Number 4 !!

So, it's been quite awhile since my last post, and I thought 'What better way to restart our family blog' than with the announcement of our wonderful news: Baby #4 is on the way!!! Coming soon to the Irwin Clan, sometime around the first week in May! This will mean several changes for our family....
1. We will be welcoming a larger vehicle into our home (which, by the way, if anyone hears of any great deals on minivans, pass the word our way!! THe hunt has begun!!). We squeeeeeezed our three babes into my Buick Century, and though it's been a snug fit, we were grateful for the accommodations thus far. However, this New Addition will necessitate another seat, which our Buick cannot provide. Oh shucks! Which means, Mama will now proudly graduate to the "MiniVan Mama" Club!
2. The dynamics of our family will change.... a Boy will bring 'balance' back, with an even 2 girls/2 boys ratio. A Girl, however, will greatly shift the current balance to one of even more feminine influence, with 3 girls/1 boy! Hmmmm... how will it pan out?!?! (On the otherhand, if M and L's prayer for Twins is granted, that could make things even more interesting!!!!)
3. L will absolutely HAVE to dress and undress himself everyday- he will have no choice in the matter! And we will have to turn up the notch on potty training C ! More independence is a blessed thing for a Mama to cultivate in her children, especially when a New Sibling is on the way!! (Can you already see the checkoff list? It may look something like this:
'Things for the Children to Master before arrival of New Baby:
-Dressing and Undressing Selves
-Successfully completing daily chores (currently including Making Beds in the morning, Clearing the Table after meals, Helping to Folding Laundry, Helping with Dishes, Emptying Trashes, Picking up after Selves) Hmmm.... what else can I add to the list?!?!?
-Successful 'Potty Independence' (M is in the clear, L is about 90% there, and C is starting to show signs of 'getting it'!)
-No more squabbles among themselves, Complete Obedience to Mama and Papa, Prompt Bedtimes, Lick Plates Clean at every meal, Daily Naptimes observed by everyone..... hmmm.... what am I forgetting?... Oh yes! Daily Back and Foot Rubs for Mama!

Okay, Okay... a little too idealistic! But nonetheless, there is nothing like the news of a new baby to put things in perspective and motivate me to 'get in shape' (and I'm not just talking about exercise/nutrition, though those certainly are part of it!). In fact, this weekend, my goal is to get our 'Family Schedule' more concretely in writing and really work hard to be more disciplined about sticking to it everyday. I am not a terribly rigid person at all, though I have always recognized the great benefits of having more discipline, and having 'a plan' for each day. My days always go better and my time is always maximized so much more optimally when I do so.

So, please pray for me, for our family, as we attempt to tackle a daily schedule (an "Irwin Family Rule of Life", we'll call it) centered around prayer, and to include chores, homeschool, exercise/family rec, and everything else we need to squeeze in here and there!
And please keep our New Treasure in your prayers- for health, strength, and safety! We are so very excited! Starting this week, Mama is going to be on the hunt for a good midwife...so far we've been very blessed with awesome birth experiences and doctors or midwives. God is so faithful, and I know He will be so this time around as well!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Defining "Holiness"

M: Mama, I think we should do this everyday: Go to Church, and then after that, we should go to Father's office and talk to him.

Mama: Oh? Well, Father's very busy- I don't think we could talk with him everyday after Mass. What do you want to talk with him about anyway?

M: Well, I just think it would be a good idea.... you know, because he's so holy, and it's good to be around people who are really holy.

Mama: Oh! Um... yes, that is true. But... do you know what 'holy' means?

M: Yes- it's someone who is very very loving to all people and loves Jesus very very much.


How's that for a definition?! I seriously don't think I could have explained the term better!
(And how eternally grateful I am that this IS a most fitting definition for our priest... so obvious that my four year old recognizes it and desires to be in his presence for that very reason!)

Where's Jesus?

When my children are young, I have often wondered if they see things that we don't see anymore once we're able to speak. Like, do they see angels? So many times I'll watch an infant cooing, smiling, giggling, and reaching out for something when no one is in their eyeshot, their eyes/head following some invisible amusement. Could it be their guardian angel? Are they more keenly, innocently aware of the spiritual realm than we are, once we 'grow up'? I don't find it terribly hard to believe, especially after baptism, as their precious little souls have not yet been stained with sin and they are more near to Christ in their innocent child's state of grace.

Thursday morning I was at Mass, and little C was being especially vocal. Since it is summer time and many of the 'snow birds' have headed back up north, daily Mass has been moved into the small Marian chapel, where everyone is in much closer quarters. I am also that much more sensitive to my children's noises and movements during Mass. Well, as C began to do her less-than-pleasant 'screeching', I tried to distract her and whispered in her ear, "Where's Jesus? Can you find Jesus?" We were sitting nearby a beautiful large painted picture of the Divine Mercy Christ, with a wooden crucifix on the wall next to it. When I asked C this question, she stopped screeching, paused a moment, stuck out her pointer finger and swung around, unmistakably pointing at the Divine Mercy picture of Jesus behind her.... and stunning me! I thought it was maybe just a coincidence, so I whispered to her again. "C, where's Jesus?" And again, she whipped around in my arms, searching until her eyes focused on the Divine Mercy picture of Christ. Her face broke into a huge grin, and she pointed directly at him again, scanning her eyes back and forth from the Divine Mercy picture and the wooden crucifix this time!
I was telling Papa this story later that night, and I decided to try something. I picked C up in my arms and, knowing our own wooden crucifix was on the wall behind us, I 'tested' her again: "C, where's Jesus?" Again, like at Mass, she got very quiet and paused; I watched her little fingers curl up into a fist, all except her pointer finger, and she held her hand out in the air pointing. Then she looked around the room not really 'landing' her gaze on anything until I nonchalantly turned one way a little (knowing the crucifix would be in view at this point) and suddenly her face lit up into a joyful smile of recognition and she purposefully pointed at the wooden crucifix, babbling a few syllables in response to my question! After trying the same thing again at Mass on Friday with the same precious result, I am convinced: Children have a very special understanding and closeness to Christ while they are very young. They know Him. And why wouldn't they? They are His children, and they have a child's innocent, pure faith, yet unscathed or marred by the sin which separates us from Him; they are holy and so beloved by God. The rest of us have to spend our lives trying to get back to this state, as Christ told his disciples:

"At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the
greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?' So he called a little child to him
whom he set among them. Then he said, 'In truth I tell you, unless you
change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom
of Heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little
child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4




It's no flippant thing that I frequently refer to my children as "My Treasures." They are the only thing that I have the privilege of actually creating with the Holy God of the universe, and the only thing of eternal value and worth that I get to help create and mold! Yikes-if that's not a hefty thought!! Someone once told me that our children are Royalty, and it's actually we, parents, who get the honor of bringing them up in the knowledge, understanding and wisdom of Whose they are. Something to remember on those 'less than lovely days' as a mother, eh? I hope that I may always know "Where's Jesus" in my own life, as readily and joyfully as my little C does!

Happy Birthday, Grandpa/Dad Towle!!

Happy Birthday to You!
We love you, Grandpa!

A special little tribute to one of our absolute favorite people
in the whole wide world:
Grandpa/Dad Towle!

May God bless this new year of your life
with much grace, love, peace, health and joy.
You have been a great joy to us,
and we cherish every moment we get to spend with you!

We Love You, Grandpa/Dad!








GRANDPA
Grandpa is so special
Grandpa is so sweet
We love him very much
He means so much to me.
He does really nice things for me,
and he makes me laugh and smile,
Happy Birthday to you, Grandpa,
We'll see you in a little while!

Love,
Your Grandkids in Ocala

A Birthday Hat for you....



How about some Birthday juice?



We love Grandpa!!


Smiles just for you, Grandpa



A salute to Grandpa the Electrician/Teacher!




MY DAD

Gentle and Kind,
Integral and Loyal,
A Man I am proud and grateful to call My Dad.
Selfless with time,
Constant with love,
Funny and Faithful,
One of the hardest workers I have ever met, My Dad.

He can cut a rug like no one I know-
My favorite "Mexican Jumping Bean",
and all the aunts' favorite dance partner, My Dad.

He will give you the shirt off his back,
and work late into the night to help family or friends,
whether it's a Science Fair "Ice Castle",
a softball roster,
troubleshooting something mechanical,
or woodworking homemade desks from scratch:
a perfectionist at heart, My Dad.

He is a kid at heart,
always and forever 'having the last - and funniest!- laugh';
In fact, that contagious laugh remains a trademark
and one of the most endearing quirks about My Dad.

The jury often remains out
when he's with the Grandkids-
Who has more fun?
You'd think it would be the little ones...
but then again...
gotta love My Dad!

I never doubted his love or immense pride,
He lived to bring joy to his family.
A smile, a shy tear in his eye,
a bear hug, a note on the counter in the morning-
he never had to even say a word, and we still knew-
oh, how he loved- and loves- his family, My Dad.

As I now pour myself into my own children,
I reflect back on my childhood
and all the precious times I shared with My Dad;
Because of him,
the first 'man in my life',
I embrace my vocation as a Mother,
equipped with confidence and full of joy;
And in doing so- I better understand and appreciate My Dad.

Happy Birthday to a tremendous
man, father, and grandfather.
You are loved deeply by your family.
Thank you for giving us the immense Gift
of your Love and Time.

Recent Deep Thoughts...

A few new "deep thoughts" to ponder, courtesy of M:

-"How does God know what I'm going to do before I do it?"

-"Heaven is supposed to be the best place ever, right? So, will there be playgrounds and lots of ice cream there?"

-"If my owie doesn't go away right after I pray, does that mean I didn't pray enough?"

-"How does God make things grow?"

-"So, if our real home is Heaven, why don't we know what it will look like?"

........and those are just the 'theological' ones!!!
Anybody want to weigh in on these other latest inquisitions from our little Thinker:

-"How does a camera take pictures?"

-"Where does chicken come from? If we like chicken, the food, I still don't think anyone should kill an animal to eat it...isn't there another way to eat the chicken?"

-"What is plastic?"

-"How can you put that (our blog) on the computer? How do you get our pictures on there?"

More to come!

Unanswered Prayers

My sweet, obedient, love-to-please-my-parents firstborn daughter will occasionally disobey or display moments of stubbornness. Recently, we were doing a piano lesson, and she insisted on doing something her way (i.e. the wrong way), and her teacher (Mama) patiently pointed out that she wasn't doing it correct and tried to show her the right way. Whether from a lack of sleep or simply one of the moments that all humankind succumbs to, she suddenly yelled at me- and continued to do so, even after I warned her to stop. Unfortunately, she just kept on going! Much to her great chagrin, I informed her that she was going to be given a spanking (a very rare occasion with this child, especially since she turned three). I brought her to her room and she went ballistic at the thought of getting a spanking, begging me for a different punishment. I told her that I was going to give her time to settle down and that I’d be back in a couple minutes, but that she would still be receiving a spanking. When she calmed down, I went in to talk with her. We talked about her behavior, and I had a heart to heart with her about why I still needed to discipline her. She looked at me with wide eyes, almost in disbelief and shock-
“What?!?!?!?!?!? I still get a spanking?!?!?!?! My prayers didn’t work!!”

Sigh… unanswered prayers.

Lost One, Gained Even More

M and I took a little walk the other evening to get our mail and send out some (yes, belated!) Mother’s Day cards. On our way to the mailbox (it’s at the end of our street, in a cluster of locked boxes), M asked me who I was sending all the cards to. She asked if I was sending one to my (Great) Grandma Wewers, whom I have fondly spoken of and reminisced about to M, especially when praying with my special rosary that she gave me for my First Communion long ago.
Me: No, Sweetie… Grandma Wewers actually died awhile ago, so I’m not sending her a card.
M: Oh. (Thoughtful pause… then with the sincerest and most serious sigh) It just really breaks my heart when people die.
Me: (Understanding right than and there what it means in Scripture when it says that Mary ‘held all these things in her heart’!) Oh? Why is that?
M: Well… I mean, it’s actually good, because she’s in Heaven with Jesus, and that’s happy. But it’s sad, because, well… when you die, you can’t breathe, and that’s, you know, really hard and sad.

We got back to the house and I went to look for my rosary, remembering that I hadn’t seen my special rosary from Grandma Wewers for awhile… in fact, the last time I’d used it, it had been accidentally broken by one particular little child who currently likes to put everything in her mouth, and I had set it up on a counter, kind of forgetting about it! Well, I got home and frantically searched everywhere for it. Without going into long details, we figured out that it was unintentionally ‘tossed’ because it was broken, and the guilty party did not realize that it was a very special rosary (we do tend to ‘inherit’ numerous rosaries, and many have been broken along the way!) I was pretty devastated when we figured this out. With tears in my eyes, I took little C and went to put her to bed, resigned to feeling awful as I brooded over the situation. About five minutes later there was a gentle knock on the door. M popped her head in and whispered that she had something for me. I nodded, and motioned for her to come in, though not really feeling up to any conversation at the moment. I was pretty dead set on moping and wallowing in my sadness, deciding that I had the right to go to bed very upset that night, and there was nothing anyone could do- short of bringing me the broken rosary from a trash bag!- to make me feel better. Well, M walked over to the side of the bed where I was laying, and she handed me this:



(Reads: "From Grandma Wewers, To Mama")

In an instant, my emotions of anger and sadness were completely overtaken with the Love this precious child had just given to. As many other mothers have had such moments as these I’m sure, you will understand when I say that words cannot begin to express the overwhelming gratitude and love that swept over me like soothing and healing balm!
M: I made that for you, all by myself, Mama. I thought it all up for you and tried to make it just like the one you lost. See- if you want to pray that rosary, you can just use this one now! We did look for it, me and Papa- but we couldn’t find it in any of the trash bags.

In the end, I wound up losing something special, only to gain something even more special. This new homemade ‘rosary’ is one of the dearest, priceless gifts I’ve ever received. You can bet I won’t be breaking or losing this one!

It's a Bit Puzzling...

How does one do such a thing…. And not even realize it?!?! Seriously- he was clueless why I insisted on snapping pictures of his hair! Oh, one more thing- he was looking everywhere (without success!!) for the 'lost' puzzle piece to complete his puzzle!!!!!

Mustache Man and Lioness Lady

This evening, right before I called everyone to dinner, I overheard L say to Papa, “Papa, I want a mustache.” I chuckled to myself, then went back to putting the final touches on our dinner. Two minutes later, I turned around and found myself staring at, well… why don’t you have a look for yourself.





Of course, M had to get in on the fun- especially after seeing that her Papa was not only condoning the use of ‘face-paint’ (i.e. Crayola washable markers!) but in fact the artist behind the artwork!! Not to be one to miss out on any fun, here’s our little Lioness:

Taking Matters Into Her Own Hands...

Sometimes C is not the best eater for us. Mama tries diligently to make sure she’s getting really healthy homemade foods… and she’s just not always thrilled to comply! The other day, Mama was ever so patiently (ha!) trying to get her to eat another helping of 7 grain-7 bean-carrot-apple-spinach-wheat germ-flax seed- kelp porridge (phew! Try saying that fast 3 times!), and finally gave up after one hour of coaxing. She went to the sink to clean up and then got side-tracked by something else in the kitchen (probably by L!), and suddenly, we all heard C giggling. We looked over to the high chair, and there she was- bowl of porridge on top of her head, food all over her face and her hands and everywhere within a 3 foot diameter around her high chair!! She had reached over to the table and decided to take matters into her own hands! And here’s the kicker- she was eating it!!!! So… despite the awful mess, in the end- Mama was actually rather happy, since C ‘finished’ her dinner!!

Crazy Man Turns 3 !

How hard it is for me to grasp that my Little Man is actually 3 years old now. Wow. How did that happen so fast? How much a child grows and changes in just one year....and yet you don't realize the change, because it's so gradual. Yet, when thinking back to L's 2nd birthday, I can't believe how much older he seems to me now! We had such a fun time celebrating his birthday these last few days. From our Family Movie Theatre Night last Friday, to our Birthday Bash over the weekend with Aunties and Uncle and Baby Cousin, to celebrating today with just our family- L soaked it all in and enjoyed each little surprise with fresh, innocent delight. This morning, we woke him up singing the Birthday Song; he relished it, laying there with his eyes closed and a big goofy grin on his face, waiting until the song was completely over before opening his eyes to look at us. We escorted him out to the kitchen, where streamers, signs, and colorful puppet animals awaited him around the room; he sat in 'the Birthday Boy Chair', all decorated with signs and surrounded by his favorite characters (Thomas the Train, Curious George, Diego, Lightning McQueen, and StarWars characters), and we made sure he had his favorite meals today; started the day off by going to Mass and offering it up for our Birthday Boy. Then, when asked what he'd like to do next, he said, "Go to the forest, the forest with a lion!" Hmmmmm. "How about the library instead, Buddy; we can look for a book about a forest with a lion?" "Um...sure!!! O-tay!" Phew!! So off to the library we went! Later, after dinner, we went to ColdStone, per L's request (though I do believe this was 'suggested' to him by a certain older big sister!), and finally, an hour at the playground seemed to be a perfect way to end the Birthday Celebration (followed by a bubble bath, of course!) Somehow time can play funny tricks on you... one moment I can remember his birth like it was yesterday and truly not feel like it was a whole three years ago! And then the next second, I can't even remember what is was like to NOT have L in my life, feeling like he's always been here with me! So much can happen in the span of three years.... but then again, he's still our little L, and I look at his baby pictures and think, "Wow. That was three years ago?" Time. Such a strange thing. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy. You are so loved and cherished. Thank you for being an incredible blessing to so many people, first and foremost your family. We love you.

Sacred Heart Enthronement

Last night, we enthroned the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary in our home, committing ourselves to this special devotion as a family. It was such a delightful, beautiful evening spent together with some friends from Church, who served as participants and witnesses to our family commitment. Though I forget to take pictures of our evening, it was exceptionally special, and something I would encourage all our Catholic friends to look into doing. If you are interested, here's one place oyu can find more information about the Enthronement of the Sacred Heart:
http://www.catholictradition.org/Two-Hearts/enthronement.htm
The reason for doing such a thing? Basically, to make a 'public' commitment, before friends in our home, to daily entrust our family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, trusting in the many graces that Christ promises to pour out on any families devoted to him.
Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary- we put our trust in you.

My God, I offer you this day,
all that I think, and do, and say;
Uniting it with what was done
on Earth, by Jesus Christ your Son.

I'm scared!!

Tonight, from around the corner, I got to hear this from The Buddies, who were sleeping together in M’s room:
L: M- I’m scared!!!
M: L, just say a prayer!
L: I’m scared, M!
M: Here, do you want me to help you? Let’s pray to our Guardian Angels, okay?
L: O-tay.
M: Okay, say it after me….
Angel of God…my guardian dear….to protect God’s love…commit me here….ever this night…be at my side…Amen.
Okay, there. Good boy. Now you don’t have to be scared, okay?
L: (still crying) O-tay………but I’m scared!
M: Ahhh! L, stop it! Stop crying! You’re too loud! I’m tired and we need to go to sleep. Quiet!! Mama!
-2 minute pause
L: (crying begins again, a bit harder) I’m scared!
M: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
L: Mama!!!
Me: Yes, buddy?
L: Mama, can you sweep wif us, pweeze?

How can a mother refuse such a request?

Down and Dirty

Today I went to an Organic Gardening Workshop- something I have been eagerly anticipating since I heard about it several months ago. As I was getting ready to go, M interrogated me about where I was going, what I’d be doing, and- most importantly- why she wasn’t coming along with me. After informing her that it was going to be a workshop, where there might be a lot of talking and sitting around, she asked what the talking was going to be about. I paused, knowing this was a losing battle.
Me: Um, gardening.
M: Gardening??!! You know I want to garden, too! Please, please, please, can I come with you? I really really want to learn about gardening, too, so I can help you in our garden!
How could I argue with that? (or with the big, pleading doe eyes she fluttered up at me!)

So off we went, ready to fill our minds with information and spend our Saturday morning/afternoon getting a little dirty! The first couple hours were mainly talking, learning more about the reasons to grow/eat organic, how to do it, what to use, etc. Then we were served a delectable, fresh lunch made with food right out of the garden-beans, snap peas, peppers, greens, sprouts, tomatoes, mmmmmm! So fresh, you could taste the sunshine!! Then, the moment M had been waiting for: time in the garden! We actually got to prep/dig up a raised garden bed and plant the seeds. We were amidst a group of about a dozen people, and my little M was right there next to the workshop leader, Joy, following her around and offering help every step of the way! She wanted to get her hands dirty and take part in making this garden ‘come to life’! I was truly proud of her ambitious determination and excitement. I stood back and snapped a few pictures, knowing without a doubt that we must have our own garden! What an incomparable form of education!! M was learning by doing, in the truest sense of the word- and she was loving it! We moved from the garden bed to the container gardens, and M jumped right in again, planting a tomato plant surrounded by lettuce. She insisted that we bring home ‘her’ plant, of course! Some of the other folks there at the workshop were quite amused by this little miniature gardener. One asked me, "Is she always this focused and careful? Look how intently she does everything!" Yes, this Mama was a little proud, to say the least. I know I would have enjoyed the workshop if I'd gone by myself (well, with C, of course), but am I sure glad I brought M with me- how much I enjoyed watching her have this experience and find a new little passion of her own!
I took away an immense amount of information from the workshop, but most of all the desire to give my children the gift of cultivating and nurturing a garden together in our yard. Before today’s workshop, I had the desire but not a great deal of ‘know how’, and it seemed a bit daunting. But now, I’d love to run outside and start digging and planting without hesitation! But like everything, some planning ahead will benefit us, and we need to confer with Papa about the whereabouts of this endeavor in our yard. Until then (though, hopefully not too long!), we will be tending to our baby tomato and lettuce container plants, psyching ourselves up to move on to ‘bigger and better things’ outside!

Admit One + Guest

Our Little Man is almost going to be 3 years old!!! Papa came up with an awesome idea for a way to celebrate L’s birthday as a family…
We borrowed a projector from a friend of ours and Papa figured out how to set it up and hook it up to our Bose speakers; then he set up our family room like a movie theatre. All day long, M tried her darndest to figure out what "the big secret" was going to be, asking for clues and hints....but Mama and Papa wouldn't budge! While Papa set things up in the family room, Mama herded everyone out onto the porch and played a game, so the surprise wouldn't be spoiled in advance. (Thought it would be a fun time for a little sibling picture, of course, too!)



Mama had made ‘movie tickets’ earlier that day ("Admit One plus a Guest"... M chose Papa and L chose Mama as their guests- C was already asleep by now!), and right before the big event we handed out the tickets to M and L (who had been trying to guess all day long what our Friday night preBirthday family surprise was going to be).



The best moment of the evening: sitting all together in darkness on the couch, facing the vast white wall in front of us with ice cream and popcorn in hand, and suddenly hearing the first unmistakable notes to the Star Wars theme song fill the room and seeing the introduction scene scroll upward in huge letters right before our eyes, like a giant movie screen in our own home!! The kids squealed with glee at that first note, so surprised at what (and how!) they were seeing! L was beside himself, as this is so far his absolute favorite set of movies.



The most humorous part of the evening: Thirty minutes into the movie, looking down to see both M and L completely zonked out!!!! Oh well- looks like we’ll have to have perhaps another showing tomorrow night!!
It was a great prelude to celebrating CrazyMan’s 3rd birthday as a family. (More to come on the actual Big Day- Apr.29th).
You can get a vague idea of the evening set up from the picture below, though it does no justice at all to the actual experience. Papa and his boy also leave you with a special father-son portrait, showing just how big our 'little man' is getting!