A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

preparing for our big First Communion weekend.  We have lots of family coming, so I am cleaning, putting together a guest room and making a big delicious menu!  I truly am in disbelief that M is old enough for this big occasion.  I am fairly certain that I may cry on Saturday, so let’s pray I stay at happy tears and not veer into the ugly cry, hah!  

sticking close to home as we’ve had workers in and out all week fixing our basement from the flood damage.  They are doing great work, but many of our things have been displaced around the house and with our big weekend coming up, it’s left me a little stressed.  Trying to remember that some things are out of my control and that’s okay. 

dying at the cute things Sophie says.  When TJ had a blowout, she ran upstairs and got him a new outfit.  I said, “Thank you for helping me!” and she replied, “Problem!” (meaning no problem).

reading Beyond the Birds and the Bees.

loving the ferns I picked up at Lowes last weekend.  It might quite possibly make me an 80 year old grandma, but they really do make me happy.  Now if I can keep them alive…

finishing (finally!) a project that’s been on my to-do list for over a year: we turned the cross-stitched superheroes into throw pillows for the boys’ beds.  The boys were in charge of the colors and design and they are all so proud.  Sophie was a little jealous, so I am quickly getting to work on a princess version.  


testing M.  It was pretty painless and I think he did well.  We just sent it off to Seton and hope to receive the results soon!

participating in a new site called Shopping with Blessed Zelie.  Their mission is to support small Catholic businesses and shop-owners and I am so lucky to be able to share Big White Farmhouse through them.  Each week, a new business will take over the blog to share about what they sell and do.  Big White Farmhouse’s turn will be sometime in July!  

running less as I taper in preparation for the half.  Just one more week until the race!  I am feeling all the emotions (which sort-of feel like preparing for childbirth): excitement, fear of the unknown, pride for what I’ve accomplished…so ready to knock this goal from my life list!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

thankful that my people are slowly starting to feel better.  The littlest two still have sniffles, but that’s still a huge improvement from last week!


assembling Sophie’s new table.  I had reward points from Wayfair burning a hole in my pocket and decided she needed a little table for her tea parties.  She loves it and has been inviting her daddy and brothers to tea all week.


kicking myself for missing the Catholic Women Blogging Network’s Mid-Atlantic Conference this weekend because of an oversight!  I kept thinking that it coincided with M’s First Communion, only to realize they were actually a week apart!  I’m bummed, but hoping I can attend the next one.

baking blueberry cake.  Sunday night at bedtime, I told Sophie that when she woke up, we would make blueberry bread.  She got excited, then stopped, looked me in the eyes and said, “No Mama.  Make blueberry CAKE.”  How can you say no to that?  So we did.

reading Beyond the Birds and the Bees.

working on new product ideas for Big White Farmhouse and considering ways to get our name out there.  Marketing is by far the weakest aspect of my business.  I’ve been learning all I can, watching others and slowly making a plan to implement myself.

watching Sophie dance around the house. Having a girl is so different and fun.

running again and it’s just what this introverted, over-tired mama needed.  As I get older (and have more children), I’m realizing how important it is for me to be alone and in my own head for a bit.  

brainstorming ideas for a summer book club, hosted with Tabitha and Shelly.  We’re still in the planning stages, but hope to be ready by June 1.  Stay tuned!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

tired.  One by one, everyone from Mark down to TJ has been hit with a sickness that just won’t go away. Barking coughs, sweats and chills, small fevers…they’ve all been miserable and I’ve been doing my best to keep everybody comfortable.  We’ve been watching lots of movies and adding in “fun stuff” to keep things interesting (ie. bubble blowing, going out for milkshakes and ordering pizza).  I hope we can all get back to normal soon.

not running.  Not once; I couldn’t get away!  After 10 full weeks of training, it feels weird, but I think my body appreciates the unintended break.  Hoping to get back in the swing of things this weekend.    

realizing that “quiet time” doesn’t have to equal total silence to be fruitful.


grateful.  Mark was in a car accident last week (he’s fine) and we were worried that his car would be totaled.  Thankfully, it’s fixable and covered by insurance…we can avoid a car payment a bit longer!   

reading A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined House in France. 

grossed out when J literally picked a fly from his eye.  He ran in the house from playing outside saying his eye hurt and then with some rubbing, came to me with dead fly in hand.  Ick.  

donating money to a friend running for a great cause.  I’d love to race and raise money for charity someday…maybe for half marathon number two!

selling our unneeded homeschool books on ebay.  It feels good to get this goal checked off my list. Now hopefully they will sell!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

prioritizing my daily to-dos differently.  I am typically a brain dump/get it all on paper kind of planner.  But lately, as I’ve felt constantly behind and generally unaccomplished, I’ve realized my technique may actually be causing more stress.  So instead, I have started writing three big items that I want to accomplish that day.  Just three.  I write down other things too, but the goal is cross off my top three.  So far, it’s working and I’ve been going to bed feeling peaceful.  

delighting in my children.  Motherhood is HARD but it doesn’t have to be miserable.  After a draining winter, I’m adopting a new mindset and wow, my soul needed it.  Trying to find the good in my everyday, intentionally being joyful and mirroring that to my children, and remembering how truly blessed I am.  Everything I have is a gift.

reading A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined House in France. 


cooking lots of new things.  I’ve made pancakes twice for breakfast and am perfecting my hearts and stick men.  I also made Smoked Sausage Alfredo Bake and One Pot Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli and Rice.  Both were delicious. 


laughing at J as he repeatedly calls shorts “short sleeve pants”.  

ordering M’s standardized testing.  It is a homeschooling requirement in our state and I’m curious to see how he’ll do.  He’s a little nervous, so I’m already making plans to make the day special.  Maybe some Smarties candy between tests?    


dying at the way Sophie says silly – she pronounces it “see-yee” with a little twinkle in her eye and it’s the cutest thing ever.


running without music during my short runs.  Another attempt at less noise, less auditory clutter and more quiet.


caring for D, who has been feeling sick most of the week.  I’m not sure if he’s come down with a spring cold or maybe it’s allergies.  Thursday morning, he asked if he could just lay on the couch and rest.  So unlike him!  He also skipped out on soccer voluntarily, so I know he’s feeling crummy.  Hopefully he’ll be back to himself soon.
 
watching episodes of Fixer Upper and wishing I could renovate an old home!  My dream of owning a farmhouse is back with a passion.

making Big White Farmhouse a priority again.  The ideas are rolling again and I’m feeling really excited for what’s to come.  We are currently having a big spring sale until next Wednesday: 20% off with the coupon code “HELLOSPRING”!


homeschool notes:
+ We had a really great week in history.  We read the story of Cyclops and made origami eyes.  We also learned all about the first Olympics, made olive wreath crowns and are gearing up for a family Olympics this weekend.  Sunday dinner will also be a Greek feast!

There’s a fun game going around Instagram where you share 20 facts about yourself and then tag a few friends to do the same.  I kept getting interrupted trying to write my list on my phone, so I just decided to share on the blog!  Here are 20 things you probably didn’t know about me:


1. I tend to squint when I smile big, making for really great pictures as you can see above.
2. I have a big sweet tooth and my favorite treat in the whole world is a doughnut.  I prefer chocolate frosted or sprinkle, but I’ve never been known to turn a doughnut away, especially a fresh one.
3. After watching from the sidelines for years, I started running in the spring of 2012 and it’s changed my life for the better.  Also helpful to combat #2.  
4. I’m running my first half marathon next month and I think it would be fun to run one in every state.  My husband thinks I’m crazy.
5. Math was my favorite subject in school.
6. When I was pregnant with TJ, I craved and ate tomatoes every day.  It truly was my first healthy craving during pregnancy; my usual choices are cheeseburgers and ice cream.
7. I don’t like mashed potatoes, but will eat them scalloped or as hashbrowns.  It’s a texture thing.
8. When I graduated middle school, I was named “Most Likely to be a Librarian” and was mortified.  I mean, how uncool is a librarian?  Now, at 30, I think it’d make a pretty awesome job.
9. I’m not a big drinker, a fact that doesn’t bother me, but surprises other people.
10. I always thought I’d be a mother to a lot of boys, but I’m so grateful God had other plans and gave me Sophie too.  I’m a better person because of her.
11. My dream is to move to a farmhouse on an acre (or five or ten) of land.  There aren’t tons of options where we live (hello suburbia!), but I’m hoping we can find a diamond in the rough someday.
12. I never really liked coffee until my third baby was born.  Now I drink two cups a day and only with a splash of milk.  Funny the lengths you’ll go to combat exhaustion.
13. The only time I’ve left the country was for World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002.  
14. My husband is my best friend and he can make me laugh more than any other person.
15. I hate being late and try to be at every commitment at least ten minutes early.  “Hurry up and wait” is my motto, which I get from my grandmother and my father.
16. I’ve had epidurals for all of my babies and don’t regret it.  
17. We had a really small wedding with only our family and best friends present, about 35 people in all.  It was perfect and a weekend that we still talk about.
18. We’re celebrating our 10 year anniversary this fall.  I can’t believe how fast the time has gone.
19. If I were to go back to school, I think I would study graphic or interior design.
20. I’m so thankful for all of the women I’ve met through the blog and social media.  It’s so encouraging to have relationships with like-minded mothers and I know they’ve made me feel less alone in this stage in my life.  I wish I could have everyone over for dinner!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

enjoying a few days of spring weather (one day was in the mid-70s!) before it turned cold and rainy.  I know warm temperatures are on their way, but gosh is it hard to wait when we get previews like Monday! 

making homemade bread in the bread machine and the kids love it.  I made three loaves in two days!   


receiving new product for Big White Farmhouse.  We restocked the You are My Sunshine and Best Buds garden markers, as well as the napkin rings. 


smiling at sweet Sophie’s latest: As we were about to leave the house, she went through the names of all her brothers, asking if they were coming with us.  After I answered, she paused, pointed to her feet and asked, “Me boots come too?”   

dealing with a home owner disaster: our water heater flooded! Mark fortuitously discovered the water while looking for something in our basement.  It was about nine at night and we spent the next couple hours using every towel we own (and blankets and sheets), sopping it all up.  A new water heater and a smaller savings account later, we’re almost back to normal.

running my first tempo run for my training and feeling great!  9 mile long is coming this weekend.

reading A Fifty-Year Silence: Love, War, and a Ruined House in France 

preparing to try container gardening for the first time.  I’m determined that this is the year I find my green thumb!  We’re still deciding how much we want to tackle, but tomatoes, peppers and herbs are on the list.

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

looking for quiet and Holy Week seemed to be the perfect time to start.  Less time on the computer, less stressing over long to-do lists, and less “noise” created for myself.  I feel like I’ve become a little overwhelmed with life in general and I’m taking the first steps to slow down and re-evaluate.  

trying ring bearer and flower girl outfits on Sophie and J.  They are adorable and can’t wait for the wedding.  J keeps saying, “How much longer ’til we’re goin’ to our weddin’?” and I have to remind him that they are going to be in a wedding, not attending their wedding. 

keeping my Fitbit in my dresser drawer.  I have worn it every single day since last June (!!) and the change has been similar to feeling like I forgot to put on my wedding band.  The reason behind the Fitbit’s retirement is complicated…it’s just time.

watching Sophie rotate between her three new pairs of shoes, sometimes on an hourly basis.  As much as she is a sword-fighting ninja, the girl loves herself some footwear!  She was in heaven in the shoe aisle at Target, oohing and awwing and declaring “these cute” over and over again.  We were there for Easter shoes and summer sandals, but she ended up with a pair of cowgirl boots (picked out by her Daddy) too.    

reading See You in a Hundred Years and Overcoming Dyslexia (I’m finally almost done!)

listening to the kids and their sweet knock-knock jokes: “Knock knock?” “Who’s there?” “Love you.”  “Love you who?” “I love you Mama.” (J’s latest) 

missing a handful of my workouts at the recommendation of my husband.  I’m training at a level I never have before and the combination of that with poor sleep due to a teething baby…well, I’m a bit fried.  Yesterday’s run was hard but good (holy moly, the wind was brutal) and I’m prepping for my first 8-miler Saturday!  

homeschool notes:
+ We had a short week due to Holy Week.  We’re also taking a week off for spring break, which is our first since Christmas.    
+ In science, we learned about the phases of the moon and created them using Oreos.  
+ M is reading The Hobbit and while I thought it may be too hard for him, he’s taking it slow and loving it!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

in shock how fast this week went!  I blinked and we’re already here at Friday.  The days are only going to get busier for us too – soccer starts next week!  

running outside when Mark gets home.  I love every minute of those four mile runs…I can be in my own head for a little bit, which I’m finding is necessary as an introvert with five loud kids.  Saturday is scheduled for seven miles, a distance I’ve never done before.  I’m excited and nervous.

decluttering like a crazy lady.  I’ve been trying to be very aware of the things entering our house, so how do I still have so much stuff?  It’s a little overwhelming, but I’m taking it one closet and plastic bin at a time.  

finishing Where’d You Go, Bernadette (I liked it!) and still working through Overcoming Dyslexia. 

planning Easter: finishing up baskets, choosing outfits and making a menu for dinner.  Simple but special is my motto.

working on Sophie’s room and I’m almost done!  Her headboard arrived and it is just how I pictured it.  I still need to find a lamp and some throw pillows, plus a few other odds and ends, but I’d say her room is about 80% complete. 

homeschool notes:
+ In science, we started our space unit.  We did a general summary and then watched a few Magic School Bus episodes.   
+ Our Greek study started in history.  We made Grecian vases using a scratch technique, which was really fun for all of us. (I made one too!)  Yesterday was the highlight of the week,though: we made Mycenaean shields and helmets from cardboard!  
+ M has been flying through beginner chapter books, so we decided to let him try something a little harder.  He is now reading Detectives in Togas and loves it!

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

trudging through a hard week…there has been a lot of bickering and tears among the older kids.  I know it has something to do with the long winter days stuck inside without sports or friends, but it’s still so draining.  I’ve also got an adorable but clingy, teething baby.  Another reason I’m feeling like a burnt out mama.  Some weeks are like that.

surprising the kids on Monday with a trip to a new park.  We were all so excited to be outside in the spring-like weather and I even extended the celebration by getting ice cream cones on the way home.  D declared that it was “the bestest day ever”.  Unfortunately, the warm weather didn’t last long and we’re even supposed to get a rain/snow mix today!  

reading Overcoming Dyslexia (this book is so fascinating, but I can only read small chunks at a time in order to digest it) and I just started Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

shaking my head at my slightly dramatic daughter.  She fell down in our yard and somehow scraped her thumb.  It was minor, so I put a Bandaid on and thought that was that.  Oh no.  She has been walking around all week with her hand clung to her chest saying, “Oh Mama…me hand hurt.”  Her pathetic little voice kills me, but the act is getting old.    

researching how to fit four boys in one bedroom.  We need two sets of bunk beds, but can’t decide what to do.  Go for the more affordable option with a shorter lifespan or invest in better quality with the higher price tag?  

baking chocolate chip cookies and I even ate a few too.  It’s been that kind of week.

trying something new with a cucumber facial mask.  I am an Influenster member and I received a handful of samples to try for free.  So when I found myself with a window of free time (Mark was at church and the kids were all asleep…can you hear the angels singing?), I figured I’d see what this was all about.  After I applied it on my face, it hardened and I was able to peel it right off.  It was the weirdest feeling, but my skin felt awesome afterward!      

running three miles three times a week and a long run on Saturday.  I’ll be running six tomorrow and I always get the nerves and butterflies the day before.  Trying to remember that I am stronger than I think.

homeschool notes:
+ History was all about early Crete this week.  We learned about bull jumpers and even found a short video to visualize it.  The boys’ favorite was listening to the story of King Minos and the Minotaur.  We worked through a few mazes and then pulled out a Lego game that fit in with the theme perfectly.  We’ll be rounding out the week with a volcano eruption!
+ In order to expand M’s reading, I’ve issued a challenge: read 100 books and he’ll get a prize at the end.  We printed off this chart and he colors in a circle after he reads a book and can summarize it to me.  Beginner chapter books (which I am encouraging him to read) count for one circle, but if he wants to read picture books (also encouraged, especially when he reads aloud to Sophie), he needs to read four.  He loves it!
+ In Kindergarten, we ended our work on uppercase letters and are headed back around to look at the lowercase ones.  I have seen so much improvement in D’s recall – so exciting!
+ We practiced our uppercase letters by “painting” them with water on our chalkboard wall.  Everyone got in on the fun. 

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

trying on and keeping a few pieces from my first Stitch Fix box in about 18 months.  It’s been awhile and my postpartum body is still far from normal, but I thought it might be fun to give myself a little extra motivation.  It did the trick; I kept a dress and an embroidered top.   

laughing about J’s latest observation during our first spring-like day: “Look, we’re twins!  We both don’t have socks, we just have toes.”

reading The Secret Keeper (almost done!) and Overcoming Dyslexia.


running Week Five in my half marathon training and feeling strong.  I even got a chance to run outside – 55 degrees!  Pumping myself up for a five mile long run tomorrow.

drinking a really delicious post-workout smoothie: frozen fruit, milk and half a scoop of vanilla protein powder.    

working a little everyday on Sophie’s room.  We moved the guest bed into her room and the duvet I ordered on ebay arrived.  Now we’re waiting for the headboard to be delivered…my first time ordering big furniture online!   

taking care of Mark.  He pulled a muscle in his back while working out and could barely walk.  After a trip to the doctor, they think he may have a muscle spasm?  He is in a lot of pain, but they gave him prescriptions to try to keep him comfortable.  Hopefully, he’ll be back to normal soon.


homeschool notes:
+ We have been so pleased with D’s reading program that I purchased a spelling program from the same company for M.  He’s flying through it!  We use a dry erase board with our lessons and he loves writing on that instead of on paper.  Whatever works!
+ M is also working on his multiplication facts and having a bit of trouble remembering.  I found a few skip counting songs on YouTube and even an old Schoolhouse Rock one.  We’ll see if it helps him.
+ In Kindergarten, we played a game about syllables.  I put paper on the floor with the numbers 1-3 and when I called out a word, the kids had to clap out the syllables and then jump to the correct number.  Big hit.    

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

laughing at D’s description about winning Crazy Eight: “I knew M was going to do a move that was pretty sophisticated, so I pulled out a crazy eight and boom!  I won.”

working on Sophie’s big girl room.  I have been making to-do lists, measuring walls and ordering the first furniture pieces.  She loves to browse on Pinterest with me and everything she sees is “ooh cuuute!”  

reading Overcoming Dyslexia (still!) and The Secret Keeper.  

planning our Greek unit coming up.  I found some go-along picture books as well as a few easy chapter books that M can read on his own.  I’ve got a family Olympics and a big Greek feast in the works as well.

deciding when to cut my hair.  I’ve been growing it out to donate again, but it is driving me crazy.  I’m thinking around Easter…definitely before May.  I need a new look for spring! 

ordering lots of new product for Big White Farmhouse!  Purchasing inventory for the store is exhilarating and nerve-wracking, but I think I picked some good pieces.  I also did a lot of re-ordering sold out favorites, like the “You are my Sunshine” garden marker, vintage silverware napkin rings and “Love” dish towel.  Can’t wait to share more soon.

homeschool notes:
+ Wednesday was “S” day in kindergarten.  D made a skunk using a tutorial from Art for Kids and it turned out so cute.
+ We started a new read aloud and M can’t get enough.  The book is called Evertaster.
+ In history, we learned all about Ashurbanipal and the Assyrians.  M made a siege tower complete with battering ram out of Legos.

A collection of our ordinary days, recorded every week.  At the end of the year, I’ll publish them into a keepsake to treasure.

Around here, I have been:

recovering from a random stomach bug.  Sophie and D had it the worst and gosh, it kills me to see them feel so miserable.  Fortunately, it seems to be a 24-hour thing and everyone is back to normal.  


homeschool notes:
+ Thursday was “Q” day in kindergarten.  We made paper quilts.
+ M’s history was all about the Phoenicians.  He learned how they used snails to create a purple dye, the “color of kings”.  We replicated the process by making a dye with frozen blueberries.  M used the dye to color pasta and then made a necklace.  So fun!