Night Walk with my Little Loves

We discussed crickets mostly. “Mom, if I kill a cricket does that make Jesus sad?” the bigger empath of the two of them asked. We made a distinction between crickets outside and crickets inside. It’s the simple things…

Also, I love the above photo because they picked their own shoes. 

 It’s such a blessing to have little people who want nothing more than to be with you.

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Quiet Morning

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”  -1 Peter 4:18

 

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The Fifth’s Fifth

I don’t know what we would do without this kid. He asked for a monster truck cake and McDonalds. No party. No big presents. He is obsessed with Spider-Man. So we bought him a new costume and a Lego action figure.

DH said this was his favorite kid party so far because the Fifth just got to be a kid. The “party” was family dinner and 21 candy bags he prepped for his classmates with judicious fairness.

He was visited by the rector at school. 

His classmates sang to him. And his teacher gave him a birthday crown. 

He is such a people person that those things alone made his day. But then a new classmate bought him Spider-Man walkie talkies.

He ate buttermilk pancakes, maple sausage, whipped cream, berries, and orange juice to start his day. When he woke up, the first one up, he came out wrapped in his dinosaur blanket like a cape. He found his big balloon and the TLC began.

 We can’t get enough of him!!

Current stats:

38 lbs., 30th%

3'6", 31st%

Previous Stats:

Four Years, Three Years, Thirty Months, Two Years, Fifteen Months, One Year, Nine Months, Six Months, Four Months, Two Months, One Week, Birth.

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First Day of School!

This year’s was the first sunny back-to-school-morning we’ve had since moving here! I told the kids that means it’s going to be a great year! Here they are in TK2, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 7th. The TKer wandered off talking to people; and the 7th grader informed me that it was “so embarrassing” taking this family photo. He’s not doing one again. Unfortunately, DH said there’s no way we’re missing the photo of the one year all of our kids are in the same school! 🙏🏻❤️ Pray for the teachers! St. Jude photo bomb was intentional.

 

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The Penthouse Suite

This “penthouse suite” was in our price range. The Big Three designated Five for this spot. 

“Did you see your son?” DH asked early Sunday morning? “Which one?” I asked. “The Fifth,” he responded. And this is how I found him, ostensibly having slept here all night. 

These kids were so proud of themselves for making this fort and designating a spot for each of them to sleep. According to Sweet Pea, they built some and “then there was some fighting but we worked it out.”

This was her spot:

The Firstborn took the center, largest spot with the 8’ bean bag for himself, naturally. It seems there’s a Louie Anderson skit about that…

This one was for Sol, who slept in his own room. I would have done the same. Intelligent life.

The kids proudly telling me how they made a special place for each one while I said, “Oh, no, friends! Oh no. Who is going to clean that up?” All the “we wills!” followed but were realized only with extensive prompting.

At the end of the day, this reminds me of my childhood. I’m glad that their lives are happy enough that they can be creative because they have no real worries in life.

 

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A Day in the Life

 

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Fishing Derby

The Exchange Club of San Clemente is graciously sponsoring 15 spots for Sandy Feet kids and teens for their annual fishing derby! Win a prize for the Biggest Fish, the Most Fish Caught, and the Youngest to Catch a Fish.

We get invites like this frequently thanks to living in a state with keen autism awareness. The number of opportunities we’ve been given for free is rather astounding. 

Sweet Pea won a prize for youngest kid to catch a fish. Now all three bigs have caught fish.

The Dana Point Ritz Carlton from the Pacific:

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Striving

“…love has a need to dedicate itself and dedicate itself without measure…” -St. Peter Julian Eymard

We've been taking more time as a family, despite our work and study obligations. We trust the Lord to work it all out for our good somehow. All is grace. -repeated by so many, but today in the Magnificat's Meditation by Ven. Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. 

We've been working hard to make friends for five years. Today, someone canceled plans with us at the last minute. I wish I could say that this wasn't an adult or that this wasn't a frequent occurrence; but that would be a lie. The truth is that there are very few adults who do what they say they will do.

When we find one, we find a treasure. We have exactly one couple out here who meets that description. And we are blessed. I continue to tell our kids not to commit unless they know they can keep their commitments. They may not cancel commitments they've already made -- short of a serious emergency. It's just not mature. What if DH or I just didn't show up because we didn't feel like it? Regardless, here we are. Us against the world. I'm so grateful that I get to be with these people on this journey!

They are such a joy.

Yes, we have moments of unpleasantries. Perhaps many of them. But we're working it out.

The kids generally enjoy being around each other.

The bigs are cheered up by the littles on the regular.

There are three sets of best friends.

This BFF shared on the way home, "I'm glad we live here and not in LA or New York City. It's so peaceful here. I feel relaxed." Indeed. Being at the ocean will do that to a person. The ocean is five miles away as the crow flies, fifteen minutes driving.

The Fourth is an amazing talker when one-on-one. Every shot I took of him had his mouth open.

My mother-in-law told me that I will look back on these as my "golden years." I keep praying that I age with grace. So far, the years are better and better; and I would not want to go back and repeat anything.

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