Happy Easter!

It seems as though my days are busier than they ever were before and I don't know why.  I don't think I am  that much busier, but I know my mind is very preoccupied with things.  I imagine the flow of thoughts in my mind looks like this: I wonder if the people seeing our old house today will put an offer on it.  We just really need to sell it, even though we are still a bit attached to it.  Oh, we'll feel so rich when it's sold!!  Paul and I can take a grown-ups only vacation (although I don't know how we can be away from the kids for more than a few nights, and we could use a week!), and we can get a new video camera, one that doesn't flash repeatedly when exposed to outdoor light, and when one of the cars goes kaput we will have money to replace it/them, and maybe we can get a new TV that is less than 20 years old and has all the hookups needed to use a DVD player or VCR with it...I wonder what we'll do today now that it's raining again.  I love our new house, but water in the basement (though not nearly what it was in our old house which is now completely dry unlike this one) is driving us nuts and it's taking a bit of the joy out of it.  I wish I had a decorator's eye because the house has so much potential to look really, really good.  But I suppose I should maybe just focus on keeping the floors and laundry clean.  How many clothes does one kid need?  I really need to sort through and purge a bunch of stuff.  It's not right to launder over 5 days of clothes and still have the closets look so full.  I really should get Luke potty trained.  I really should get Sophia to drink out of a cup by herself instead of having to hold it for her.  Nadia will be schooling with us in a few months - yikes!  Thank goodness Easter is over and I can have chocolate now...I think I need some.


See how insane I am?  :-)  Sometimes I need to remind myself to "shut down" the thoughts and just "be."  And that is part of what this early morning post is.  Since Pia woke up early with some fussiness and I was able to put her back to bed, I found myself with the possibility of some quiet time to myself (at the expense of extra sleep) and I think I chose wisely in selecting the former.  It's amazing how much more cheerful and patient and loving I am when I've had some time to myself.  Yesterday I ran two errands while Paul took the kids for a walk after his work day was done.  When I came home, I was so content!  It was beautiful to be driving by myself, wandering aisles by myself, and, I'll admit, being tempted by a number of drive-thrus that beckoned to me as I drove across town (I'm proud to say I didn't cave in!).  It didn't matter that when I arrived home the kids flew over to me and suddenly seemed to be slowly dying due to their forced 1 hour away from Mommy.  It didn't bother me and make me feel smothered as it sometimes does.  I was able to enjoy their love (and dependency) because I had had that break.  And I am enjoying it this morning.

A friend and I are looking into taking the kids to a cheese factory for a tour.  We live in WI and I keep thinking how I need to get them to see up close how we make the awesome cheese we have here.  I mean, if cheese is going to be something that is a component of the majority of our meals, it makes sense that they develop an appreciate for the effort and time it takes, right?  And I'll be shameless and mention that, yes, I do hope that fresh samples are a part of the tour we end up taking.  I can't fool you!

Paul is a hard, hard worker and I am so proud of him.  He's had to turn down a number of extra-curricular opportunities lately and I know it was hard for him as he has the drive to be more active at our parish and in pro-life and conservative groups.  He stays awake some nights worrying about the future of our country, the future of the freedoms this country was built upon and the freedom our children should have in professing their faith.  I tell him to let God take the worry but who am I to speak on that?  I am blessed to know that he concern is out of great love for us.

Sometimes I feel like Paul and I are so connected that it would be impossible for anyone to fathom.  We make each other laugh multiple times each day!  To me, that seems like a beautiful and miraculous gift.  Is this the norm in other marriages?  I don't know, but I hope so.  We strengthen each other and support each other and sacrifice for each other on a regular basis and I can't help feeling like we've been given something rare in that.  I'm sure that's just how marriage is supposed to be, meant to be, and I hope that it is how most couples feel.  And I hope that this never goes away.

Something funny about a new neighbor we met the other day - she is originally from Europe (around Germany and the Baltic, I guess) and has a cute accent but is unique apart from that, too.  She isn't like our other old neighbor who is ultra-nosy, but she definitely speaks her mind and feels free to ask questions.  Like, when she found out we had four children and were willing to have more, she asked, "So, do you have a nanny, then?"  I laughed it off, not really thinking that a reply was necessary, but then she again said - more stating rather than questioning - , "So you do have a nanny, then."  And I had to tell her that, no, I don't have a nanny and in my mind I am thinking, wow - there really are people who think that having more than 3 children and keeping one's sanity requires employing a nanny.  I guess I had known that, but to hear it out loud was a little surprising.  And I don't want to let this thought end without mentioning that I am indeed blessed with regular help from Paul's mom, and the always open offers from my friends to help in any way possible should I need it.  And I should add that it's not just my job to raise these children - God entrusted them to both Paul and I - and we are fortunate that he has the time and energy and will to help raise them with me when he is not away from home providing for our family's needs.  So I am not alone in caring for them, even though they flock to me for all things.  :-)

In our new house, we have four bedrooms instead of three, and we have 3 1/2 bathrooms instead of 1 bathroom (and we did have one toilet in the basement, but not enclosed in a room)!  (Get out, right?  Trust me, we do NOT spend that much time in the bathroom to need 4 toilets!)  I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that we have more than 1 bathroom.  I still find myself going upstairs to use the bathroom when I actually have choices as to which bathroom I want to use.  It's crazy!  And I still feel like my bedroom is a hotel room.  It's only slightly bigger than our old bedroom, but it has a small bathroom (complete with a shower) attached to it.  So you can guess why I feel like I'm waking up in a hotel!

Well, my oldest three munchkins are awake now and I have to change a diaper and start getting them food.  :-)  So far it's been a beautiful Easter Tuesday.