Hello, hello... is this thing on?

Cupcake told me this is her "neutral face".

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Is anybody still reading? I don't even know. I have a post that I'm working on, but it's a birthday post and I know those annoy some people. Maybe that's why I'm having a hard time finishing it.

So much has been going on... The Professor sent off his first college application! He's got a few more in the works, but this one is his first choice school. Cupcake turned 4! Sunshine is joining Rain and getting glasses... so am I. They aren't here yet. Maybe I'll post picture when they arrive. Maybe not...

There is one special request I have for anyone still out there. Could you help spread the word about this amazing priest and the work he is doing to encourage the love of literacy in his parish? This is the wonderful priest who said the Mass and gave the blessing at my in-laws' Golden Anniversary celebration. He's really a great guy and this cause is worth supporting. Thanks!

From Fr. Jerabek himself:

Thank you for your support, and above all, thank you for your prayers! The Lord is doing a beautiful work in our midst and I pray that the children who pass through our doors will indeed develop a love of reading and learning, and have a brighter future as a result.

Taking a break...

Totally random picture...

{Please note: I'm not feeling sorry for myself or depressed or fishing for compliments. Just addressing a reality of my online life right now and how I am going to try to deal with it. If you have any other suggestions, I'd be happy to listen! Comments are closed below, but you can always reach me via email by clicking the pretty envelope button in the corner.}

I first turned to the internet and blogging to help break me out of a pattern of seeing the negative everywhere I looked. I was so focused on the ugly, I needed to shake it off and force myself to focus on the beautiful. Nowadays, I know I need a break from the internet when I start seeing the negative everywhere again. Hmmmm… maybe I'm one of FB's lab rats. Although, most of the negative I'm seeing isn't coming from FB as much as it's coming from the blog community that I used to know and love. The promoting, the back-scratching, the business disguised as blessing, the marketing, the selling, the cliques.

Recent online conversations have lost me friends. I'm pretty guarded about who I agree to friend on FB and IG… I have to feel like I really know someone. So, not having public accounts, it's pretty obvious when I get "unfriended". Anyway, I'm sure that sort of thing wouldn't bother most people. I myself am tempted to just write it off as immaturity. But it still stings when you thought you knew someone. And you thought someone knew you. And liked you for who you were, warts and all. 

You see, I'm not the kind of person to see one argument or disagreement as a reason for ending a friendship (although too many arguments and disagreements might be justification for letting a friendship end naturally). In fact, I usually go out of my way to try to learn more about people I don't understand… like read their autobiographies and ebooks. Some of my best friends are people that I have had some intense disagreements with because we took the time to work through our differences of opinion instead of just clicking "unfollow". But this time, I'm thinking that maybe this needs to be the catalyst for something that has been brewing for a good long while. Not quitting, just stepping back.

Melissa Wiley was hosting a discussion about social media vs. blog communication, pros and cons of both. That conversation has inspired Lissa to take a new look at her blog and ask what people would like to see more of from her. For me, it's kind of done the opposite. Maybe it's time for less. But that conversation alone is an interesting read (especially the combox) if you are the kind of person who likes learning about other people's perspective.

That is the one good thing I still love about the internet. The things I've learned… did you know that some people find NFP really burdensome and that their obedience is a huge effort? I didn't until I'd heard it talked about on the internet. Did you know that some single people in the Church get really annoyed at all the "oh NFP is so hard, why can't the Church supports us better" or "I'm so fertile I'm neck deep in babies" kind of posts. I never thought of that before reading some comments on a post just this morning that addressed all of the above. So, maybe that's what I need to focus on. Just reading and learning. I have no set plan here. No time of sabbatical in mind. I'm just giving myself permission to take a break. 

Happy Independence Day... especially to those who have fought for our freedom and continue to do so!

Let's Party!

So, after I redesigned my blog, I turned my attention to the pages tabs I have up there at the top. I cleaned up the Book Reviews page and added some reviews that I'd done recently. I also started having waaaayy too much fun on Picmonkey and cleaned up the Party Page. It was previously just a plain boring list of our party themes. Now it's filled with pretty pictures like these…

      

Each one can be clicked. And after this weekend, I'll have two more to add to them!

Now, I know that our parties are not what most people are interested in for their family so basically, it's a pretty page where my kids can find their birthday posts from years ago when they are feeling nostalgic. But a new friend of mine was recently shocked that I made that pirate ship cake myself and that made me realize that maybe some of you haven't been reading here for very long and you might like to poke around and share in some of our silliness or get an idea or two for a party of your own. My caveat is this…

Please don't say that I am some kind of "super mom". That's really not a compliment if you think about it. Every mom who loves her kids is a super mom. I enjoy decorating cakes and God gave me a talent for it. I enjoy planning a party and I enjoy doing crafts and all of these things for my kids on their birthdays even if it's just for us. But I don't think it's the way everyone should have a birthday party. A simple day filled with joy and mirth can be just as celebratory!

Nicknames…

So, the whole *Cutesy Nickname debate came to a head in my house this past weekend when I decided to sit down with my big kids and ask them what they thought. Cuz' you know... at 16, 14 and 13… they are allowed and encouraged to have their own say and express their own thoughts.

Most everyone, including the almost 10 year old, were totally fine with their nicknames and even liked them. When offered the option to use their real name or a fake name that sounds like a real name or even their confirmation name, they all declined. Anyone who knows my oldest son, knows that "The Professor" really is who he is. It's far from "cutesy"… it's reality. The boy studies weather maps, has his own weather radio, reads Latin for fun, has a map of Middle Earth on his bedroom wall and has read every book in our house at least twice, I'm sure.

My youngest son stated that he was quite proud to be called Bigboy since he sincerely hopes to someday be taller than his 5'11" older brother. He thinks being the biggest baby I birthed (weighing in at 8lbs. 9oz.) is proof of that inevitability. I think he's well on his way. Sunshine's life, like any teenage girl, is not always "sunshine and roses" but she tries to have a sunny disposition and can usually be placated with chocolate and yarn when the hormones get tough. See?---------->

Shortcake is the only one who said that she feels like maybe she's outgrown that name. (Truth be told, she was the one I struggled with the most when first coming up with nicknames.) She still likes it because of the spunky quality she thinks it imbues, but she'd like to change her name to something that suits her personality a little more now and one that compliments "Sunshine" too. Those two are as close as twins, I tell you (even though they can be as different as night and day)!

So from here on, "Shortcake" will be called "Rain". Personally, I love it! Sunshine and Rain. If you know my two girls at all, you know that Sunshine really is a beam of sunshine and light. And Rain, well, she likes things a little mysterious and broody… just like a cold rainy day.

So, to anyone who feels insulted or unwelcome here because I haven't shared their real names with you personally, please feel free to email me and I will let you know their real names. I don't have a problem with them being known. I just have a problem with them being always and forever tied to this blog. 

To those of you who are "change resistant" and think that it's just gonna be too hard to make the switch, I'm sorry, but this is one of those times when I have to go with my child's wishes.

To the people who are still uber-concerned about safety and privacy... I get it. Those of us who can't help but be plagued by all the "what ifs" regarding our children's safety and security would love to be able to just let that go, but it's so ingrained; it's part of who we are. It's kind of the way God made us. (I'm betting most of you are oldest children too, am I right?) And if you aren't that kind of person, but you are doing it because of your spouse's wishes, then God bless you! What a wonderful sign of respect.

To the people who said that using real names meant they were more careful about the things that they shared about their children, good for you! I see nothing wrong with anyone using their child's real name. It's simply a matter of preference. Even though I use nicknames, I always ask my children if it's OK to post what I post. I'm very considerate of their wishes. My older three regularly read my blog and have even started commenting sometimes so I really have to give them fair consideration. We all have our reasons for doing what we do.

To the people who just can't bring themselves to type these "cutesy names" in a comment box, feel free to refer to my children by their ages. Or "your daughter" or "your son". I'm smart enough to figure out who you are talking about. ;)

*If you are using cutesy in your head and it sounds more like an insult than just an adjective, you might want to reevaluate that. What you consider "cutesy" might be something she's conceded to out of love for someone else and that should be commended. It also tends to build a box around someone and label them. I hate to be put in a box. Cutesy is in the eye of the beholder and what you might consider gooey or saccharine sweet might be something your fellow blogging Catholic mama loves. It's all good, right?

Feedback on your feedback...

First of all, thank you so much for your feedback, whether you left a comment or sent an email, I really do appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts with me. Let me just say first of all that I doubt I will ever quit blogging. Don't worry about that! Yes, there are moments of angst and moments of rethinking how I blog, but I am just enough of an extrovert that I need to keep blogging. But the hard part about being an extrovert who blogs is that extroverts don't just like to talk in a vacuum. It really is the give and take of the conversation that we thrive on, not just the talking. In fact, most people I know who love to just talk and talk and talk without really looking for feedback lean more to the introverted side. Not all introverts, just some.

One of the biggest things I've noticed about the change in blogging is that there are significantly less people commenting and that's across the board. Big blogs, small blogs, professional blogs. A friend pointed out that some very famous, big name bloggers who used to get hundreds of comments per post have dropped to less than a hundred on a regular post (hundreds only if it's a giveaway). I think there are a combination of factors that have contributed to this. Cell phone readers, the duplicity of places to comment (Instagram, FB, Twitter, etc…), and the natural changes in family life are all contributing factors. While I do believe that blogs are not dead, the heyday of blogging has come and gone and bloggers need to accept that.

 Change is inevitable in all things, including the blog world. When I mentioned "changes in family life" one of the things I meant was the way my family has grown. I will frequently walk by the family computer and see my kids reading my blog. So, I definitely consider them too when I blog now in a way that I didn't before. Three of them are now teenagers so respecting their privacy is a huge consideration.

I can't complain too much because I know that my personal commenting has changed. When I first started blogging, bloggers were also readers and commenters, not just bloggers. I made a commitment this week to try to increase my commenting but even then, I didn't get a chance to comment as much as I would have liked. Regarding the specific book club question I asked, I think what I had decided on was pretty much confirmed. I am going to continue blogging the way I have and if anyone needs specific details, they can email me for more info.

So, thank you so much for helping me work through this moment of reflection. Now, it's crunch time for Christmas prep. You all have a wonderful weekend!

Some feedback, please...

Doing a lot of thinking these days about the changes in the blog world and where and how I still fit in. I won't bore you with the details right now because they are still kind of rambling around in my head. I know I am not alone. And it's not some sort of pity party I want to have because I don't expect things to stay the same forever (no matter how much I might want them too). I know that people grow and change, so, it's kind of trying to find this old blog's place in all that newness.

Anyway, one of the things that I have noticed is that when I first started blogging, everyone was sharing ideas and thoughts. Sharing their own, or sharing what they had seen someone else do that inspired them in some small way. There were carnivals of loveliness with introductions to what someone had written instead of just cold, unfeeling linky-do thingamaboppers. (I'm kidding, sort of… those carnivals took a lot of time, I know! And a linkz thingy is so much easier and practical, but it seems like EVERYONE has a link-up going on these days, I can't even keep track of them all.) There were new ideas to celebrate ancient feast days and also the sharing of old traditions that had been in families for generations that were seeing the light of day in other parts of the country/world thanks to the internet.

Now, the blog world has become so chockfull of ideas that it feels overwhelming to a lot of people. I really don't want to add to that overwhelming feeling and I think maybe I have unknowingly because I was still blogging based on the premise that sharing our ideas and our talents so that they might inspire someone else was what it was all about.  I've always thought of this blog as a means of recording and archiving our days so that my children can look back on them someday and remember. But the fact of the matter is that it takes time to post things and if I knew that most people who still come to this place to read are just keeping up with someone they consider a family friend and not looking for ideas or to be inspired, then I would blog very differently. I was really intrigued when Sarah put up a survey and have thought of doing the same thing… but that takes time and now is not the season of extra time. So, let me just ask a quick question…

BigBoy's Kitchen Madonna in my kitchen. Didn't he do a great job?

The Book Club 9-1-1 posts… are you all interested in knowing in detail what we do or is it just something interesting to read about and then move on from? For example… our most recent meeting was to study and discuss The Kitchen Madonna by Rumor Godden {affiliate link}. It's one I've done before with my big kids. Last time I did it, there was a sizable outcrying of people who wanted specific information on the talk and the craft. This year's craft was a little different from the last one but writing up tutorials and publishing documents to Scribd takes time and I just don't feel like doing it if there isn't a sizable interest (meaning more than just a passing interest). So, I'd love to hear from you and please, don't be afraid to be honest with me. If you are not in a place to be actively interested in posts like this and while they interest you as a possible future idea, you really don't think you'd ever really sit down and attempt it, please let me know. If you like seeing the pretty pictures but really don't care about details, please let me know that. If you want details like where to buy and how much it costs and want templates to print off right now, let me know that too. I know everyone is super busy, so I really appreciate your feedback!

New email!

I am changing my blog email address. 

If you need to contact me, you can send me an email at: