take any pictures Christmas morning, we had such a nice morning. The kids were happy with their surprises and enjoyed watching each other open their sibling gifts (things we wrapped up from around the house that people forgot about!) Shortly thereafter, we headed to Houston to have a Christmas feast with my parents and siblings, where more presents awaited the children.

We enjoyed celebrating Dad's birthday on the 26th, a trip to the zoo, a trip to the MFAH, a visit to my brother's new place downtown, a neighborhood party, lots of park trips and spontaneous musical jam sessions at home - and so much yummy food and happy togetherness. We enjoyed a gorgeous dinner with friends last night to bring in 2012, and we're so glad we have 6 more days of celebrating Christmas to enjoy!

Thank you Lord for another year filled with learning, love, growth and opportunities. We hope for good health and good sleep in 2012, and to search out Your will for our lives in all that we do.

Happy New Year!


Still digging through photos and realizing my poor husband didn't make it in many of them! Will need to perfect my photoshopping techniques this year, I think!

Merry Christmas from the Motekaitis family!

May your season be blessed by the joy, the hope and the peace that God wishes to give us all!

Happy 1st Birthday Jonas!

Last year on this day we met a sweet baby in the hospital and named him Jonas. We brought him home and loved him with all our hearts. And lived happily ever after. Happy 1st birthday Jonas!



Jonas is a wonderful little baby boy. He started walking just about a week before his birthday and why I thought having a Christmas tree in the house was a good idea, I'll never know. I am finding decapitated ornaments all over the house. All crazy messes aside that drive Mommy nuts, Jonas is our Christmas baby and with him comes all the joy of the season - he truly is a joyful child and so easily contented!

We sat to read our first set of books together when I realized he didn't know any animal sounds yet! Our babies usually know their barnyard noises by 1 year! Like I said, Jonas is a good sport...he goes along for the ride. He loves to cuddle. Still nurses 5-6 times a day (feeding him other food is too messy and takes too long, but we give him milk in a cup and whatever we're eating at meal times). He naps about 915-10:30 in the morning and again from about 1-2:30 in the afternoon, bedtime is usually 7:30 but this month it has been a moving target, we've been out so many nights! I've come a loooong way from the schedule freak I was when Dominic was a baby. I really just want to enjoy my time with the kids and not sweat the small stuff. I'm done with the small stuff that gives me anxiety, life is too short!

Jonas loves to play with his brothers toys, which is why we wrapped a lot of big brother toys up for Christmas this year. I have found that baby toys have a very short shelf life in our home, and we'd rather donate to causes then fill our houses with more junk. That being said, I'm not a mean Mom! He got a new pair of shoes and a sweater and some cute cars. Don't worry! :) Poor little Jonas seems to be getting 3 teeth all at the same time, so, sleep is not at its best. Not that it ever was. We've struggled all this year with sleep. We're really praying that 2012 will be the year of better sleep.

But we want for nothing, our lives are so very blessed, God has been so good to us, and we are looking forward to another year of growing together as a family. Thank you Lord for blessing us this healthy, happy, lovable little boy!!! Thank you for making us the guardians of his life. We can not wait to see how he will grow and change next year. Please keep him safely in your care this birthday and always.

Here are some birthday pics and hopefully some Jonas-retrospective ones to come later! :)

Good times in December

Milo helps Daddy put the star on our tree.

Singing Christmas carols at the Nursing Home with Aggieland Country School

Bronius' work Christmas party in Austin

"Tail-gating" in our van to see the Christmas parade

Dominic's first piano recital - he played "Angels We Have Heard on High."

Preparing the way for one of the most important moments in history

I have to admit. This Advent season has been very joyful for us. But also very busy. With neighborhood parties and school celebrations, our little month of December has been bursting at the seams. I think of the song "Breath of Heaven" often, when I am feeling overwhelmed this month, and it brings peace to my heart and helps me to close the world out and meditate on the Holy Family and the birth of our Savior. The song is sung from Mary's perspective, but as we are all called to carry Jesus into the world, I find it very fitting for what our focus must be. I would like to share the lyrics here in the event that they help you as well. Have a very blessed and joyful Christmas!

"Breath Of Heaven (Mary's Song)"

I have traveled many moonless nights
Cold and weary, with a babe inside
And I wonder what I've done
Holy Father you have come
And chosen me now, to carry your son.

I am waiting, in a silent prayer
I am frightened, by the load I bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now, be with me now.

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness, for you are holy,
Breath of Heaven.

Do you wonder when you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place?
But I offer all I am for the mercy of your plan
Help me be strong, help me be strong,
Help me be strong, help me.

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness, for you are holy.

Breath of Heaven, hold me together
Be forever near me, breath of Heaven
Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness
Pour over me your holiness, for you are holy.

Breath of Heaven,
Breath of Heaven,
Breath of Heaven,
Breath of Heaven...