Isaac's birthday train table

We celebrated our 3 year old's birthday earlier this month. He loves trains, so the theme this year was trains. (I'm not usually together enough to create a theme, but I had a couple great ideas for his birthday that just sort of fit together).

I had wanted to make the boys a train table for some time, and a friend of mine had some wooden tracks she no longer needed for her son, so I was able to buy them from her and find a 48 inch round table at a local second-hand store:



So I set out putting together a track. It took some time, but I enjoyed every second of it. It reminded me of building tracks for my little brothers when they were young. And I was just so excited to give a track to our two boys... uh, to Isaac for his birthday. After a few adjustments, I had a great layout that fit perfectly on the table!



Andy suggested I nail it down rather than screwing it down as I was going to do, since nailing it wouldn't take as long. But I found that I still had to drill holes in the wood as the railroad pieces were more dense than I would have ever imagined. I set upon doing that the next night. After nailing the flat pieces down, breaking two of my husband's drill pieces in the process (actually, he was responsible for one of them breaking), and gluing down the bridge pieces, it was done. I had to find a good place to hide it until Isaac's birthday. Luckily they never suspected that hidden beneath a sheet and behind a couple boxes and rolls of toilet paper and paper towels was this table.



When Isaac finally opened it, it was hard to tell who was more excited: Blaise or me! Isaac was pretty thrilled, of course, but Blaise was the one who was jumping up and down, as you can see by his blurred image on this picture:



They have really been enjoying playing with the track and the trains Grandma and Grandpa gave them.

Countdown to Graduation: 19 months

One more month down, nineteen to go, until Andy's tentative graduation date and until I can be home with the boys.

I mentioned in my post a month ago that, while I have a good job, it does significantly affect me and the boys in that we are rushed in the mornings to get out the door, and transitions in general are difficult for my high-spirited 4 year-old. Even the transition from sleeping to being awake in the morning is difficult for him. I would love to have the time to sit and rock with him in the mornings. I had time for that this morning, and it really did help him. He, more than the nearly-3-year-old, also has a difficult time in that he doesn't feel at all in control of the situation and feels that he has no say in what he does on any particular day. I know he is frustrated. As am I, especially when I come home exhausted and with no energy to give them what they need and no energy to deal with their high level of energy.

So, since quitting work is not an option, and since I cannot be with them as much as I would like to to work with them along a path to holiness and happiness, I have begun to offer up my working days for their holiness and happiness. And, on the days when I drive the boys to the sitter, we say a prayer together of offering my working and the boys' spending the day at the sitter's house. Blaise is not yet sold on the idea, but Isaac enjoys saying the prayers with me.

When Mom's not happy... nobodys' happy, But...

But when Mom is happy, everyone is happier!

In all honesty, our family has been struggling. I have had a very difficult nearly 3 years and have really struggled. And I know my struggling has been very difficult for Andy and for our two young boys who don't understand why Mom is often so tired and in such a bad mood. I had severe postpartum depression and anxiety after Isaac was born, and I don't think I had ever adequately recovered from that... but recently (the last month or so), I have finally been feeling like a "normal" person again (with the exception of 5-6 weeks of bronchitis and catching a cold a week ago on top of that, which completely drained me). But about 5 months ago I began to see a local doctor who works with hormones and fertility, as well as chronic fatigue and stress, by the way of research and treatment utilizing the Creighton method of NFP and working with our bodies' natural responses and needs. This is beginning to work wonders for me!

First, she put me on vitamins to give my body the nutrients it needs and to regulate my digestive system (apparently, you can't have a "happy" brain if you don't have a "happy" gut, and my gut was not happy). I did also start back on antidepressants to give my mood a little boost. But what has made the greatest difference has been getting on two things about 1 1/2 months ago: prescription progesterone (which I found I have to take as a suppository to avoid the side effects... but it's worth it) and a vitamin specifically to help my adrenal glands to function. Apparently, when people are stressed chronically, the adrenal glands become tired and don't do their job adequately. The adrenal glands, in addition to the ovaries, produce progesterone and use some of the progesterone to make cortisol (yes, the stomach fat hormone), which calms our bodies and relieves the stress response. Cortisol is also partially converted into cortisone, a natural anti-inflammatory (since starting on this stuff, I have also noticed less mid back pain and hip pain). Lack of progesterone production also contributes to worse-than-necessary PMS. And many people in our country are apparently estrogen-dominant, having often too little progesterone in comparison to the estrogen their bodies produce, likely due to diet and environmental factors, as well as stress. My progesterone was off-the-chart low by peak +5 (an NFP term), and I suspect I have had low progesterone my whole life, contributing to moodiness, especially during "that time" and depression, also contributing to my horrible postpartum anxiety and depression.

So what it comes down to is that I feel great! And except for being sick last week, I feel consistently good. And Andy and the boys all seem happier for having a happier mom. What a wonderful blessing! I am so grateful.

In other news, I have found a writers' group in the small town in which I live. I am hoping to be able to meet with them soon. The person who started this group gives writers' conferences at times also at local colleges and such. It has the potential for being a really good thing and getting me back into enjoying writing.

Mazes

I had a moment of inspiration this morning and remembered how I used to make mazes for my two younger brothers when they were around 5 and 7 or so. I used to really like doing that. As a pre-teen, it was a challenge for me to create these mazes, and it was fun for the boys to find their way through them. I have a 4 year old who likes mazes and too few mazes around here for him... and the ones we do have are way too easy. So I took out some old computer paper - remember those ones with the holes on the sides that help to feed the paper through the printer - and created some mazes. He really liked the first one and did pretty well with it:



He asked me to make another maze. I suppose I made this one a bit harder, and he became a little impatient:



So I tried one more time, but he doesn't know it yet... I'll wait until tomorrow to show him. Hopefully this one will work well for him. Maybe I'll put together a book of them for him and Isaac. I'll put that on my list of projects...



I think I'll also make one or two really easy ones for my nearly 3 year old.

I can't wait to do other things with them. I remember how I used to make treasure hunts for my younger brothers. And they're nearly to the point of being able to play games in a semi-organized manner... I hope! We have some fun times coming!

5 Years

Yesterday, Andy and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. Well, celebrated is a relative term since I caught a cold and basically spent the evening lying around and blowing my nose.



But it was still a time to realize once again how blessed I am to be married to such a wonderful man. I am blessed to be married to a faithful Catholic man who loves God and loves me and the boys dearly. A man who is working hard in school so that he can someday soon provide for our family. A man who lives according to what he believes and knows to be right. Andy and I both agree that the last five years have been by far the best years of our lives, despite the struggles and arguments we have had at times. God brought him into my life, and me into his. And, as it should be in marriage, we realize we are gifts to each other and, often successfully, live accordingly.

Thank You, Lord, for bringing Andy into my life!

My Simple Prayer to Mary

"Blessed are you among women!"



Mary, you truly are blessed: you who have been called to be the mother of God! You who have been called to be the mother of all humanity! You who have been called to be my mother! You who have received countless graces and blessings from our Father in Heaven! Our Lord has truly looked upon you with love and generosity. He has called you to great things, and you have answered His call.

Mary, you are gentle and pure of heart. How beautiful you are! Please guide me to also be gentle and pure of heart, and please pray that our Father may also send His graces and blessings upon me that I may be more like you. Pray that I may be more loving toward my children and may gently guide them as you did with Jesus. Pray that I may give all of myself to my husband, and through him to God, and may be more pure of heart as you were in your marriage to Joseph. Pray that I may be attentive and may answer God's call for me as you answered His call.

Thank you for being present among us and for continuing to gently guide us. Thank you for being such a wonderful model as a woman, wife, and mother. Thank you for the love you have poured out for us.

Pieces of Summer in Pictures

This summer, we were able to do some fun things with the boys.

I took a week off in late July and took the boys to their first baseball game, meeting my brother and sister-in-law there. We enjoyed our time, and the boys were excited for their first game in a "big big park."







We also went to a wedding and stayed over night in a hotel. They didn't enjoy the wedding reception as we thought they would. Maybe it's because we attempted to allow them to sleep together, and so they were very tired the next night. But they did enjoy lying in the same bed for a while... a little too much, until we moved one of them to our bed. Even then, they were too wound up to sleep until an hour after our bedtime. This picture is from early in the night when they were both relatively calm.



This summer they also became more accustomed to being in water. We went to several lakes, including at my parents' cottage. Eventually, they would both allow their shoulders to go under... sometimes. This took some time and gentle encouragement. But unfortunately, they are still afraid of hotel swimming pools and water parks, as we also found out this summer. Perhaps we'll tackle that this winter or next summer...



This fall, Blaise started pre-school. He seems to be blossoming in school. He has met new friends and is doing great with a bit of structure and with following directions. His first day, he was able to ride the bus from the "big school" where he has speech therapy to the "little school." On his first day, Andy, Isaac, and I waited for him to watch him get off the bus and go into the little school. He walked right in with Miss Ann, barely looking back. Normally, that would make me feel a bit sad, but I was proud, especially since Blaise is my hesitant little boy.





Blaise is in school Monday and Wednesday mornings, and, since I'm off on Wednesdays, this gives me time to spend with Isaac. It really is a gift to be able to give that time to him. I am discovering he likes letters, as well as puzzles. I found an alphabet puzzle in the basement in which each removable letter is on its own square and has a matching picture which is also removable. He really enjoyed putting his "ABCDEFG puzzle" together and singing the alphabet song. I am excited to work with him on those types of things.



I hope you all had a great summer too!