Kendra Tierney's Blog, page 14
July 21, 2015
Living the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy in the Home. . . with Frankie
It's easy to sometimes feel like motherhood isn't compatible with true Christian works of mercy. After all, not many of us are able to manage the kind of charitable activities that our sisters called to single life or religious vocations might be able to do.
I have never once visited a prison. I've never brought the gospel to naked savages or pagan Irishmen. I've never handed out sandwiches to hobos from the back entrance to the house. My house doesn't even HAVE a back entrance.
In my Exactly How to be a Good Catholic post, I indicated that those of us who, because of our station in life, weren't really able to perform these acts of mercy ourselves could support those who do financially and with our prayers. That's important. We should TOTALLY do that.
But also . . . I took a closer look at the list. And, I was like . . . hold the phone! I do that stuff in my home . . . as my job. I hardly do anything BUT that stuff. And I do it . . . with FRANKIE.
Let's take a look, shall we?
First the Corporal Works of Mercy . . .
Feed the Hungry
Yes. Yes, I do. All day long. Three meals, sometimes snacks, sometimes dessert. Sometimes neighbor kids want to eat too.
And sometimes, Frankie will say something like, "I want beans. But plain. No beans. A soft." And *I* have to figure out that he wants a tortilla.
Give Drink to the Thirsty
Kids also like to drink. At every meal. In between meals. In all cars at all times. At EVERY drinking fountain we happen to pass. But I draw the line at while napping or sleeping. I just can't. So I don't.
Clothe the Naked
I get my kids dressed in the morning. But you wouldn't always know it to look at them. We even have a specific rule meant to address this issue: DON'T TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF WITHOUT A PLAN. It's a good rule. But it has its limitations, and most often those limitations are manifest when we have a repair guy over.
Shelter the Homeless
We let him live here. Rent free. Even though he makes this face. A lot.
Visit the Sick
I visit Frankie when he's sick. But he's not usually interested in a lot of interaction. Mostly I'm useful to him as a means to refill his juice and start up Mater's Tall Tales on Netflix again.
Visit the Imprisoned
Even though Frankie's imprisonments are most often my doing, I do visit him. I check to see if he's STILL wailing over getting the green cup instead of the blue cup, or if he's ready to rejoin the family. I also come to his rescue when he's imprisoned himself up on the top bunk. Again.
Bury the Dead
Most of our burying of the dead is backyard chicken-related. But also, we bring our kids to funerals, and it turns out they're cool with that sort of thing.
Next the Spiritual Works of Mercy . . .
Admonish the Sinner
Woo, boy. Do I ever do this one. I'm admonishing all OVER the place. Even at DISNEYLAND. Kick your little sister with your pointy cowboy boot? Boom. Admonished. No ice cream-type admonished. I am MEAN MERCIFUL.
Instruct the Ignorant
Also yes. For instance: Frankie believed this to be a drawing of "a super happy baby who is smiling." I was able to use this opportunity for a little discussion about what SMILING is.
Counsel the Doubtful
Frankie is doubtful about many things. Taking naps and trying new foods are high on the list of things about which he has doubts. Here for instance, he is entertaining doubts about the edibility of Indian food. But I COUNSELthreatened him into trying it. And he liked it just fine.
Comfort the Sorrowful
Frankie is also sorrowful about many things. Having to eat off of the "You are special today" plate on his special day, for instance, will sometimes make him VERY sorrowful. But with some careful COMFORTthreatening he can always be brought back around.
Bear Wrongs Patiently
Oh, Frankie. The things you've said to me.
Sitting in church: I want to touch you, I just don't want you to touch me.After I got a manicure: Why do your fingers look like an old lady?Tucking him in at bedtime: You can just give me my Lotso and go out of here.Whenever he's doing anything: I don't need you to talk to me.At all other times: Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. (repeat)And imma BEAR it. For you, Frankie. Because I love you. And you mostly don't mean it.
Forgive All Injuries
I do. I forgive them all. And honestly, it's not even as hard as I would have thought. Because I love you. And you don't ALWAYS smile, so when you do . . . it all feels worth it.
Pray for the Living and the Dead
Our home is far from perfect. But it IS a place of prayer. And few things are cuter than the things kids come up with to pray about. Some are sweet, "That I would be a good boy and not dwive everyone cwazy." Some are hard, "That mommy would feel better soon and so she doesn't have to shout so much." But both are good prayers. I could use both.
Speaking of . . . After the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy came up in this post, and again in this one, reader Rebecca asked if I would make a printable featuring them.
So I did. Hope you like 'em.
As with all my printables, you are welcome to save the images to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) First click on the image to bring it up in a new window, then right click on the image to save it to your computer. You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.
For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.
You might also enjoy:
What Cranky Frankie Taught Me About GodCranky Frankie Went to the Fair
I have never once visited a prison. I've never brought the gospel to naked savages or pagan Irishmen. I've never handed out sandwiches to hobos from the back entrance to the house. My house doesn't even HAVE a back entrance.
In my Exactly How to be a Good Catholic post, I indicated that those of us who, because of our station in life, weren't really able to perform these acts of mercy ourselves could support those who do financially and with our prayers. That's important. We should TOTALLY do that.
But also . . . I took a closer look at the list. And, I was like . . . hold the phone! I do that stuff in my home . . . as my job. I hardly do anything BUT that stuff. And I do it . . . with FRANKIE.
Let's take a look, shall we?
First the Corporal Works of Mercy . . .
Feed the Hungry
Yes. Yes, I do. All day long. Three meals, sometimes snacks, sometimes dessert. Sometimes neighbor kids want to eat too.
And sometimes, Frankie will say something like, "I want beans. But plain. No beans. A soft." And *I* have to figure out that he wants a tortilla.
Give Drink to the Thirsty
Kids also like to drink. At every meal. In between meals. In all cars at all times. At EVERY drinking fountain we happen to pass. But I draw the line at while napping or sleeping. I just can't. So I don't.
Clothe the Naked
I get my kids dressed in the morning. But you wouldn't always know it to look at them. We even have a specific rule meant to address this issue: DON'T TAKE YOUR PANTS OFF WITHOUT A PLAN. It's a good rule. But it has its limitations, and most often those limitations are manifest when we have a repair guy over.
Shelter the Homeless
We let him live here. Rent free. Even though he makes this face. A lot.
Visit the Sick
I visit Frankie when he's sick. But he's not usually interested in a lot of interaction. Mostly I'm useful to him as a means to refill his juice and start up Mater's Tall Tales on Netflix again.
Visit the Imprisoned
Even though Frankie's imprisonments are most often my doing, I do visit him. I check to see if he's STILL wailing over getting the green cup instead of the blue cup, or if he's ready to rejoin the family. I also come to his rescue when he's imprisoned himself up on the top bunk. Again.
Bury the Dead
Most of our burying of the dead is backyard chicken-related. But also, we bring our kids to funerals, and it turns out they're cool with that sort of thing.
Next the Spiritual Works of Mercy . . .
Admonish the Sinner
Woo, boy. Do I ever do this one. I'm admonishing all OVER the place. Even at DISNEYLAND. Kick your little sister with your pointy cowboy boot? Boom. Admonished. No ice cream-type admonished. I am MEAN MERCIFUL.Instruct the Ignorant
Also yes. For instance: Frankie believed this to be a drawing of "a super happy baby who is smiling." I was able to use this opportunity for a little discussion about what SMILING is.
Counsel the Doubtful
Frankie is doubtful about many things. Taking naps and trying new foods are high on the list of things about which he has doubts. Here for instance, he is entertaining doubts about the edibility of Indian food. But I COUNSELthreatened him into trying it. And he liked it just fine.
Comfort the Sorrowful
Frankie is also sorrowful about many things. Having to eat off of the "You are special today" plate on his special day, for instance, will sometimes make him VERY sorrowful. But with some careful COMFORTthreatening he can always be brought back around.
Bear Wrongs Patiently
Oh, Frankie. The things you've said to me.
Sitting in church: I want to touch you, I just don't want you to touch me.After I got a manicure: Why do your fingers look like an old lady?Tucking him in at bedtime: You can just give me my Lotso and go out of here.Whenever he's doing anything: I don't need you to talk to me.At all other times: Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. Mom. (repeat)And imma BEAR it. For you, Frankie. Because I love you. And you mostly don't mean it.
Forgive All Injuries
I do. I forgive them all. And honestly, it's not even as hard as I would have thought. Because I love you. And you don't ALWAYS smile, so when you do . . . it all feels worth it.
Pray for the Living and the Dead
Our home is far from perfect. But it IS a place of prayer. And few things are cuter than the things kids come up with to pray about. Some are sweet, "That I would be a good boy and not dwive everyone cwazy." Some are hard, "That mommy would feel better soon and so she doesn't have to shout so much." But both are good prayers. I could use both.
Speaking of . . . After the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy came up in this post, and again in this one, reader Rebecca asked if I would make a printable featuring them.
So I did. Hope you like 'em.
As with all my printables, you are welcome to save the images to your computer for your own personal use. You may print the images and / or upload them and have prints made for your personal use or to give as gifts. (These are sized for 8x10 or square but will print well much bigger.) First click on the image to bring it up in a new window, then right click on the image to save it to your computer. You may use my images on your blog, just please link back to my blog. If you would like to sell my images, please contact me first.
For LOTS MORE free printable prayers, check out my Pinterest board.
You might also enjoy:What Cranky Frankie Taught Me About GodCranky Frankie Went to the Fair
July 19, 2015
Answer Me This: the Superhero Edition
Hiya, and welcome to another edition of Answer Me This, the internet's favorite virtual cocktail party, where we all answer the same six random questions and get to know each other a little better.
And now for THIS WEEK'S questions, to answer THIS WEEK . . .
1. What's currently on your To Do list?
Well, since writing an entire post on this topic, I think I can say that my To Do list is pretty much done. I've finished all the baby stuff, and the yearbook, and I've got guest posts scheduled out through the end of August.
We were hoping to have found a new home before this baby came, but that's not looking like it's going to happen. And I don't want to rush it. If we move, I'd really like it to be into our forever home this time. I want this to be the home our grandkids come to visit. I don't want it to be a crazy pregnant lady impulse buy. (Plus, I'm maybe still not quite over the one that got away.) So, even though it would have been great to move while the husband had time off of work for paternity leave, and it would have been great to be in a different part of town before fall (because of some changes we'll talk about later) . . . we're going to wait for the right one to come along in its own time.
So that just leaves having a baby. And that's going to have to happen in its own time too.
2. Better type of superhero: magic/radioactive powers? Or trauma/gadgets/hard work?
So, you guys know about me and the overdoing right? Well, I've currently been on a kick of watching ALL the superhero shows. While sewing and yearbook-making and blog-post-formatting, I watched Daredevil , (and wrote about it here), then Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , then Arrow . . . because those are all on Netflix. (Clicking on the title will take you to it, if you're signed into your Netflix account.)
Except for season 3 of Arrow, which is NOT. I considered being reasonable and patient and just waiting for Netflix to get it, but then I realized that I'm pregnant, and not AT ALL patient, so I immediately bought Arrow: Season 3
on Amazon streaming. And then there was this whole The Flash
spinoff. So, I figured I'd better get that from Amazon too. Ya know, just to be safe. (I haven't finished either of those two seasons yet. Clicking on the title will take you to it via my Amazon Affiliate link.)
I find it very intriguing how they've handled the whole D.C. Comic world. All the supernatural heroes and villains are in Central City with the Flash, where all the supers were created by a particle accelerator explosion (obviously). Meanwhile, the good guys and bad guys in Starling City with Arrow are all non-supernatural. Their heroics and villainy are based on science, fortune, hard work, and childhood trauma.
When I brought up Arrow on social media, people had really strong opinions in favor of Arrow or the Flash.
I never really had a strong preference for Batman or Superman, even though it's a pretty similar comparison. Frankie's going with both. At the same time. Plus a lion.
But I REALLY prefer Arrow to the Flash. I love that he has to work so hard to be able to do what he can do. I appreciate that he is in real danger every time he goes out to fight bad guys. There is a very real-seeming physicality to the show that I like. He actually runs up walls to fire escapes and whatnot, using non-computer generated, real stunts. And the jumping chin up thing is UH-mazing. I'm with Felicity on that. And I really do like me a quiet, confident, brooding superhero.
The Flash, on the other hand, has very little confidence and crazy magic powers. Harry Potter has nothing on this guy. He can run fast, obviously, but he can also use his powers to disguise his voice and appearance, heal quickly, run up buildings and across water and THROUGH solid objects, and lightning-resuscitate dead people. He can also travel through time. Technically he's not impervious to injury or death, but his powers are so overwhelming that it's almost not interesting.
There are random instances in which he claims that he somehow can't save everyone, but most of the time, he just zips about saving everyone, no trouble at all.
Anyway, I've enjoyed watching both shows. And the Flash has considerably less inappropriate behavior between characters. And is much less dark. Neither show has graphic violence or nudity. Both shows have immoral behavior and storylines that feature homosexual characters, but both at a level I was okay with (so far). I've let thirteen year old Jack watch the first few episodes of The Flash . . . with me so we can discuss things that need discussing.
In conclusion: I'm team Arrow, all the way.
3. Finding out if baby is a boy or a girl before birth: Good idea? Bad idea?
We don't find out.
We haven't with any of the kids.
The husband has a much younger sister and brother, and he remembers being surprised when they came along. I have to admit . . . at first, it seemed pretty nuts to me to NOT find out a thing you could find out. I like finding things out.
But it was important to him, so I let him have that one. I've been really glad I did.
Now, we own ALL THE BABY STUFF, so it doesn't matter, but for the first go-round it meant we got non-gender-specific stuff at our baby shower, some of which I'm still using thirteen years later. I find my curiosity to be very motivating during the hard parts of labor. Not that I WOULDN'T want to be done with it if I already knew, but somehow, it helps. And I've found that I really love the old-timeyness of an "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" announcement right there in the delivery room.
Better get that photo in now, Dad. Looks like babies are only "shown" until 6:30.
4. Have you ever appeared on a stadium jumbotron?
I have not. And it's not really a goal. I can't think of ever having been shown at a game, or even having my name appear on there with a "special welcome."
But, you don't have to appear on it yourself to appreciate it. The husband took Betty and Gus to a Dodger game last week. Here she is, tearing up a bit at the Kiss Cam.
She's such a romantic.
5. Are you more book smart or more street smart?
If we're talking able to figure stuff out for yourself, I do think I've got that. Writing, blogging, graphic design, photography, sewing, cake decorating . . . all my favorite stuff . . . I'm just kinda winging all of it. Mostly I'll see a picture of something someone else has done, then just by trial and error try to figure out how to do it myself.
But all my "street smarts" are applicable only at home. If we're talking actual STREET street smart, then I'm definitely more book smart. I'm bad at navigating, so if I'm on a street, I'm probably lost. And being able to embroider a very convincing T.A.R.D.I.S. is unlikely to get me out of any jams on the street.
download the free pattern here
6. Have you had that baby yet? (Feel free to skip this one if it's not applicable to you.)
Not yet. But stay tuned to the Catholic All Year Facebook page for updates.
Get your Baby Pool guesses in here. (Either I'm REALLY predictable, or you guys know me really well, or SOMETHING, because the name guesses on there are uncannily accurate.)
And leave your prayer requests here, so I can offer up my labor for your intentions. It's going to hurt anyway. It might as well be for a good cause.
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . . which will be the LAST week of Answer Me This for this summer. Yes, I know that most people's understanding of "Every Sunday All Summer" would include August. But, I'm not sure I can commit to getting them up on time once there's a new little person in the house. So next week will be the last for this summer, and I'll plan on bringing it back again . . . when you least expect it!
1. What's your favorite grocery store splurge?
2. How's your penmanship?
3. Do you have a "Summer Bucket List?"
4. What's the best thing on the radio right now?
5. Ice cream or frozen yogurt?
6. Have you had that baby NOW? (Again, you can skip this one if you want.)
An InLinkz Link-up
And now for THIS WEEK'S questions, to answer THIS WEEK . . .
1. What's currently on your To Do list?
Well, since writing an entire post on this topic, I think I can say that my To Do list is pretty much done. I've finished all the baby stuff, and the yearbook, and I've got guest posts scheduled out through the end of August.
We were hoping to have found a new home before this baby came, but that's not looking like it's going to happen. And I don't want to rush it. If we move, I'd really like it to be into our forever home this time. I want this to be the home our grandkids come to visit. I don't want it to be a crazy pregnant lady impulse buy. (Plus, I'm maybe still not quite over the one that got away.) So, even though it would have been great to move while the husband had time off of work for paternity leave, and it would have been great to be in a different part of town before fall (because of some changes we'll talk about later) . . . we're going to wait for the right one to come along in its own time.
So that just leaves having a baby. And that's going to have to happen in its own time too.
2. Better type of superhero: magic/radioactive powers? Or trauma/gadgets/hard work?
So, you guys know about me and the overdoing right? Well, I've currently been on a kick of watching ALL the superhero shows. While sewing and yearbook-making and blog-post-formatting, I watched Daredevil , (and wrote about it here), then Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , then Arrow . . . because those are all on Netflix. (Clicking on the title will take you to it, if you're signed into your Netflix account.)
Except for season 3 of Arrow, which is NOT. I considered being reasonable and patient and just waiting for Netflix to get it, but then I realized that I'm pregnant, and not AT ALL patient, so I immediately bought Arrow: Season 3
on Amazon streaming. And then there was this whole The Flash spinoff. So, I figured I'd better get that from Amazon too. Ya know, just to be safe. (I haven't finished either of those two seasons yet. Clicking on the title will take you to it via my Amazon Affiliate link.)
I find it very intriguing how they've handled the whole D.C. Comic world. All the supernatural heroes and villains are in Central City with the Flash, where all the supers were created by a particle accelerator explosion (obviously). Meanwhile, the good guys and bad guys in Starling City with Arrow are all non-supernatural. Their heroics and villainy are based on science, fortune, hard work, and childhood trauma.
When I brought up Arrow on social media, people had really strong opinions in favor of Arrow or the Flash.
I never really had a strong preference for Batman or Superman, even though it's a pretty similar comparison. Frankie's going with both. At the same time. Plus a lion.
But I REALLY prefer Arrow to the Flash. I love that he has to work so hard to be able to do what he can do. I appreciate that he is in real danger every time he goes out to fight bad guys. There is a very real-seeming physicality to the show that I like. He actually runs up walls to fire escapes and whatnot, using non-computer generated, real stunts. And the jumping chin up thing is UH-mazing. I'm with Felicity on that. And I really do like me a quiet, confident, brooding superhero.
The Flash, on the other hand, has very little confidence and crazy magic powers. Harry Potter has nothing on this guy. He can run fast, obviously, but he can also use his powers to disguise his voice and appearance, heal quickly, run up buildings and across water and THROUGH solid objects, and lightning-resuscitate dead people. He can also travel through time. Technically he's not impervious to injury or death, but his powers are so overwhelming that it's almost not interesting.
There are random instances in which he claims that he somehow can't save everyone, but most of the time, he just zips about saving everyone, no trouble at all.
Anyway, I've enjoyed watching both shows. And the Flash has considerably less inappropriate behavior between characters. And is much less dark. Neither show has graphic violence or nudity. Both shows have immoral behavior and storylines that feature homosexual characters, but both at a level I was okay with (so far). I've let thirteen year old Jack watch the first few episodes of The Flash . . . with me so we can discuss things that need discussing.
In conclusion: I'm team Arrow, all the way.
3. Finding out if baby is a boy or a girl before birth: Good idea? Bad idea?
We don't find out.
We haven't with any of the kids.
The husband has a much younger sister and brother, and he remembers being surprised when they came along. I have to admit . . . at first, it seemed pretty nuts to me to NOT find out a thing you could find out. I like finding things out.
But it was important to him, so I let him have that one. I've been really glad I did.
Now, we own ALL THE BABY STUFF, so it doesn't matter, but for the first go-round it meant we got non-gender-specific stuff at our baby shower, some of which I'm still using thirteen years later. I find my curiosity to be very motivating during the hard parts of labor. Not that I WOULDN'T want to be done with it if I already knew, but somehow, it helps. And I've found that I really love the old-timeyness of an "It's a boy!" or "It's a girl!" announcement right there in the delivery room.
Better get that photo in now, Dad. Looks like babies are only "shown" until 6:30.
4. Have you ever appeared on a stadium jumbotron?
I have not. And it's not really a goal. I can't think of ever having been shown at a game, or even having my name appear on there with a "special welcome."
But, you don't have to appear on it yourself to appreciate it. The husband took Betty and Gus to a Dodger game last week. Here she is, tearing up a bit at the Kiss Cam.
She's such a romantic.
5. Are you more book smart or more street smart?
If we're talking able to figure stuff out for yourself, I do think I've got that. Writing, blogging, graphic design, photography, sewing, cake decorating . . . all my favorite stuff . . . I'm just kinda winging all of it. Mostly I'll see a picture of something someone else has done, then just by trial and error try to figure out how to do it myself.
But all my "street smarts" are applicable only at home. If we're talking actual STREET street smart, then I'm definitely more book smart. I'm bad at navigating, so if I'm on a street, I'm probably lost. And being able to embroider a very convincing T.A.R.D.I.S. is unlikely to get me out of any jams on the street.
download the free pattern here6. Have you had that baby yet? (Feel free to skip this one if it's not applicable to you.)
Not yet. But stay tuned to the Catholic All Year Facebook page for updates.
Get your Baby Pool guesses in here. (Either I'm REALLY predictable, or you guys know me really well, or SOMETHING, because the name guesses on there are uncannily accurate.)
And leave your prayer requests here, so I can offer up my labor for your intentions. It's going to hurt anyway. It might as well be for a good cause.
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . . which will be the LAST week of Answer Me This for this summer. Yes, I know that most people's understanding of "Every Sunday All Summer" would include August. But, I'm not sure I can commit to getting them up on time once there's a new little person in the house. So next week will be the last for this summer, and I'll plan on bringing it back again . . . when you least expect it!
1. What's your favorite grocery store splurge?
2. How's your penmanship?
3. Do you have a "Summer Bucket List?"
4. What's the best thing on the radio right now?
5. Ice cream or frozen yogurt?
6. Have you had that baby NOW? (Again, you can skip this one if you want.)
An InLinkz Link-up
July 17, 2015
This Week in Pictures
Hey! Been wondering what the week has looked like around here? No? Too bad. Here goes.
1. This week in modern conveniences . . . We were without air conditioning from Sunday through Thursday. In the Valley. In July. But we survived. Pope Francis would be really proud of us. Even though it did get up to ninety in the mid-afternoon most days, it cools down enough in the evenings to open the house up, then once it started getting hot by mid-morning, we closed all the windows and curtains and turned on the fans. Cave living. It was manageable, even super-pregnant.
So, ya know, interesting experiment and all, but I do prefer to have it. The new unit was installed yesterday, and I want to make sure it knows that it's appreciated.
Remember?
2. This week in the liturgical year . . . we haven't been doing anything too involved for saints' days recently. But I can usually manage us a dessert.
Yesterday was Caramel Brownie Teacup Sundaes for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Earlier in the week was St. Kateri. I celebrated that one by shutting the kids outside all day and making them forage for their own food. (Mostly) kidding.
3. This week in Frankie . . . In an exciting development, Frankie has moved past general naughtiness into full on thievery. I found over forty dollars in ones, fives, and change in his various pockets yesterday morning when we were doing the laundry.
Sigh.
HE has NO IDEA where it came from. My guess is that it's Jack's money from his job bringing in trash cans around the neighborhood. Or maybe Frankie's been secretly bartending.
We're going to get this kid sorted. It's going to happen. But it hasn't yet.
4. This week in living nightmares . . . Betty has been gone at sleepaway camp with the Sacred Heart Sisters in the local mountains all week.
Jack and Bobby went away the week before, but I gotta say, our daily efficiency is not all that adversely effected by the absence of those two.
I miss Betty. I'm sure she's having fun. But I MIGHT be counting down the seconds until tomorrow.
5. This week in Netflix . . . this box arrived out of the blue full of How to Train Your Dragon stuff.
Ironically, a TV show-themed gift box kept the kids occupied outside for quite some time. So THAT was awesome.
But I did finally give in to their carefully phrased requests to watch the new series on Netflix, it's called Race to the Edge. After all, they JUST want to help me be a better blogger.
Here is their review:
It happens between the two movies. It has all the characters, except the dad looks kinda weird on the TV show. It's totally awesome and we love it.6. This week in my kids all look the same . . . Check out the caricature my parents got of the kids at the San Diego Zoo:
We just have the one model. We keep having it again and again. Good thing it's cute.
7. This week in belated link-ups . . . Here's what we wore last Sunday, when I was at 38 weeks:
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
For move Seven Quick Takes, head over to Kelly's.
1. This week in modern conveniences . . . We were without air conditioning from Sunday through Thursday. In the Valley. In July. But we survived. Pope Francis would be really proud of us. Even though it did get up to ninety in the mid-afternoon most days, it cools down enough in the evenings to open the house up, then once it started getting hot by mid-morning, we closed all the windows and curtains and turned on the fans. Cave living. It was manageable, even super-pregnant.
So, ya know, interesting experiment and all, but I do prefer to have it. The new unit was installed yesterday, and I want to make sure it knows that it's appreciated.
Remember?
2. This week in the liturgical year . . . we haven't been doing anything too involved for saints' days recently. But I can usually manage us a dessert.
Yesterday was Caramel Brownie Teacup Sundaes for Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
Earlier in the week was St. Kateri. I celebrated that one by shutting the kids outside all day and making them forage for their own food. (Mostly) kidding.
3. This week in Frankie . . . In an exciting development, Frankie has moved past general naughtiness into full on thievery. I found over forty dollars in ones, fives, and change in his various pockets yesterday morning when we were doing the laundry.
Sigh.
HE has NO IDEA where it came from. My guess is that it's Jack's money from his job bringing in trash cans around the neighborhood. Or maybe Frankie's been secretly bartending.
We're going to get this kid sorted. It's going to happen. But it hasn't yet.
4. This week in living nightmares . . . Betty has been gone at sleepaway camp with the Sacred Heart Sisters in the local mountains all week.
Jack and Bobby went away the week before, but I gotta say, our daily efficiency is not all that adversely effected by the absence of those two.I miss Betty. I'm sure she's having fun. But I MIGHT be counting down the seconds until tomorrow.
5. This week in Netflix . . . this box arrived out of the blue full of How to Train Your Dragon stuff.
Ironically, a TV show-themed gift box kept the kids occupied outside for quite some time. So THAT was awesome.
But I did finally give in to their carefully phrased requests to watch the new series on Netflix, it's called Race to the Edge. After all, they JUST want to help me be a better blogger.
Here is their review:
It happens between the two movies. It has all the characters, except the dad looks kinda weird on the TV show. It's totally awesome and we love it.6. This week in my kids all look the same . . . Check out the caricature my parents got of the kids at the San Diego Zoo:
We just have the one model. We keep having it again and again. Good thing it's cute.
7. This week in belated link-ups . . . Here's what we wore last Sunday, when I was at 38 weeks:
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
For move Seven Quick Takes, head over to Kelly's.
July 16, 2015
A Birth Story Round Up, and the prayer request line is . . . OPEN
We're a week or two out from baby number eight. So I figured this would be a good time to catch you new folks up on the previous installments of Hey, Check it Out: I Had a Baby . . .
-1-
Birth Story #1, in which I puke in a bush-2-
Birth Story #2, in which I don't quite make it into the labor and delivery room-3-
Birth Story #3, in which I give birth to the same baby twice-4-
Birth Story Week: #4, in which me having a baby is the least of our worries-5-
Birth Story #5, so, um . . . THAT was fast-6-
Birth Story #6, in which it turns out I totally do NOT know what I'm doing-7-
Birth Story #7: In Which THAT Is More Like itStay turned for installment number eight . . . .And, if you would allow me, I'd love to pray for your intentions during my labor.
I wrote all about it here:
A Pregnant Lady's Thoughts on SufferingEven after going though it as many times as I have, I'm still apprehensive about going into labor. I've done it before, so I know it's going to hurt. I just can't remember how much it's going to hurt, which is an odd feeling. Despite that, I still really am looking forward to it, but now it's for three reasons: a) to get a baby, b) to not be pregnant anymore, and c) to be able to offer my suffering for my intentions and yours.
So, if I can pray for you during this labor, please leave a comment. It can be as specific or vague as you'd like, God will know. You're also welcome to email me at catholicallyear@gmail.com if you prefer. And if you haven't entered the baby pool, leave a comment over there too! Someone is going to win some great prizes, it might as well be you.
And now I'll be getting back to regular posts, that are NOT all about how I'm going to have a baby soon. But, don't worry, I'll let you know when it happens. Probably via Facebook first, so if you haven't liked the Catholic All Year Facebook page yet, now's as good a time as any. Amirite?
July 14, 2015
A Quick Look at My To Do List, and Then Let's Do a Baby Pool, Shall We?
With PRIZES.
It's getting towards crunch time on baby number eight here. Just two-ish weeks to go.
This is always an odd time for me, because I tend to walk around at 3 or 4 cm for these last few weeks. I'm sure it makes things go more easily when the time comes, but there's something vaguely unsettling about it, somehow.
Anyway, I've been hard at work checking things off of my To Do Before Baby list . . .
As you may remember, my sister-in-law is due at pretty much exactly the same time I am, and I found out a few weeks ago that my OTHER sister-in-law is expecting as well. I always make a baby blanket for each of our babies, well, I always make TWO, since we don't find out if it's a boy or a girl.
So all of a sudden a couple weeks ago, I realized that THE THING TO DO would be to make six coordinating but unique baby blankets so that the three baby cousins would have matching blankets whether they all turned out to be boys or girls or some combination thereof.
So, I did.
I also made baby name shirts for our baby, one with the boy name, one with the girl name. I'm not sure where the idea first came from, but I made one with each of our baby names when I was expecting our first, and have made them with each baby after, and it sure helps with keeping track of who is who in newborn photos.
The batch for this go round is finished, but, in the interest of keeping the baby pool interesting, please enjoy this picture of clothespins so you can be surprised . . .
Just tonight I finally finished our homeschool yearbook. This is the third year I've done it, and you'd think I'd have it sorted by now. But things really seemed to conspire against me this year. Eventually it all did come together, and I'm happy with it. It's a ton of work, but mostly I enjoy it. Especially because since I'm in charge, I can do stuff like this:
Pterodactyls. You never expect it to be pterodactyls.I was all set to start work on Lulu's baby book, since my deadline for getting those done is always "before the next baby comes." So imagine my surprise when I had already done it, and given it to her for Christmas. I'm REALLY glad I noticed that there was already a "Lulu's First Year" folder of pictures in Picasa. Otherwise I TOTALLY would have made it again.
So, last things around here, really, are to get the blog squared away with some guest posts I have for y'all, but that need formatting. And, I don't know, maybe I'll pack a hospital bag here at some point. That used to seem like a bigger deal.
Which brings me to the baby pool.
You, my dear readers, get to make your best guesses in the following categories. Just leave your guesses in the comments of this post . . .
1. Boy or Girl: Currently we have four boys and three girls.
2. Birth Date: My due date is July 27th. I've had two babies on the actual due date, one three days past, and the rest a day or two early.
3. Birth Time: Four of my babies have been born in the wee hours of the morning. But I also have one born at midnight, one at noon, and one at 9am.
4. Length of Labor: My longest labor was 50 hours (number six), my shortest was an hour and a half (number five). So good luck with this one.
5. Weight: My other babies have been 7lb 9oz, 7lb 8oz, 9lb 1oz, 8lb 3oz, 8lbs 1oz, 7lbs 5oz, and 8lbs 12oz.
6. Length: The other babies have ranged from 19 3/4 inches to 22 inches long.
Bonus: Name. It's a long shot. But just think how cool you'll feel if you guess the name!
And there will be prizes! Prizes will be awarded in a completely unscientific manner however I happen to feel like distributing them after this baby is born. But, probably, there will be multiple winners.
Here's what you could win:
1. From : a pair of completely adorable 0-6m baby leggings. Check out shop to see these and more creative, handmade items for babies, toddlers, and moms.
2. From Bison Booties: A $30 gift certificate to spend as you please at Erica's online store. Bison Booties are handmade by stay-at-home-moms, and are Vegan (if you're into that sort of thing). Choose from infant and toddler booties, child and adult slippers, and even bibs and pacifier clips.
3. From Magnificat and Ignatius Press, a collection of three new books, especially for Catholic kids: Catholic Saints for Children
, A Missal for Little Ones
, and Let's Pray the Rosary
.
4. From Michele Chronister, of My Domestic Monastery: A digital copy of the book Rosaries Aren't Just For Teething, featuring reflections by ten of your favorite Catholic mom bloggers on the subject of Mary. 
5. And from ME, if I can get my act together to mail it out to you, one of the spare baby blankets . . . so that the baby of your choice can be twinsies with my baby and his or her cousins. And a signed copy of MY book, A Little Book about Confession for Children
which now FINALLY has an Imprimatur. (It's a slow church.) I TOLD you guys it wasn't heretical.Good luck with your guessing!
July 12, 2015
Answer Me This: the "Not at Edel" edition
Hiya, and welcome to another edition of Answer Me This, the internet's favorite virtual cocktail party, where we all answer the same six random questions and get to know each other a little better.
And "virtual" cocktail party is going to have to do it for me. Usually that's no biggie, but today is the last day of the 2015 Edel Gathering, a weekend of fun and fellowship for Catholic moms in Charleston (this year) that I was very much looking forward to attending until it turned out that I was going to be 38 weeks pregnant and all the way on the other side of the country in Los Angeles this weekend.
So . . . I kind feel like this:
While also, of course, being very happy for everyone who did get to go. If you do the social media thing, check out #edel15 to see all your favorite Catholic bloggers and Catholic blog readers having a fabulous time in Charleston. And check out #insteadofedel to find out what the best of the rest of us have been up to this weekend.
And now for THIS WEEK'S questions, to answer THIS WEEK . . .
1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?
This question is here as a result of a discussion in a Facebook group I'm in. It's amazing to me how much variance there is in what people consider an ideal indoor temperature.
Since we are in California, it almost always cools down enough to open the windows in the evening and overnight. But since there is a mountain range between our house and the beach it is almost always really REALLY hot during the day (in the summer). It's pretty routinely above ninety here, and occasionally it gets above 110. Before there was air conditioning pretty much the only people tough enough to live in the San Fernando Valley were American Indians and Jesuits.
Like this lady, I really appreciate having air conditioning. Unlike her, I don't usually get quite so dressed up to gaze adoringly at the air conditioning unit.
Most of the year the outside temperature is quite pleasant. But for a couple of months in the summer, we need the AC, and for a couple of months in the winter we need the heat. We keep the thermostat set to 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter, day and night.
2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?
Being in my third trimester in the aforementioned Valley temperatures means that I have been drinking a LOT of frozen beverages. We often have smoothies for breakfast (using THIS foolproof recipe). Instead of my usual daily hot chai latte, when it's hot, I'll make a blended frozen one using crushed ice, milk, powdered chai tea, and my immersion blender.
Jack and I were just having a discussion about the merits of Slurpees vs Icees, and we are in agreement that while Icees have a superior, tangy flavor, they are mostly air. So, Slurpees are the better investment.
And if we're talking GROWN UP frozen beverages, I'm all about a frozen, blended Pina Colada. I've even had one in Puerto Rico at the restaurant that claims to have made them up. I believe them. They seemed really trustworthy, especially after a couple Pina Coladas.
3. Where do you keep your keys?
Someday I'd like to have a cute little key hook thingy in an entryway/mudroom. That would be great. For now though, we have two slightly disheveled looking key dishes on a bookshelf in the kitchen. One for daily use-type keys, and one for other keys we need, but don't want to have to dig through to find the car keys.
4. Have you ever really been lost?
I'm a little bit lost pretty much every time I try to drive anywhere. I have zero sense of direction. But mostly, I can just go where the GPS tells me to go and be fine. But the kids know better than to try to talk to me when I'm trying to figure out which way to go on an on ramp.
But pre-GPS, on the husband and my first trip to Lourdes (the one with the miracle) we were pretty much Hansel-and-Gretel-lost in the French countryside, trying to find a bed and breakfast we were going to stay in for a night. We were weaving through all these little villages, and street names kept changing, and NO ONE spoke any English or would recognize the name of the town we were trying to say in French.
We perhaps did not look quite THIS fabulous:
Or in any way like Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery. AND we had a very unhappy five month old strapped into a car seat with us for many, many hours. But the husband eventually found our way to where we were going with nothing but a not-particularly-reliable-map, and I've always looked back with a bit of pride on that crazy day, because I've figured ever since that if our marriage could survive the stress of a day of being lost in the French countryside with a screaming baby, we're pretty much good to go.
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?
I've seen two movies in the theater lately. I didn't think either deserved a whole write up on the blog, but for different reasons.
Betty and I went to see Inside Out, and neither of us much liked it. I know I'm in the minority opinion here, critics and bloggers alike are raving about it. But I found it to be awkward, and to feel like I was seeing something that should be private, and I thought it was just generally a bummer.
Then Jack and I went to see Jurassic World. Jack thought it was The. Best. movie he's ever seen. I didn't feel QUITE that enthusiastic about it, but I did enjoy it. I just didn't really see an angle on it worth writing about. It was fun. Chris Pratt was great, as always. But it was really just a fighting monsters movie. Grrr.
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .
1. What's currently on your To Do list?
2. Better type of superhero: magic/radioactive powers? Or trauma/gadgets/hard work?
3. Finding out if baby is a boy or a girl before birth: Good idea? Bad idea?
4. Have you ever appeared on a stadium jumbotron?
5. Are you more book smart or more street smart?
6. Have you had that baby yet? (Feel free to skip this one if it's not applicable to you.)
An InLinkz Link-up
And "virtual" cocktail party is going to have to do it for me. Usually that's no biggie, but today is the last day of the 2015 Edel Gathering, a weekend of fun and fellowship for Catholic moms in Charleston (this year) that I was very much looking forward to attending until it turned out that I was going to be 38 weeks pregnant and all the way on the other side of the country in Los Angeles this weekend.
So . . . I kind feel like this:
While also, of course, being very happy for everyone who did get to go. If you do the social media thing, check out #edel15 to see all your favorite Catholic bloggers and Catholic blog readers having a fabulous time in Charleston. And check out #insteadofedel to find out what the best of the rest of us have been up to this weekend.
And now for THIS WEEK'S questions, to answer THIS WEEK . . .
1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?
This question is here as a result of a discussion in a Facebook group I'm in. It's amazing to me how much variance there is in what people consider an ideal indoor temperature.
Since we are in California, it almost always cools down enough to open the windows in the evening and overnight. But since there is a mountain range between our house and the beach it is almost always really REALLY hot during the day (in the summer). It's pretty routinely above ninety here, and occasionally it gets above 110. Before there was air conditioning pretty much the only people tough enough to live in the San Fernando Valley were American Indians and Jesuits.
Like this lady, I really appreciate having air conditioning. Unlike her, I don't usually get quite so dressed up to gaze adoringly at the air conditioning unit.
Most of the year the outside temperature is quite pleasant. But for a couple of months in the summer, we need the AC, and for a couple of months in the winter we need the heat. We keep the thermostat set to 78 in the summer and 68 in the winter, day and night.
2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?
Being in my third trimester in the aforementioned Valley temperatures means that I have been drinking a LOT of frozen beverages. We often have smoothies for breakfast (using THIS foolproof recipe). Instead of my usual daily hot chai latte, when it's hot, I'll make a blended frozen one using crushed ice, milk, powdered chai tea, and my immersion blender.
Jack and I were just having a discussion about the merits of Slurpees vs Icees, and we are in agreement that while Icees have a superior, tangy flavor, they are mostly air. So, Slurpees are the better investment.
And if we're talking GROWN UP frozen beverages, I'm all about a frozen, blended Pina Colada. I've even had one in Puerto Rico at the restaurant that claims to have made them up. I believe them. They seemed really trustworthy, especially after a couple Pina Coladas.
3. Where do you keep your keys?
Someday I'd like to have a cute little key hook thingy in an entryway/mudroom. That would be great. For now though, we have two slightly disheveled looking key dishes on a bookshelf in the kitchen. One for daily use-type keys, and one for other keys we need, but don't want to have to dig through to find the car keys.
4. Have you ever really been lost?
I'm a little bit lost pretty much every time I try to drive anywhere. I have zero sense of direction. But mostly, I can just go where the GPS tells me to go and be fine. But the kids know better than to try to talk to me when I'm trying to figure out which way to go on an on ramp.
But pre-GPS, on the husband and my first trip to Lourdes (the one with the miracle) we were pretty much Hansel-and-Gretel-lost in the French countryside, trying to find a bed and breakfast we were going to stay in for a night. We were weaving through all these little villages, and street names kept changing, and NO ONE spoke any English or would recognize the name of the town we were trying to say in French.
We perhaps did not look quite THIS fabulous:
Or in any way like Elizabeth Taylor and Sean Connery. AND we had a very unhappy five month old strapped into a car seat with us for many, many hours. But the husband eventually found our way to where we were going with nothing but a not-particularly-reliable-map, and I've always looked back with a bit of pride on that crazy day, because I've figured ever since that if our marriage could survive the stress of a day of being lost in the French countryside with a screaming baby, we're pretty much good to go.
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?
I've seen two movies in the theater lately. I didn't think either deserved a whole write up on the blog, but for different reasons.
Betty and I went to see Inside Out, and neither of us much liked it. I know I'm in the minority opinion here, critics and bloggers alike are raving about it. But I found it to be awkward, and to feel like I was seeing something that should be private, and I thought it was just generally a bummer.
Then Jack and I went to see Jurassic World. Jack thought it was The. Best. movie he's ever seen. I didn't feel QUITE that enthusiastic about it, but I did enjoy it. I just didn't really see an angle on it worth writing about. It was fun. Chris Pratt was great, as always. But it was really just a fighting monsters movie. Grrr.
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .
1. What's currently on your To Do list?
2. Better type of superhero: magic/radioactive powers? Or trauma/gadgets/hard work?
3. Finding out if baby is a boy or a girl before birth: Good idea? Bad idea?
4. Have you ever appeared on a stadium jumbotron?
5. Are you more book smart or more street smart?
6. Have you had that baby yet? (Feel free to skip this one if it's not applicable to you.)
An InLinkz Link-up
July 9, 2015
Toddlers and Younger Siblings: How Could YOU Make Our Baby Happy?
Last time, I answered a different mailbag question about this same topic: babies in a house full of their sibling's toys. That post was about babyproofing (or, more specifically, about NOT babyproofing). Today, I'm going to approach that same topic from a slightly different angle, and discuss how we handle toddlers who would prefer not to share with babies.
The Question:
The Answer:
Stephanie,
I do think it's fair to require toddlers to share with babies. And I think it's necessary for survival in a family, because two and a half year olds are a lot easier to reason with than ten month olds.
I think there are a few concepts that go into this issue.
1. Who owns what in a family?
Theresa wrote a good post on this:
His. Hers. Yours. Mine. Ours. (How we Handle Communal and Private Property in our Large-ish Family)
In our house, people don't "own" toys. Even if they were a gift. If it lives in the playroom, it's fair game for everyone. There are exceptions for things like craft kits that get used up, or particular individual gifts, or breakable things, but mostly, mostly, mostly, all things belong "to the Tierney family" around here. My kids are expecting that, so there's not too much drama (usually) about anyone playing with anything in particular.
2. What are the responsibilities of being a big brother?
But there is a difference between allowing the baby to play with something of "yours" that you're not currently using, and allowing the baby to take the thing you are currently playing with.
Mostly, I make my kids do both.
We have a set of "family rules." I've never actually written them down, they're just things I say over and over again, and the kids are really familiar with them. Quite a few of my standard sayings have to do with this concept:
We don't take things from babies (unless the thing is dangerous or could be destroyed). Babies get what they want. How could you make our baby happy? People are more important than things.
Bigger kids in this house (even if they're only one kid bigger) have more responsibilities. I expect toddlers to share with babies and to learn to develop their empathy skills and to try to help keep babies happy and entertained. Because that's what's best for our family, and it's character-building for the toddler.
3. How to handle it?
So, if the baby is crawling over after something the toddler has, and he starts to balk (and since my current toddler is Frankie, that does happen sometimes), I remind him of the standard rules. He can try to be proactive and distract the baby with something else, "What do you think the baby would want?" But, if what she wants is what he has, I'd remind him, "It looks like Lulu wants to play with that car. You could make our baby happy. I'm sure you can find something else to play with until she gets tired of it." If he throws a fit, I'd say, "If this toy is going to cause unhappiness, I'm going to put it away." And I do. Toys that cause fights, or tears, just Go Away in this house. I'm not going to referee turns. Either they can figure it out for themselves, or I have to get involved. And if I get involved, it goes away. Not for any set amount of time, I'll just put it up on a high shelf, or take it to my closet, and then put it back in the playroom when I think of it.
If he just gets more upset at that point, then he needs to go to his room to compose himself.
Implementing a system like this will take some time (and some time-outs), but in our house, it really does work. My kids have an expectation that they would share their things, and an expectation that they would follow our family rules, and an expectation that they would be able to be disappointed about something without completely losing it.
4. Won't my older kids resent me or their siblings over something like this?
Written out like this, it can sound callous. And perhaps even damaging. But we've been doing this a long time, and it hasn't created any long term resentment or disharmony in our home. Quite the opposite. It has made my kids empathetic, and generous, and detached from possessions. Even at the age of three, Frankie is able to put the needs of his little sister and his family above his desire for a particular toy at a particular moment.
My older kids know that they get more privileges and opportunities than the littler kids, and they understand that the trade off is sometimes having to put the needs of younger siblings above their own.
We're okay with it.
I've got a bunch of posts that deal with getting a handle on toddlers in general. This is a recent one, with links in it to the others:
Mailbag: Please Stop the Screaming!
Cheers,
Kendra
Mailbag Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, nor am I an official spokesperson for the Catholic Church. (You're thinking of this guy.) If you read anything on this blog that is contrary to Church teaching, please consider it my error (and let me know!). I'm not a doctor or an expert on anything in particular. I'm just one person with a lot of experience parenting little kids and a desire to share my joy in marriage, mothering, and my faith.
If you've got a question, please send it along to catholicallyear @ gmail . com . Please let me know if you prefer that I change your name if I use your question on the blog.
The Question:
Hey Kendra,
I have an almost 2.5 year old boy and a 10 month old boy. My question is this: How do I teach the toddler about sharing with his brother? The minute he sees the baby coming his way, he starts screaming and "protecting" HIS toys. Granted, they are toys he has received for his birthday or Christmas, and the baby does invariably destroy whatever the toddler has been building, but is it wrong that I expect him to share those toys? He can play with them by himself during the baby's naps . . . I just don't know what to do. What should I expect of him and what shouldn't I? The concept of sharing with a baby isn't really sharing at all because the baby just takes it and puts it in his mouth and doesn't ever give it back to him . . . Is it fair that I want him to "share" his toys?
Confused mama,
Stephanie
The Answer:
Stephanie,
I do think it's fair to require toddlers to share with babies. And I think it's necessary for survival in a family, because two and a half year olds are a lot easier to reason with than ten month olds.
I think there are a few concepts that go into this issue.
1. Who owns what in a family?
Theresa wrote a good post on this:
His. Hers. Yours. Mine. Ours. (How we Handle Communal and Private Property in our Large-ish Family)
In our house, people don't "own" toys. Even if they were a gift. If it lives in the playroom, it's fair game for everyone. There are exceptions for things like craft kits that get used up, or particular individual gifts, or breakable things, but mostly, mostly, mostly, all things belong "to the Tierney family" around here. My kids are expecting that, so there's not too much drama (usually) about anyone playing with anything in particular.
2. What are the responsibilities of being a big brother?
But there is a difference between allowing the baby to play with something of "yours" that you're not currently using, and allowing the baby to take the thing you are currently playing with.
Mostly, I make my kids do both.
We have a set of "family rules." I've never actually written them down, they're just things I say over and over again, and the kids are really familiar with them. Quite a few of my standard sayings have to do with this concept:
We don't take things from babies (unless the thing is dangerous or could be destroyed). Babies get what they want. How could you make our baby happy? People are more important than things.
Bigger kids in this house (even if they're only one kid bigger) have more responsibilities. I expect toddlers to share with babies and to learn to develop their empathy skills and to try to help keep babies happy and entertained. Because that's what's best for our family, and it's character-building for the toddler.
3. How to handle it?
So, if the baby is crawling over after something the toddler has, and he starts to balk (and since my current toddler is Frankie, that does happen sometimes), I remind him of the standard rules. He can try to be proactive and distract the baby with something else, "What do you think the baby would want?" But, if what she wants is what he has, I'd remind him, "It looks like Lulu wants to play with that car. You could make our baby happy. I'm sure you can find something else to play with until she gets tired of it." If he throws a fit, I'd say, "If this toy is going to cause unhappiness, I'm going to put it away." And I do. Toys that cause fights, or tears, just Go Away in this house. I'm not going to referee turns. Either they can figure it out for themselves, or I have to get involved. And if I get involved, it goes away. Not for any set amount of time, I'll just put it up on a high shelf, or take it to my closet, and then put it back in the playroom when I think of it.
If he just gets more upset at that point, then he needs to go to his room to compose himself.
Implementing a system like this will take some time (and some time-outs), but in our house, it really does work. My kids have an expectation that they would share their things, and an expectation that they would follow our family rules, and an expectation that they would be able to be disappointed about something without completely losing it.
4. Won't my older kids resent me or their siblings over something like this?
Written out like this, it can sound callous. And perhaps even damaging. But we've been doing this a long time, and it hasn't created any long term resentment or disharmony in our home. Quite the opposite. It has made my kids empathetic, and generous, and detached from possessions. Even at the age of three, Frankie is able to put the needs of his little sister and his family above his desire for a particular toy at a particular moment.
My older kids know that they get more privileges and opportunities than the littler kids, and they understand that the trade off is sometimes having to put the needs of younger siblings above their own.
We're okay with it.
I've got a bunch of posts that deal with getting a handle on toddlers in general. This is a recent one, with links in it to the others:
Mailbag: Please Stop the Screaming!
Cheers,
Kendra
Mailbag Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, nor am I an official spokesperson for the Catholic Church. (You're thinking of this guy.) If you read anything on this blog that is contrary to Church teaching, please consider it my error (and let me know!). I'm not a doctor or an expert on anything in particular. I'm just one person with a lot of experience parenting little kids and a desire to share my joy in marriage, mothering, and my faith.
If you've got a question, please send it along to catholicallyear @ gmail . com . Please let me know if you prefer that I change your name if I use your question on the blog.
July 7, 2015
Babyproofing the House vs Babyproofing the Baby
I've received a couple of related mailbag questions over the past couple of weeks about how we handle the issue of babies in a house full of their siblings' toys. Today I'll discuss the idea of babyproofing, specifically how I DON'T do it, and in a different post, I'll talk about how we handle "ownership" of things in our home.
The Question:
Thanks, we're all really excited. And . . . yes, I think I always intended to write that post, and haven't quite gotten around to it. So, thanks for asking!
I approach this concept in two ways.
First, I focus on babyproofing the baby, not the house, and second, my big kids understand that people (even babies) are more important than stuff.
- Babyproofing the Baby -
Before six or eight months or so (for my babies), getting into stuff isn't so much of a problem. They're just not mobile enough to search and destroy. As you mention, I do wear my babies a lot, and I use the bumbo seat, and later, a standing jumper. But once they can crawl, my babies do also spend a lot of time crawling around the house, with varying levels of direct supervision. But by the time they get mobile enough to be finding and putting stuff in their mouths, they're also old enough to understand some discipline.
I've written a couple posts on how I introduce the concept of discipline to babies:
Babies and Discipline: When, Where, and How Much?
and
How to be the Boss of a One Year Old
But it mostly comes down to repeatedly saying "not food" and removing the item that shouldn't be in baby's mouth from baby's mouth, and repeatedly saying "not for babies" and taking the item away from the baby or the baby away from the item. For us, that's always worked. Once my babies can crawl around and get to all the stuff, they mostly know not to put it in their mouths. Maybe that's because of my calm but firm and always consistent parenting, or maybe I just have yet to have a baby who is truly dedicated to putting all the things in his mouth. I suppose only time will tell on that one. But, so far, it's been a very effective technique.
We don't have beepy alarms on our doors, or safety plugs in our electrical sockets, or latches on our toilets, or cabinets, or pantry, or drawers. All we have is me telling the baby she can't do that, and then following through to make sure she doesn't, often enough that she believes me and stops trying it. Or just needs a quick reminder when heading towards the drawer with the wipes in it.
I imagine that some folks babyproof because they want that feeling that the baby couldn't possibly hurt himself in the home because everything is safe and protected. But for me, having all that stuff doesn't make me feel safer, it makes me feel less safe, because it seems like the safety of my baby is dependent on all that gear. If I didn't remember to put the plug back in the socket, and the baby doesn't know not to play with those, and doesn't know to stop when I say "ch-ch-ch, not for babies," then I would feel like danger is lurking around every corner. Especially because putting safety plugs back in sockets is something I would be terrible at remembering to do.
If I work on baby proofing the baby, then we are not dependent on the stuff. We can have the same level of security in our home and in someone else's home, and at the beach or a park. Obviously, no mother can guarantee the safety of her baby. Accidents can happen on the watch of the most conscientious of mothers using ANY parenting technique. But I'm most comfortable knowing that by the time they are about twelve months old, my babies have a good understanding that there are things in this world that they are not supposed to put in their mouths, and there are things in this world that they aren't supposed to touch. And they are able to master their tiny little desires enough to stop when mom or dad says stop.
- Babies are More Important than Stuff -
But another standard part of my parenting technique is age-appropriate expectations. And it's just not age-appropriate to expect a nine- or twelve- or eighteen- or twenty-month old baby to be surrounded by enticing little objects and not mess with any of them. If the baby is awake and about, my big kids know that the baby is allowed to be in all places in the house that they are allowed to be. If they can't play with certain toys without endangering the baby or being inconvenienced by the baby, then those toys need to be played with out of reach, or at a time when the baby's not around. People are ALWAYS more important than stuff, and babies are people. But, fortunately for big kids, babies are people who sleep a lot, so there is plenty of time for making houses of cards, or playing marbles, or building rickety giant Lego towers when the baby isn't there to smash/try to eat them.
For Lego storage, we really like this brilliant (but pricey) drawstring bag
. The (affiliate) link goes to the brand we have, which was the only choice back when I bought it. It looks like there are cheaper versions available now, but I can't vouch for them personally. The Lay n' Go mat is still going strong two years later. We also have the smaller version for melty beads. It works well because big kids can have tiny toys spread out all over it, then if the baby wakes up and wants to come in the playroom, it can be scooped and cinched up in a flash.
I emphasize for my big kids how lucky they are to have a baby in the house. They love interacting with their younger siblings, and they can't help but be won over by the blind adoration toddlers have (in their good moments) for their older brothers and sisters. I know it can be frustrating to not be able to do exactly what you'd most like to be doing at any given time. But I also know that, for myself, that's exactly the part of mothering that's been the most beneficial to my personal development. I've found that it's been really GOOD for me to have to mortify my desires, to have to delay what I'd prefer to be doing for the good of the people around me. I think it's really good for my kids as well. Having siblings whose needs and desires have to be considered, sometimes above ones own has really helped my big kids to grow in virtue.
So . . . I hope that helps some. Congratulations on your that baby, and good luck with all the adjusting. It will work out though, it always does, somehow.
Cheers,
Kendra
Some additional reading . . .
There's Not a Rule Book for This Job Are Older Siblings Overburdened by Responsibilities? Or Are They Empowered by Them?
Mailbag Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, nor am I an official spokesperson for the Catholic Church. (You're thinking of this guy.) If you read anything on this blog that is contrary to Church teaching, please consider it my error (and let me know!). I'm not a doctor or an expert on anything in particular. I'm just one person with a lot of experience parenting little kids and a desire to share my joy in marriage, mothering, and my faith.
If you've got a question, please send it along to catholicallyear @ gmail . com . Please let me know if you prefer that I change your name if I use your question on the blog.
p.s. If this post seems kind of familiar, it's because I accidentally published it a few months ago, at the exact same time as another post. So I took it back down when I noticed a couple hours later, and it's been languishing in the drafts folder since then, pushed back by birthdays and vacations and sponsored posts and linkups and series and current events and other things that felt more time critical. But hey! Here it is again. This time for sure.
The Question:
Hi Kendra,The Answer:Christine,
Congrats on your new little one! We are currently expecting our third in early August. Our older ones will be 6 and 3.
I'm wondering if you could say anything about baby proofing with later babies? When our daughter was born, we pretty much baby proofed the whole house like we had the first time. We had baby gates and there were no tiny toys. Our son was just getting into Legos but we were able to keep them isolated and that was pretty much it. I'm not sure exactly what's going to happen this time but I know it isn't THAT!
I know you wear your babies and use the bumbo seat, do you find that to be enough? I searched around on your site for any advice and all I could really find on this was a comment you made on a different post to the effect that it's easier to proof the baby than baby proof the house. But I'm wondering what that looks like for you?
Thanks for any advice!
Christine
Thanks, we're all really excited. And . . . yes, I think I always intended to write that post, and haven't quite gotten around to it. So, thanks for asking!
I approach this concept in two ways.
First, I focus on babyproofing the baby, not the house, and second, my big kids understand that people (even babies) are more important than stuff.
- Babyproofing the Baby -
Before six or eight months or so (for my babies), getting into stuff isn't so much of a problem. They're just not mobile enough to search and destroy. As you mention, I do wear my babies a lot, and I use the bumbo seat, and later, a standing jumper. But once they can crawl, my babies do also spend a lot of time crawling around the house, with varying levels of direct supervision. But by the time they get mobile enough to be finding and putting stuff in their mouths, they're also old enough to understand some discipline.
I've written a couple posts on how I introduce the concept of discipline to babies:
Babies and Discipline: When, Where, and How Much?
and
How to be the Boss of a One Year Old
But it mostly comes down to repeatedly saying "not food" and removing the item that shouldn't be in baby's mouth from baby's mouth, and repeatedly saying "not for babies" and taking the item away from the baby or the baby away from the item. For us, that's always worked. Once my babies can crawl around and get to all the stuff, they mostly know not to put it in their mouths. Maybe that's because of my calm but firm and always consistent parenting, or maybe I just have yet to have a baby who is truly dedicated to putting all the things in his mouth. I suppose only time will tell on that one. But, so far, it's been a very effective technique.
We don't have beepy alarms on our doors, or safety plugs in our electrical sockets, or latches on our toilets, or cabinets, or pantry, or drawers. All we have is me telling the baby she can't do that, and then following through to make sure she doesn't, often enough that she believes me and stops trying it. Or just needs a quick reminder when heading towards the drawer with the wipes in it.
I imagine that some folks babyproof because they want that feeling that the baby couldn't possibly hurt himself in the home because everything is safe and protected. But for me, having all that stuff doesn't make me feel safer, it makes me feel less safe, because it seems like the safety of my baby is dependent on all that gear. If I didn't remember to put the plug back in the socket, and the baby doesn't know not to play with those, and doesn't know to stop when I say "ch-ch-ch, not for babies," then I would feel like danger is lurking around every corner. Especially because putting safety plugs back in sockets is something I would be terrible at remembering to do.
If I work on baby proofing the baby, then we are not dependent on the stuff. We can have the same level of security in our home and in someone else's home, and at the beach or a park. Obviously, no mother can guarantee the safety of her baby. Accidents can happen on the watch of the most conscientious of mothers using ANY parenting technique. But I'm most comfortable knowing that by the time they are about twelve months old, my babies have a good understanding that there are things in this world that they are not supposed to put in their mouths, and there are things in this world that they aren't supposed to touch. And they are able to master their tiny little desires enough to stop when mom or dad says stop.
- Babies are More Important than Stuff -
But another standard part of my parenting technique is age-appropriate expectations. And it's just not age-appropriate to expect a nine- or twelve- or eighteen- or twenty-month old baby to be surrounded by enticing little objects and not mess with any of them. If the baby is awake and about, my big kids know that the baby is allowed to be in all places in the house that they are allowed to be. If they can't play with certain toys without endangering the baby or being inconvenienced by the baby, then those toys need to be played with out of reach, or at a time when the baby's not around. People are ALWAYS more important than stuff, and babies are people. But, fortunately for big kids, babies are people who sleep a lot, so there is plenty of time for making houses of cards, or playing marbles, or building rickety giant Lego towers when the baby isn't there to smash/try to eat them.
For Lego storage, we really like this brilliant (but pricey) drawstring bag
. The (affiliate) link goes to the brand we have, which was the only choice back when I bought it. It looks like there are cheaper versions available now, but I can't vouch for them personally. The Lay n' Go mat is still going strong two years later. We also have the smaller version for melty beads. It works well because big kids can have tiny toys spread out all over it, then if the baby wakes up and wants to come in the playroom, it can be scooped and cinched up in a flash.I emphasize for my big kids how lucky they are to have a baby in the house. They love interacting with their younger siblings, and they can't help but be won over by the blind adoration toddlers have (in their good moments) for their older brothers and sisters. I know it can be frustrating to not be able to do exactly what you'd most like to be doing at any given time. But I also know that, for myself, that's exactly the part of mothering that's been the most beneficial to my personal development. I've found that it's been really GOOD for me to have to mortify my desires, to have to delay what I'd prefer to be doing for the good of the people around me. I think it's really good for my kids as well. Having siblings whose needs and desires have to be considered, sometimes above ones own has really helped my big kids to grow in virtue.
So . . . I hope that helps some. Congratulations on your that baby, and good luck with all the adjusting. It will work out though, it always does, somehow.
Cheers,
Kendra
Some additional reading . . .
There's Not a Rule Book for This Job Are Older Siblings Overburdened by Responsibilities? Or Are They Empowered by Them?
Mailbag Disclaimer: I am not a theologian, nor am I an official spokesperson for the Catholic Church. (You're thinking of this guy.) If you read anything on this blog that is contrary to Church teaching, please consider it my error (and let me know!). I'm not a doctor or an expert on anything in particular. I'm just one person with a lot of experience parenting little kids and a desire to share my joy in marriage, mothering, and my faith.
If you've got a question, please send it along to catholicallyear @ gmail . com . Please let me know if you prefer that I change your name if I use your question on the blog.
p.s. If this post seems kind of familiar, it's because I accidentally published it a few months ago, at the exact same time as another post. So I took it back down when I noticed a couple hours later, and it's been languishing in the drafts folder since then, pushed back by birthdays and vacations and sponsored posts and linkups and series and current events and other things that felt more time critical. But hey! Here it is again. This time for sure.
July 5, 2015
Baby, You're a Firework (whatever that means), now Answer Me This . . .
Greetings. And welcome to another edition of Answer Me This, a thrilling game of questions and answers that I just made up and isn't really a game. But it's fun. So, I hope you'll play along.
I'm writing this to you FROM THE PAST, because the husband and I dumped the kidlets with my folks and are away on a babymoon for baby number eight, scheduled to arrive late this month.
Here are some thoughts from the last one:
THINGS I LEARNED ON MY BABYMOONAnd now, without further ado, here are THIS WEEK'S questions:
1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?)
Anita's 6th birthday is July 6th, so we threw her a very patriotic golden birthday on Friday afternoon.
Instructions on how to make this Top Secret Ten Minute Ice Cream Cake can be found here.
Nana and Grandad and Great Grandmother and Aunt and Uncle and cousins went in together to get her the American Girl Doll Kit, and a matching outfit for Anita. We brought out the big box last and as she was opening it, she was whispering to herself, "Please be Kit, please be Kit." It was pretty adorable.
For the actual 4th, the husband and I will be staying at a hotel with a rooftop patio. Hopefully we'll be able to see some fireworks from there.
2. Do you sunburn easily?
Mostly no. I do sunburn, but not really quickly. What I don't do is tan. At all. Under any circumstances. I am what would be classified as super-duper white. According to my Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation, it's only humanly possible to be one shade whiter than I am. And that's summer and winter.
3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?
How about meh? I don't mind hot dogs, but they're not my favorite. I prefer burgers if that's an option. But I will eat them no problem. (Chicago-style, with mustard and relish.)
4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?
I grew up with a crazy uncle, my dad's younger brother, who used to bring no kidding fireworks up from Mexico for us to set off on the 4th of July. I remember them being more loud than anything, but still awfully impressive.
My own kids have only ever had access to smoke bombs, and sparklers, and pop-its. But those seem to be just as fun. And rather less likely to shoot one's eye out.
5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?
Yes I have. The first time was the most memorable. My sister and I both went up to the platform high dive at my grandmother's country club pool. We were daring each other to go off, but I was pretty sure I just wasn't going to go. Then she jumped off and accidentally belly flopped and I watched from above as she slowly sank, stunned, towards the bottom of the pool. So *I* jumped, to SAVE her, and did exactly the same thing. And also sank, And the lifeguard saved both of us.
I've done better since. It's still not particularly my favorite thing to do, but it both shocks and impresses my kids, so I'll bust it out every now and again.
6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?
I think the weirdest thing I do these days is sleep mostly sitting up, propped up on at least three pillows. I find it to be the most comfortable way for me to sleep during pregnancy, especially towards the end here.
I've also become a very light sleeper of late, which can be very frustrating. So I've taken to wearing an eye mask and ear buds with white noise going.
It's all VERY Audrey Hepburn of me, right? Right?
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .
1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?
2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?
3. Where do you keep your keys?
4. Have you ever really been lost?
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?
An InLinkz Link-up
I'm writing this to you FROM THE PAST, because the husband and I dumped the kidlets with my folks and are away on a babymoon for baby number eight, scheduled to arrive late this month.
Here are some thoughts from the last one:
THINGS I LEARNED ON MY BABYMOONAnd now, without further ado, here are THIS WEEK'S questions:
1. How did you celebrate the 4th of July? (Or, for you international types . . . Do anything fun this weekend?)
Anita's 6th birthday is July 6th, so we threw her a very patriotic golden birthday on Friday afternoon.
Instructions on how to make this Top Secret Ten Minute Ice Cream Cake can be found here.
Nana and Grandad and Great Grandmother and Aunt and Uncle and cousins went in together to get her the American Girl Doll Kit, and a matching outfit for Anita. We brought out the big box last and as she was opening it, she was whispering to herself, "Please be Kit, please be Kit." It was pretty adorable.
For the actual 4th, the husband and I will be staying at a hotel with a rooftop patio. Hopefully we'll be able to see some fireworks from there.
2. Do you sunburn easily?
Mostly no. I do sunburn, but not really quickly. What I don't do is tan. At all. Under any circumstances. I am what would be classified as super-duper white. According to my Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation, it's only humanly possible to be one shade whiter than I am. And that's summer and winter.
3. Hot dogs. Yay or nay?
How about meh? I don't mind hot dogs, but they're not my favorite. I prefer burgers if that's an option. But I will eat them no problem. (Chicago-style, with mustard and relish.)
4. Have you ever personally set off fireworks?
I grew up with a crazy uncle, my dad's younger brother, who used to bring no kidding fireworks up from Mexico for us to set off on the 4th of July. I remember them being more loud than anything, but still awfully impressive.
My own kids have only ever had access to smoke bombs, and sparklers, and pop-its. But those seem to be just as fun. And rather less likely to shoot one's eye out.
5. Have you ever jumped off the high dive?
Yes I have. The first time was the most memorable. My sister and I both went up to the platform high dive at my grandmother's country club pool. We were daring each other to go off, but I was pretty sure I just wasn't going to go. Then she jumped off and accidentally belly flopped and I watched from above as she slowly sank, stunned, towards the bottom of the pool. So *I* jumped, to SAVE her, and did exactly the same thing. And also sank, And the lifeguard saved both of us.
I've done better since. It's still not particularly my favorite thing to do, but it both shocks and impresses my kids, so I'll bust it out every now and again.
6. Do you do anything weird in your sleep?
I think the weirdest thing I do these days is sleep mostly sitting up, propped up on at least three pillows. I find it to be the most comfortable way for me to sleep during pregnancy, especially towards the end here.
I've also become a very light sleeper of late, which can be very frustrating. So I've taken to wearing an eye mask and ear buds with white noise going.
It's all VERY Audrey Hepburn of me, right? Right?
Want to play along? Answer THIS WEEK's questions in the comments, or on your blog and link it up below! Please include a link to this post on your blog. The linkup will be open from now through close of business Tuesday.
Now for NEXT WEEK's questions, to answer NEXT WEEK . . .
1. At what temperature do you keep the thermostat set? Summer, winter, day, night?
2. What is your favorite frozen beverage?
3. Where do you keep your keys?
4. Have you ever really been lost?
5. What is the last movie you saw in the theaters?
An InLinkz Link-up
July 3, 2015
Top Secret Ten Minute Ice Cream Cake: Kids Cook for Themselves
Jumping in here for a quick installment of Kids Cook for Themselves, because if you're looking for a quick, easy, impressive dessert for this weekend . . . Anita can help.
She made this cake herself for her sixth birthday party today, using her great grandmother's top secret recipe. I'm only able to tell you about this because my grandmother definitely doesn't read my blog.
All I ask is that if you make this, and people compliment you on it (and they will) you're NOT allowed to tell them how easy it is. You just say, "Thank you. It's an old family recipe." That's the deal.
Ingredients
Ice cream Sandwiches, Whipped Cream.
That's it.
Depending on the size of your dish, you need about 24 sandwiches and one pint of whipping cream (or one tub of Cool Whip) per casserole dish.
Directions
1. Make the whipped cream. We always make the whipped cream ourselves because it's very easy, but you could use cool whip if you prefer, or if you don't have access to a mixer. You can add vanilla, or Bailey's, or Kahlua (Though maybe not those last two if you're turning six.) if you'd like.
We just did whipping cream, the whole quart (because we were making two cakes), added slowly to the mixer, then added about 1/2 cup of sugar once it had thickened. Keep an eye on it, because if you mix it too long, you get butter. Which is awesome (and proof that God exists) but not great on ice cream cake.
2. Unwrap the sandwiches and arrange them flat in the dish.
You might need to trim them to get a good fit.
Make two layers.
Eat that one last little piece that didn't fit.
3. Cover the sandwiches with the whipped cream.
Use a knife or spatula to shove whipped cream around the edges on the pan.
4. That's it. You're done. Put it in the freezer until you're ready to wow your guests with your delicate, layered masterpiece of an ice cream cake.
But if you'd like, you can decorate it any way you'd like.
Since we made two, I got to decorate one:
And Anita got to decorate the other:
Enjoy! And have a very happy 4th of July!
For more Kids Cook for Themselves, check out . . .
KIDS COOK FOR THEMSELVES: A UNIVERSAL SMOOTHIE RECIPEKIDS COOK FOR THEMSELVES: EASY CHICKEN PARMESANAnd remember . . . "Thank you. It's an old family recipe." ;0)
She made this cake herself for her sixth birthday party today, using her great grandmother's top secret recipe. I'm only able to tell you about this because my grandmother definitely doesn't read my blog.
All I ask is that if you make this, and people compliment you on it (and they will) you're NOT allowed to tell them how easy it is. You just say, "Thank you. It's an old family recipe." That's the deal.
Ingredients
Ice cream Sandwiches, Whipped Cream.
That's it.
Depending on the size of your dish, you need about 24 sandwiches and one pint of whipping cream (or one tub of Cool Whip) per casserole dish.
Directions
1. Make the whipped cream. We always make the whipped cream ourselves because it's very easy, but you could use cool whip if you prefer, or if you don't have access to a mixer. You can add vanilla, or Bailey's, or Kahlua (Though maybe not those last two if you're turning six.) if you'd like.
We just did whipping cream, the whole quart (because we were making two cakes), added slowly to the mixer, then added about 1/2 cup of sugar once it had thickened. Keep an eye on it, because if you mix it too long, you get butter. Which is awesome (and proof that God exists) but not great on ice cream cake.
2. Unwrap the sandwiches and arrange them flat in the dish.
You might need to trim them to get a good fit.
Make two layers.
Eat that one last little piece that didn't fit.
3. Cover the sandwiches with the whipped cream.
Use a knife or spatula to shove whipped cream around the edges on the pan.
4. That's it. You're done. Put it in the freezer until you're ready to wow your guests with your delicate, layered masterpiece of an ice cream cake.
But if you'd like, you can decorate it any way you'd like.
Since we made two, I got to decorate one:
And Anita got to decorate the other:
Enjoy! And have a very happy 4th of July!
For more Kids Cook for Themselves, check out . . .KIDS COOK FOR THEMSELVES: A UNIVERSAL SMOOTHIE RECIPEKIDS COOK FOR THEMSELVES: EASY CHICKEN PARMESANAnd remember . . . "Thank you. It's an old family recipe." ;0)
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