Accepting God’s Will

"One great means of preserving a constant peace and tranquillity of heart is to receive all things as coming from the hands of God, whatever they may be, and in whatever way they may come."

~ St. Dorotheus ~

Water Damage (Part 2)

Once the walls were painted and tile was installed, we chose carpeting for two of the bedrooms. The girls chose Stainmaster Trusoft carpet in "Medallion" for their room. The carpet complements the "Greek Isles" paint that they chose for their walls nicely. The boys settled on Stainmaster Trusoft "Raffia" for their bedroom. We will use the same color in the other two bedrooms when we redo the carpeting in the other two bedrooms next summer.

We knew that having mismatched floors in the living room and hallway would look odd. We also knew that we couldn't match our old Pergo with new Pergo. We decided to have Pergo Outlast Auburn Scraped Oak installed in our kitchen, dining room, hallway, and living room. Little did we know that this decision would delay our flooring install and trim re-installation for months. Updated to say years.

Tile Floors

Recently, a friend asked me, “Why did you choose tile? Seems cold and well, hard. Do you have throw rugs for the cold winters or warm slippers?”

Just in case anyone else is trying to decide whether or not to install cold, hard tile in their house, I thought that I would share my response here.

In our first home, we had tile in our entryway, and I really liked it. It is so easy to clean. I think that it is the best option for entryways where wet and dirty shoes enter a home.

In addition, I walked on the porcelain tile that we bought before buying it and I really liked the feel of it. Cold tile doesn’t bother me. Truth be told, so far it hasn’t felt as cold as the vinyl used to feel under my feet downstairs. Plus, large porcelain tile looks better than vinyl. Since the cost of the tile installation (materials included) was very similar to what it would have cost to have vinyl installed, it was a no brainer for us. 

Finally, we decided to install porcelain tile in our upstairs bathroom and in our entryway because the tile that we purchased has a 0.4% water absorption rate. The old vinyl in the upstairs bathroom was black (bleach wouldn’t remove it) and swollen near the bathtub. We wanted flooring that wouldn’t mold. We chose tile for the downstairs hallway and bathroom because tile is the best flooring to use on concrete. The vinyl used to feel cold and hard downstairs. When we took up the carpet at the bottom of the stairs, the padding was falling apart. In our main room downstairs, the padding is stuck to the floor. We had thought about putting Pergo downstairs, but the Carpet Pros installer told us that even with the moisture barrier, Pergo, isn’t the best option on concrete. Carpet and wood aren’t really good options either. 

We are still trying to decide if we should eventually put carpet or tile in the main room downstairs. This room has always felt colder than the other rooms in the house. If we do decide to install tile in this room, I think that we might opt to heat the floor with this. I have heard that doing so not only heats the floor, but can also increase the temperature in the room by around 10 degrees. The thought of making this room warmer, makes the prospect of tiling it very enticing. Of course, we have to have the money to do so first, but I can always daydream. 

Water Damage (Part 1)

One morning in March, I was woken by one of my sons standing by my bed telling me that the bathroom floor was flooded with dirty toilet water. Before I could get out of bed, Cecilia came upstairs and told me that there was water dripping into the bathroom, her closet, and her bedroom. I got out of bed to go and see what was causing the problem. As I stepped in the hallway, I gasped. My foot was wet and slimy. I made my way to the bathroom, turned off the toilet and instructed a couple of my sons to bail the overflowing toilet. They had to bail it one or two other times during the day.

My husband told me to contact our insurance company. I did so, and the rep gave me the names of two water mitigation teams and told me to call one of them. I called one of the companies. An employee came out with giant dehumidifiers, fans, and a humidity reader. The man made note of high humidity readings and told me that employees would come the next day to take out flooring, walls, and ceilings. 

Once flooring, walls, ceilings, casing, etc. were removed, it was time to find someone to repair and texture the drywall. We called a couple of people before turning to Home Advisor for recommendations. We had four or five contractors come out to give estimates and chose one of them. The man was conscientious, hardworking, and friendly towards my children. My husband and I were happy with who we chose to do the work, despite the fact that the textured walls weren't matched exactly.

Next, we started to paint the main areas of the house. Thankfully, we had matched the paint a few years ago, making it possible for us to paint all the walls and avoid painting the ceiling in most of the rooms. We decided to paint our trim "Polar Bear" white which totally changed the look of the color on the walls. The money that we saved by painting everything ourselves was applied towards upgrading from vinyl flooring to tile in two bathrooms and our downstairs hallway. Thankfully, the porcelain tile that we liked cost less per square foot than vinyl.

"Lychee" paint

 

"Night Blooming Jasmine" paint

 

We were ready to focus on flooring for the upstairs hallway. Our upstairs hallway carpet matched our carpeting in the living room and on our stairs. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to match the carpeting and how much we liked the Pergo Original American Honey Oak in our dining room and kitchen, I set to work trying to find a close match. We thought that we could extend the Pergo from the kitchen and dining room into the hallway so that the upstairs flooring would still look cohesive. After a lot of research, we resigned ourselves to the fact that we would not be able to find a close match for the Pergo that was installed in our house over 20 years ago. 

We were left trying to decide whether we pay out of pocket to have new carpeting installed in our living room and on our stairs or whether we pay to install new Pergo in our kitchen, dining room, living room, hallway, and stairs. It's too bad that insurance companies don't pay to maintain the cohesive look of a house unless it's paint on walls and ceilings.

To be continued...

*We used "Greek Isles" paint in our daughters' bedroom and "Night Blooming Jasmine" in one of the boys' rooms.

Tasha Tudor

When I was in grade school, the librarian read us Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Tasha Tudor. I remember going to the library each week and anxiously waiting for the librarian to finish reading the book, so that I could check it out and look at the lovely illustrations. When I grew a little older, I delighted in her illustrations in The Secret Garden. As an adult, I still like Tasha Tudor's illustrations. I also find pleasure in looking at photos of her amazing garden.

Postcard available from Tasha Tudor and Family

The other day, I came across the quote below from Tasha Tudor, and she endeared herself even more to me.

"I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare." 

Feeding a Large or Small Family on a Budget

A few years ago, I gave myself a grocery budget challenge. A week or so ago, I received the following from a dear friend:

On my last trip to Winco, I was amazed at how expensive all the meats were. I was walking in circles trying to find some dinner meats that didn't cost at least $12. Anyway, if you write down your dinners, I'll write down mine for you ;)

I am posting my response just in case other mothers find it helpful:

A serving of meat should be no bigger than the palm of a person's hand.

We eat a lot of chicken. I look through all of the ads that we get each week and I buy whole chickens when they are under $1.00 per pound (used to be under $0.70 per pound), stocking up on as many as I can. We have an extra freezer to store meat and other foods. If we run out of chicken and there haven't been any sales, then I will buy it from Costco for $1.19 per pound. We cook 2 chickens at a time. Served with rice, vegetables, and sometimes salad, this usually gives us dinner for 2 nights and lunch for my husband for at least one day.

In addition to whole chickens, we also eat chicken breasts. I buy fresh, boneless, skinless chicken breasts when they are under $1.70 a pound or frozen from Costco for $2.19 a pound. The Costco chicken breasts are large, so we cut them in half before serving them with vegetables, rice/potato, and sometimes salad.

We throw any left-over chicken, whether from a whole chicken or chicken breasts, into a stir fry with rice, vegetables, and a couple of eggs.

Beef is a treat in our house, served once a week (twice if  we have leftovers). I usually cook a roast in the crock-pot with onions, carrots and garlic. I serve it with potatoes/yams, and sometimes salad. When we were first married, my mom told me to never spend more than $1.50 per pound on beef. Now, I can only buy it if it is under $4.00 a pound. During the summer, we will buy steak occasionally if it is on sale and under $4.00 a pound. Once again, we cut the steak in half when serving (unless we have guests). Two or three times a year, we will have Irish stew.

We used to get ground beef because it was the cheapest beef that we could find, but this is no longer the case. We liked to use it, along with oatmeal, to make meatloaf. I will only buy it for under $3.00 and even then I cringe to pay so much for it.

Costco's hams are a decent price. We don't buy them often, but when we do they last a few days. I freeze the ham bone and use it in beans when needed. As a side note, it is cheaper to buy Costco's black forest ham and slice it up for sandwiches, then it is to buy lunch meat.

Right now, pumpkins and squashes are a good price at Winco, so we are eating those with dinner. I have found that pumpkin is very filling which means we don't need as much meat. 

During Lent and Advent, we try to eat meatless meals on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. I have occasionally tried to carry this into Ordinary Time, but eventually I hear balking. Beans, lentils, spinach lasagna, and homemade soup tend to be our staples for meatless meals. Leftover beans from Wednesday or Saturday can have a ham bone thrown into the pot for dinner on Thursday or Sunday. We have added a little ground beef to the spinach lasagna recipe once and it tasted good.

I wish that we could afford fish and other seafood, but, unless I have a fisherman in the house, the cost is prohibitive. I miss the days when I could buy a salmon for $1.99 a pound on sale.

When we lived in _______, the local Safeway used to mark down some of their meats that needed to be sold by that date for quick sale on Wednesday mornings. I would buy what I wanted and freeze what I wasn't going to use that night. This summer, I was in Fred Meyer when they were marking down their whole chickens for a quick sale. I placed every single one of them in my cart. Heather told me that the Safeway she frequents will sell their milk for 50% off on Tuesday nights. You might want to call a couple of local stores and see if they will tell you when they mark down their meat and milk.

If you would like any specific recipes, please let me know.

May God bless you and may Mary keep you close to her Immaculate Heart!

Costco Grocery Shopping List

I always find summer a great time to get organized. After giving birth to our ninth child and being unable to go grocery shopping for quite some time, I realized that it is much easier to have master grocery lists, based on store layout, then it is to say, "We need this. We need that." I was finding that the latter grocery-list-making strategy, which has served us well for years, wasn't working well. I found myself saying, "Oh, I forgot to tell you that we needed...."

Two or three months ago, I finally typed up a master Costco grocery list. I am sharing it here just in case others can benefit from seeing it. I say seeing it, rather than using it, because I know that Costco stores have different layouts.

Download: Costco Master Grocery List

The Joys of Homeownership: Dishwasher Repair

When your dishes start coming out of the dishwasher looking worse than they did when you put them in, it is not necessarily time to call the repair man or purchase a new dishwasher. As I mentioned here, the Handy Guys have a podcast (embedded below) which explains how a person might be able to get their dishwasher working properly again. According to the handy guys, the basins of Kenmore, Kirkland Signature, and Whirlpool dishwashers usually need to be cleaned every two to three years. They are probably accurate, as we cleaned our basin two and a half years ago and again on the last Saturday of June.

Once again, thanks to the handy guys, our dishwasher is cleaning the dishes and we didn't need to spend a penny.

Dishwasher Repair Bonus: At one point, our dishwasher completely stopped working and the display showed an error. As luck would have it, this was right after the warranty was up. We looked up the error on Google and quickly found how to reset the dishwasher and get it running again. Over the years, we have learned that with a little research, we can often fix things around our house ourselves.

The Best Budgeting Program

Over four years ago, a friend sent an email to our homeschool group, titled, "Budget is Not a Four-Letter Word". She caught my husband's and my attention. She influenced us to purchase YNAB (a.k.a. You Need a Budget). We started taking baby steps towards truly managing our finances and not living paycheck to paycheck.

Over four years later, we are still using YNAB and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Thanks to YNAB, we know what we're spending and where our money is going. We know how to give every dollar a job before my husband even receives his paycheck. I am no longer stressing my husband out with my comments concerning money. YNAB has helped us "take control of our finances."

Full disclosure: After recommending YNAB for years simply because I like the program, I am now recommending YNAB not only because I think that it is the best budgeting program available, but also because the YNAB team, in addition to offering $6 off the purchase price of YNAB, is also giving me $6 for everyone who purchases the program through our link. Thank you to anyone who does so.

YNAB is currently offering $6 off when you use this link.

  

Time After Epiphany Daybook

Outside my window, it is foggy again. We have had foggy mornings with beautiful blue skies in the afternoon for the past week or so.

In the kitchen, the children are planning the menu that they want when I have our baby.

Breakfast:
Waffles
Fruit Smoothies

Lunch:
Grape and Tuna Sandwiches or Soup (cut up grapes taste delicious in tuna fish sandwiches)

Dinner:
Pizza or Hot Dogs
Fruit Salad
Root Beer Floats

I am enjoying listening to Catherine and Bernadette singing, various children playing the piano for fun, and Bernadette practicing her violin. The other day while we were talking to my dad via Facetime, my two oldest amused my dad by singing Wheel the Perambulator for him. They used to sing this nonsense song to Elizabeth often when she was a baby. Now, my dad is looking forward to hearing and watching Bernadette play Vivaldi's Concerto in G Minor, 3rd Movement or something by ear on her violin. One of these days, I should maybe record one or more of my children singing or Bernadette playing by ear and share it here.

I am thankful that we can communicate with my dad via Facetime. Elizabeth and Kieran like to see him and blow kisses to him. My three youngest children have never actually met my dad. I miss him a lot and wish that he didn't live so far away. He was a great father when I was growing up and is very good with children. I have often thought that he is a child at heart because of his understanding and patience with children.

Photo taken by my husband

I am hearing Kieran say, "Daddy work." He is also looking at the photo below and saying, "Teesa, Berdette, Finnian, Packick, and Eliabeth (sounds like Elizabeth without the z)." The other day, I said, "I am going to the library." Kieran responded, "No, wait." Occasionally, we pick my husband up in the library parking lot. Last Saturday, I stopped at the library and had Catherine return some books. As we waited for Catherine to return to the car, Kieran started calling, "Daddy." He called for his daddy the rest of the way home. I guess that our little boy associates waiting in the library parking lot with picking up "Daddy".

I am praying for my baby and my husband. My husband has a lot to finish at work before our baby is born. I am so thankful for him and often pray that St. Joseph intercedes for him, helping him to become a great saint, to be the best husband and father that he can be, and granting him final perseverance. I think that the sacrifices that our husbands make for our families are often overlooked and under appreciated. May God bless my husband!

In the learning rooms

Playing Blokus

We have been busy with lessons, puzzles, and games. Elizabeth was so happy to be able to do this puzzle all by herself. I congratulated her on doing so and spoke to her about some of the states, but I wasn't surprised that she could put the puzzle together on her own.

USA Floor Puzzle

When Catherine was about three, my parents, knowing how much I liked puzzles and how much I had enjoyed visiting Notre Dame Cathedral when I was in college, gave me this 3-D puzzle of Notre Dame Cathedral. Catherine helped me build it and it has graced the top of one of our bookcases ever since. Friends who see the puzzle always comment on how much they like it. I think that puzzles provide a wonderful and fun means of improving a child's spatial reasoning skills.

Notre Dame Cathedral 3-D Puzzle

I am thinking about what I will read this Lent. I have had The Cross and the Beatitudes: Lessons on Love and Forgiveness by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on my wish list for over a year and know that I want to read it. I just need to decide whether I should buy the copy linked above or this one. I am also thinking about rereading I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux by Fr. Jean C.J. d'Elbee. If anyone has any other suggestions, please let me know.

I will definitely be trying to read The Liturgical Year. Our old assistant pastor recommended this series to our parish a little over a year ago. A few months later, a friend recommended it, saying that St. Therese's family used to read from this series each day. I am not very consistent in reading from The Liturgical Year, but when I do I learn a lot. This series provides not only a greater understanding of the Church year, but also of the saints. Through this series, Dom Gueranger has left a wonderful gift to the faithful.

I am pondering

"God exalts none but the humble."

~ Abbe Francois Trochu, Saint Bernadette Soubirous, p. 384~

I am reading Children and Parents by Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. It is full of wisdom, as is evidenced by this quote:

"There is also the relationship between purity and faith. The want of faith in the modern world is not due to the fact  that men are not given reasons for faith; rather the reason comes from want of proper conduct. The impure may see all -- except God, and that is why in the end, they will see nothing. Sin will not cheat a man out of the fragrance of the rose, but it will cheat him out of that sweeter soul-fragrance of the Divine, which is folded in every petal."

p. 178

Plans for this week 

• A follow-up doctor's appointment for my oldest son who has an infected tonsil
• My last ultrasound for this pregnancy. Theresa and Patrick are excited that they will be coming with me.
• A violin lesson
• Mass
• Symphony rehearsal, followed by a pizza party
• Trying to get things ready for this baby's birth. I was happy to finish all of the ironing on Saturday. Now I need to conquer Mount Neverrest (a.k.a. the laundry). Just as I think that I am almost there, someone wets their bed, etc. However, I know that I am simply being given an opportunity to pray more for my family as I wash their clothes and linens.

A picture thought

Elizabeth and Elizabeth's Doll

Baptism Anniversary Presents

Each year, we celebrate our children's Baptism anniversaries by going to Mass if possible, having a Mass offered for them (not always on their anniversary), giving our son/daughter a religious gift, and having a special dessert after dinner.

With our first child, we started by giving her a book each year; however, as our family grew, I branched out a bit. One of our children was baptized on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and another was baptized on the traditional Feast of Epiphany, so I often get a themed gift for these two children. We have also been known to get gifts that are related to the saint for whom the child is named. Below are some of the books and other presents that our children have received on their Baptism anniversaries.

Books

• Along the Paths of the Gospel
• An Alphabet of Saints by Robert Hugh Benson
  
• Angel Food for Boys and Girls by Fr. Gerald T. Brennan
• The Book of Saints and Heroes by Andrew Lang
  
• Books by Louis de Wohl  (for older teens)
• Books by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
• Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls and More Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls by Caryll Houselander
• The Catechism in Pictures
• Encounter the Saints
• Francis: The Poor Man of Assisi, The Lady of Guadalupe, Mary: The Mother of Jesus, and Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie de Paola
  
• Golden Legend of Young Saints by Henri Daniel-Rops
  
• A Life of Our Lord for Children, The First Christians: The Acts of the Apostles for Children, and St. Patrick's Summer: A Children's Adventure Catechism by Marigold Hunt
• My Path to Heaven: A Young Person's Guide to the Faith by Geoffrey Bliss, S.J.
  
• Once upon a Time Saints, More Once Upon a Time Saints, Around the Year Once upon a Time Saints, and Saints & Heroes by Ethel Pochocki
• Our Lady of Guadalupe by Carmen T. Bernier Grand
• Saints for Boys: A First Book for Little Catholic Boys
  
• Saints for Girls: A First Book for Little Catholic Girls
  
• Stories of the Child Jesus from Many Lands by A. Fowler Lutz
  
• A Story of St. John Bosco and A Story of St. Jean Vianney by Brother Ernest, C.S.C.
• The Little Apostle on Crutches by Henriette Delamare
• Twenty Tales of Irish Saints by Alice Curtayne
• Vision Books
• We Three Kings by Gennady Spirin
• The Weight of a Mass: A Tale of Faith by Josephine Nobisso
  
• The Young People's Book of Saints by Hugh Ross Williamson
  
• and more...

CDs 
CDs have actually been Christmas stocking and Easter basket stuffers over the years, but they would make good Baptism anniversary presents too.

• Glory Stories - Our CDs were purchased from Catholic World Mission before Holy Heroes started to reproduce them. I am happy to see that they recently re-released Blessed Miguel Pro.

Games

• Litany Game
• Mary Memory/Go to the Grotto Card Game
• Saint Search

Movies

• St. Bernadette of Lourdes
• The War of the Vendee
• My parents gave us all of the CCC videos, but they would work as Baptism anniversary presents too.

Puzzles

• Sunsout Our Lady of Guadalupe 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
• Sunsout St. Francis of Assisi Jigsaw Puzzle 

Both of these puzzles will be given this year.

Sacramentals

• Miraculous Medals
• Scapulars - Catholic Heritage Curricula used to sell some very nice child and adult-size scapulars for a very reasonable price. Unfortunately, they no longer do so and I have not found anything that compares. Nevertheless, we do still buy scapulars from our local Catholic bookstore.

Statues

• Guardian Angel with Children
  
• Our Lady of Lourdes
• Our Lady Mount Carmel
  
• St. Anne
• St. Patrick