Saturday, April 9, 2016

Triduum and Easter Photo Review

 Holy Thursday:


Good Friday

Ultra-lazy man's hot cross buns: Hawaiian rolls with cream cheese frostine

Holy Saturday



Egg-dyeing: about 34,567 times less stressful and less messy then I was expecting
Easter:



The little metal buckets are where Kateri and Sebastian put their sacrifice and virtue beans (mostly for things like prompt obedience, sharing, cleaning up without complaining etc). They were VERY excited that the boring black beans turned into delicious jelly beans. We didn't make a big deal about the Easter Bunny at all this year, which wasn't really intentional but just how it happened. We told the kids (among other things!) that Jesus makes all things new because of his sacrifice on the Cross, and transforms all of our good deeds into something far greater (dry black beans to starburst jelly beans!). What I was completely unprepared for was when people kept asking Kateri and Sebastian, "Did the EASTER BUNNY come last night??" Kateri would just stare perplexed at them, while Sebastian just refused to make eye contact. So we will have to decide how we're going to handle that next year!

I didn't take any pictures at the Easter Picnic, it was chilly but very nice! And all the littles loved the Easter Egg hunt (though Sebastian fell asleep and missed the whole thing!). 

All in all, it was a beautiful little Easter, though very simple! And we are, of course, still celebrating!!  

Friday, April 8, 2016

Happy Third Birthday, Kateri!

We had a little celebration at the end of February for this dear munchkin's birthday.


We sat down a few weeks prior to the party to look at some ideas on pinterest. Kateri emphatically chose all things pink and princess, and so that was our theme. It was also very VERY simple and was easy and quick to put together, thankfully!

This year, for the first time, I asked Kateri a few questions, a little birthday interview! We didn't finish all the questions but maybe next year :) My rule was not to prompt her at all, and to try to write down exactly what she said (no editing!).

Q: Who is your favorite person in the whole World?
A: Danny . . .  CHARLOTTE!


Q: What is your favorite Color?
A: YELLOW!!!

This cake was so easy and fast to make! 
Q: What is your favorite movie to watch?
A: Dusty!! (Planes)


Q: What is your favorite outfit?
A: Dresses


Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Fruit! Me have fruit! Downstairs!!


Q: What song do you love?
A: ABCD's



Q: Who is your best friend?
A: Nanny and Mac! . . . MADDIE!!!!


Q: What do you like to do best with your friends?
A: Ring around the Rosary (she then proceeded to sing it and act it out)

Even a *real* knight in shining armor came to the party!
Q: What is your favorite animal?
A: a horsey

A very blessed little princess (in a very back lit picture!)
Q: Who made you?
A: God

Kateri is a dear little soul with a very stubborn streak and a large sweet tooth (no idea where she got that from!). I have so enjoyed seeing her curiosity growing as she learns more the world around her. She is currently very intrigued by the idea of baby birds hatching from eggs. She has asked multiple times to watch videos of chicks hatching. Hopefully one of these days we can incubate a few chicken eggs so she can actually witness it in person~ Christine generously offered to give us some! Unfortunately, we will have to wait a few weeks at least, otherwise the chicks will be due the same time as the baby, which is just a little too much.

Kateri is a good big sister, and takes her job as chief police and rule enforcer quite seriously. She is the first one to let me know if Sebastian is doing anything he shouldn't, but she is quite convinced the same rules do not apply to her. She is very excited that she will soon have a new little sister. The other day, as we were naming intentions to pray for during the rosary, Kateri listed off all of her friends and family by name ("All mine friends . . . Maddie, Charlotte, Claire, Zelie, Mariam . . .", and then said, "For mine children". When I asked her what she meant, she explained that her first child was the little girl who was coming in a few months, her sister! She has also informed me multiple times that we will go on hikes, and "I will carry the baby and mama will carry the food!". So I am expecting some serious help once this new one arrives!! ;)

Kateri loves reading books, her current favorite is a collection of farm stories. We have read them so many times that the hard cover has been taped and retaped, and the pages torn and taped as well (Sebastian being the main culprit).

She has essentially given up napping, and only takes a nap once or twice a week, which came as a great shock and a "how can this possibly BE?" to me. She still goes to bed late (usually 8:30 to 9) and wakes up fairly early (around 6:30 or 6:45), so she clearly has the Grenier superpower of just not needing much sleep (sad sad thing! too bad I don't share this gift at all).

Kateri loves nothing more then to make people laugh, and her favorite method of doing this is what she calls the "Mihi face", she finds it singularly hilarious which is what makes all of us laugh!

I am excited to see what this new year will bring, and hope that Kateri's threes will be full of many blessings and fun times! I am so thankful for the amazing gift of this little one in my life! May God watch over her and guide her all the days of her life!