Out of Hand: October 2021

Engineer Conversations

Sunday, October 31, 2021

In addition to asking "What state of matter is..." everything (fire, oatmeal, etc.), he comes up with amazing gems that are truly hilarious.

For example, when arriving at the beach, I say, "Okay, we're just going to go for a walk on the beach, kids!" He responds immediately, "long walks on the beach and puppies!" Yes, we might be ruining him. 😂

Saturday, October 30, 2021

When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, O Lord, sustains me.

-Psalm 94

Friday, October 29, 2021

For all the saints, who from their labors rest,

who thee by faith before the world confessed,

thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;

thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;

thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.

Alleluia, Alleluia!

A gem from this one this week:

"Mom, I think I don't want to be a priest anymore. I want to get married because if I were a priest, I'd have to miss out on having kids."

"Do you want to have kids, Bud?"

"Yeah." (He did say that as early as 4.)

Sunday, October 24, 2021

These people (except the 2-year-old) received a compliment from an older woman sitting directly behind us at Mass today. There was a time when old women sitting next to us visibly flinched at us instead... so we absolutely celebrate this progress!

Thursday, October 21, 2021

"Mom, sometimes when I tell my friends things, they don't believe me."

"They don't believe you?"

"Yes."

"What don't they believe?"

"They don't believe that my dad is the third strongest man in the world."

"Really? Why?"

"[John] said, 'I know your dad is strong, but he can't be the third strongest man in the world.'"

"Dad is pretty strong. Maybe [John] just doesn't want you to brag..."

[Smiles. Walks away.]

Parenting is hard. Sometimes I ask questions as opposed to explain big concepts like "tongue in cheek." He understands sarcasm and irony a lot of the time, however. So, he is learning!

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

I heard all the Legos being dumped, but it turned out to be Rosaries. 😅 He gave me his cheesiest grin right before the phone shutter released. So use your imagination:

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

He wanted a giant robot and a monster truck for his birthday. When he unwrapped them, he said with delight, "This is what I wanted!" Thank you, Pop Pop!

We bought some special decorations from Grandpa & Grandma's gift. Thank you! Mr. Serious loves large displays of affection. So, this "5" balloon made his entire day.

We brought it to school, which earned him lots of "Happy Birthdays!" He wanted everyone to know it was his birthday.

He asked for a monster truck cake, which DH attempted because he is fearless. Mr. Serious loved it.

He is in school full time and becoming more confident every day. He loves drawing, holds his pencil correctly, and writes his name. He likes all of his classmates, 75% of whom are male. He says everything in a shout, which I attribute to being 4th in a big family.

He has good manners, says, "excuse me," "please," and "thank you." He's all-boy: makes loud noises and loves physical contact. He is high impact! DH pointed out that Mr. Serious is "our best rule-follower." Everyone finds him delightful and enjoys his company.

We love him so much!

Current Stats:

Weight: 42 lbs., 2 oz., 61st %

Height: 3' 7", 53rd%

Previous well checks: Birth, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 15 months, 18 months, 2 years, 30 months, 3 Years, and 4 Years. We love him so much!

Monday, October 18, 2021

"Today is my birthday!" Mr. Serious shouted to his assistant teacher.

"Yes. They set this all up for you!"

"Really?!?!"

He ran into a classmate and began shouting and jumping for joy on Sunday evening. "That's my favorite friend in TK!"

"Awesome. What's his name?" -Mom

"I don't remember."

It's hard to put into words how much everyone loves Mr. Serious. He hardly gets upset, can laugh at himself, and generally goes with the flow, which is a huge assist in a family of our size. We sometimes call him our MVP.

This one went on ride after ride after ride until her parents couldn't take any more. She could have shut down the place, though.

He followed her around most of the time:

At one point these two came marching toward me looking far too happy:

I noticed there was something in Mr. Serious's hand. So, I took a closer look:

Apparently, there was an adult jail, which was one of the more comfortable places to be this afternoon. I would be a recidivist were I imprisoned. Life is way easier.

An adult had to ride the ferris wheel with kids younger than twelve:

I told these two to stick together. They surprised me by almost holding hands:

At some point, the Engineer went off with DH; and this one went on rides by himself. Just him and his thoughts:

These two had the best time of all:

Sunday, October 17, 2021

"Mom, if you didn't have me, you would be all alone."

-Sweet Pea

"Indeed. I'm so glad I have you!"

Additionally, she told everyone that she was having a "girls' time" and that she has "five brothers and no sisters". The cashier told her that she remembered her from last time. (Of course. 😂❤)

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Here we are, by the grace of God, eleven years strong!

I promise you fidelity in riches and in poverty, in sickness and in health, in loving you and honoring you for all the days of my life.

He honored me by splitting a porterhouse at Mastros. Thank you for the gifts, Mom & Dad and Pop Pop! Anniversaries are worth celebrating. We will pass the favors on to our kids.

I made this little video that demonstrates better than words how much we've packed into 11 years. I have no regrets, except for the times I was stingy with my affection for these wonderful people.

Here are our other anniversary celebrations:

Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two, One.

L.A. Day

No divas on the Hollywood Hill:

This is Griffith Park. The views are tremendous from here. The observatory itself was closed for Columbus Day.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels is the seat of an archdiocese of four million Catholics. There are several mosaics of Our Lady of Guadalupe. This one has a relic of the tilma:

This life-size sculpture of St. Joseph is my favorite, a challenge for me but also an encouragement:

The description: The sculpture is Slatoff's artistic depiction of the narrative of Saint Joseph and his relationship with the young Jesus. Depicting St. Joseph as he stops his work and tenderly picks up his young son, the sculpture is a visual meditation on the meaning of fatherhood. (Adoption, Christopher Slatoff, 2011)

One from brunch at Shake Shack because this is also a favorite stop! DH grabbed everyone seats facing the ocean.

Friday, October 15, 2021

This is my favorite local hike. We've never been able to hike the entire trail because the littles get tired. However, the big boys went much further on their own. The views are spectacular.