Catching Up and Resurrecting

 And once again, time is flying!  The year is already waning, and my children's growth is careening ahead and I am left scrambling to pause and treasure the days.  

These must be the crazy years, right?  Someone tell me they are!  The driving is ramping up, the need of for outside activities is increasing, and yet, again, we have a baby who is happier at home, and with a need for naptimes and such.  Maybe the crazy years are only beginning . . . ?  I suspect so and am determined not to look too far ahead!

So much growing and changing has happened with the kids in the last six months, that contrary to the title of this post, I can't fully catch this blog up.  Ten month old, Zuzu, is walking now!  She is the constant delight of the family and Sparky still says prayers of thanksgiving for "[Zuzu] in our family now!"  We love her so much  -- despite everyone's growing dismay at her fast-increasing propensity for "marauding"! -- that she barely gets left alone for a minute!

As for Sparky, that ever-intense little 4 year old grows more other every day, as he realizes his boyness in a house full of GIRLS.  I am almost daily at a loss!  How to channel the energy!  How to direct the anger!  How to meet his needs!  Lord, I think you might have meant for me to be just a girl mom?

Sunshine received the sacrament of Holy Communion back in May and continues to be the sweetest and dearest child.  I whispered to her last weekend after Communion, saying, "After you receive Jesus, you want to make sure that you are not ignoring him."  And she turned to me with her blue eyes and her perfect sincerity and said, "I never have."

And I believe her.

Rosebud is the resident book worm, reading at a breakneck pace of sometimes a book a day!  Like mother, like daughter . . .  (Her mother as a child, not any more!)  Her favorite books are the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, but other favorites are the Tuesdays at the Castle series and Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes.  She is sometimes forced to re-read books when we can't get to the library soon enough for her.  A happy day came this summer when I allowed her and Turtle to ride their bikes the mile or two to the town library.  Library freedom at last!  She just has to convince Turtle to come with her.

Turtle is growing into a young woman so fast that it is hurting my heart!  We had to make an important purchase of a womanly item of clothing back in June -- of which red-letter day I should have written a blog post entitled How Not to Buy Your Daughter's First Bra.  However, my dearest, even-keeled girl was very sweet about the whole affair and hopefully it will just be a item to laugh about in the future!  Post, perhaps, to follow. . . .

I intend this to be a "resurrection" post that gets my juices flowing again in the writing department.  I feel quite frustrated with my lack of posting, and while that is undoubtedly partially due to over-usage of my phone during my slim free time, the main bulk of the problem is . . . well, FIVE children!  Plus, there is that homeschooling gig, a house to care for, a husband to cultivate a relationship with, not to mention keeping up with friends, showering and getting dressed, exercising, balancing the budget, ordering the stuff, buying the food, driving to the places, etc, etc.  There must be a way to balance it all, but I don't know what that way is!