Beautiful Days

I love my kids to pieces.  They are smart, cute, and lively.  (Me, a proud parent?  Yes!)  I love being with my kids, so I was mildly freaked out about the transition back to work - how to juggle the responsibilities of home schooling, work and all the drama that goes along with it, snuggling the baby as much as to which she has become accustomed, cleaning (haha, that's a good one), and not leaving too much for my DH to do during his own busy season at work.  So far so good, except perhaps in the cleaning department, and maybe the drama department (nit-picking my grading of your assignment?  Sorry, no time.  No one will care that you got a 4.5 instead of a 5 once you are a nurse.  They will, however, care that you know what you are talking about).  The next couple weeks will probably challenge our time management thus far, but chances are, as long as DDI Inc (Dust and Drama Inspectors) don't show up, we'll be okay.  These are beautiful days and we won't miss out on what is important.

 The Boy made a Revolutionary War timeline.  It got so long we didn't have enough eye-level wall space to post it and it ended up along the ceiling (the dining room walls are currently occupied with the 21 Rules of Our House, which he also recently completed).  He declared the position of the timeline was "just fine" and would be able to read it with binoculars.  I'm not sure whether to declare that one a success or fail or somewhere in between!  I'm also not sure why he is wearing gloves to post it.

 Baby Girl is doing so well - happy and smiley almost all the time.  She adores her big brother and spends a lot of her mornings trying to distract him from his studies by smiling at him and watching his every move.  Her funny faces make us laugh - able to use those eyebrows to demonstrate her every mood.

 Remember making butter from cream by shaking it in a jar?  I thought this would be a fun project for school and science and home ec.  He shook for about long enough to get a picture.  Then we had to use the blender to finish because he was sooooo tired.

 More happy faces!  Her eyes are changing color, but not sure if they will keep on turning brown all the way or if the hazel ring around the edges will stay.

 This was Big Brother's idea.  He thought she would look smart in a tie.  He does remind her every single day (sometimes multiple times) that she is "cute and intelligent".

 My kids have started taking selfies.  Oh my.

Still more happy faces!  She has started participating in conversations more and loves to have space for her cooing input.  DH lovingly accuses me of playing with her like she is a big dolly, to which I respond she is exactly like a big dolly, except infinitely more fun.  

The (Lonely?) Middle

One of my childhood friends who is now an adult-hood friend says something along these lines - "I used to be the most radical person I knew.  Now everyone is more radical than me."  Upon being this weird thing called an adult, I tend to agree.  Much has been said about the polarization of the political and social spheres.  Being someone who has to think about all sorts of things all the time, and feeling the effects in my own life, I wonder if it is true if the cultural realms we inhabit are becoming more extreme with less space in the middle.

Upon reflection and weighing the alternatives, I do feel the middle is a lonely place (and this is an observation, not a complaint) as my life takes me between a dichotomy of roles on a daily basis.  I am both a public educator and homeschooling mother.  I am a Catholic mother with one boy and one girl (and my family ends there... shock.  Oh the laugh I had when a very serious doctor asked if we had adopted E because we wanted a girl to round out our family).  I know how to chant Mass Propers but would rather sing Lo How a Rose 'Ere Blooming and (shock - again!) The Servant Song, but will refuse to sing Gather Us In and cover my ears for City of God.  I practice traditional discipline techniques but let my kid watch TV but only certain programs.  Although I'm sure there are many families in similar circumstances living similar lives, they seem to be a bit quieter than those who gravitate toward one end or the other.

I mean what I write as no form of judgment or disdain for parenting styles, choice (or the lack of choice to do so) to be employed outside the home, family size, or any of those things.  However, the twelve weeks I spent at home, hunkered down away from the cold and germs, loving on my little family, sheltered away from every opinion on "how to do things" was balm, pure balm for my soul.  We ignored everything except Jesus, learning (done the way we do it... not having any time to read up on the latest technique for teaching whatever), and spending time with each other, and it was wonderful.  Now it's back to the thick of concept-based curriculum (public educator hat), Common Core horrors (homeschool hat), if you wear a denim skirt are you more feminine? versus how to wear outfits with skinny jeans and riding boots, Lenten practices, sexuality isms (radical traditional providentialism on one side and papers about same-sex attractionism on the other).  (Look - I've offended everyone now!)

Rather than trying to change the extremes I see around me (ha, the world needs to change, not me!), I hope and pray God will teach me to see all these things as He sees them.  A particular prayer laid on my heart this week has been to ask for the grace to not justify whatever it is in my life contrary to God.  It's easy to rationalize what I want to do and what I see as good as being a true, objective, moral good.  I don't mean this in a relativist manner at all - but I fear a world in which eating organic foods or certain educational trends is seen as objective moral goods and evangelized as such.  And also praying for the grace of understanding - not to accept as morally correct or incorrect the actions of others, but to recognize their innate dignity as a son/daughter of God and pray for whatever relationship God wants me to have with that person in order to bring about His plans for both of us.  (Apart from some Almighty acts, this is all very hopeful.)  Some would say these attitudes themselves are wishy-washy, and although I certainly don't plan to participate in any actions I find morally reprehensible or encourage anyone to do the same, it would seem a little more understanding and a little less "the road to Hell is paved with [skinny jeans] and [Common Core]" [insert your own keywords here] might be helpful.

Smiles!

Baby Girl has been delighting us with lovely smiles most every day now.  At first she was fairly reluctant to share her smiles, but with a little conversation and a full tummy, she lights up.

 Thinking about it...

 OK, maybe a little smile.

 Or a bigger smile...

So happy!

Pediatrician says she is the "picture of health" - beautiful news in our ears.  She is developing adorable little wrist and ankle rolls.  Little Sister 2 was asking the other day "what she has in her mouth" - wondering about those chubby cheeks.  Baby E loves to eat, so we've been kept busy banking up those formula coupons.  The other thing that amazes us is that she sleeps!  A baby that sleeps through the night at this age is amazing in my book, considering that someone who will be unnamed didn't sleep through the night until they were 3 years old.  She doesn't sleep all night every night, but often sleeps for 5-6 hours in a row, and 8 hours every 2-3 nights.  Amazing!

Have had three (of five) required follow-up visits with our social worker so far.  At the visit later this month we get to talk about the finalization process and finding a lawyer, scheduling a date, et cetera.  I'm shocked at how fast these months have been flying past.  I'm also pleasantly surprised at how "normal" we feel.  I imagined, given the less common method of growing our family, the adjustment would be unusual as well.  Although there has been more paperwork and more accountability (for lack of a better word), we feel like a family - meant to be together, bonded together, and oh so happy.

Half-Slice Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

I can't take credit for this recipe, but I did marry together a few different recipes and make some tweaks, so will post this, because it was fun to make and eat.  Hubby and I worked on it after The Boy was in bed for my Mother-in-Law's birthday - she likes pie better than cake, and it was a hit.  This pie is RICH - The Boy, who doesn't have a sweet tooth (lucky...) didn't like it, but it was a yummy once-in-awhile treat in my book.

A Half-Slice is Enough Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie (GF)
Crust:
1 1/4 c. salted dry roasted peanuts
1/2 c. white sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. heavy cream
Filling:
1 c. smooth peanut butter (*after making, would recommend decreasing to 2/3 c.)
1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (*recommend Neufchatel cheese)
8 oz. cool whip (or prepare similar amount from heavy whipping cream)
Topping:
1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Put peanuts and sugar in food processor and pulse until ground.  Or, we used a blender with success.  Cut in the softened butter.  Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  Bake 15 minutes.  Set aside to cool slightly.
While crust is cooling, melt chocolate chips and cream together in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and glossy, about 1-2 minutes.  Spread over the peanut crust and put in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
In a bowl, let cream cheese soften.  Blend together peanut butter and cream cheese until combined (it will look dry, that's okay).  Add the powdered sugar and combine completely.  Fold in whipped cream gently.  Spread over the crust and refrigerate overnight (or at least 3 hours).
If desired, add the topping.  Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave as above and spoon into a bag.  Cut a corner off the bag and drizzle over the top in whatever pattern you like.  Return to refrigerator.  If you want a firmer pie, place in the freezer for 1/2 - 1 hour before serving.

 Not health food.

 All drizzled up.

Be sure to add lots of candles.  Your MIL will particularly appreciate it if you forget there were re-lighting candles in the candle box... Oops.