7 Quick Takes Volume Two: Sheepish Edition

Returning sheepishly to 7 quick takes after a blaze of posting glory, or at least posting.  I'm sorry I've been maintaining radio silence.  There is just no rest for the weary.  So without further ado:

1.  

Avery was finally baptised!  I had wanted to have her baptised in the NICU, but I didn't because I didn't want people to think I was crazy which I regret, but I'm glad it's done now.  Sarah the weirdo and her husband are Avery's godparents which makes her pretty darn blessed.  I don't think you can be pretty darn blessed, but if you can, Avery is.

Anna isn't really that short but her new thing is not standing up straight for pictures.

The gown Avery is wearing is a family heirloom.  My Dad wore it to his baptism 62 years ago.  I wore it, my 4 siblings wore it, and all of my 6 children have worn it.  It is very beautiful and at this point very fragile.  It's also made of a silk satin and covered in lace because boy or girl, italians will dress for the occasion.  It has a slip, a gown, and a coat, it also has a hat so the baby won't catcha the draft, but the hat is in rough shape after all these years.  Let me tell you, a baby wrapped in 3 layers of silk satin is so slippery it's like trying to baptize a greased pig.  But what a beautiful little piggy!

2.  

I've been exercising regularly, probably more than I have since college, because health and stuff.  I've been taking PIYO(combination pilates/yoga), swimming laps 2 or 3 times a week, and yesterday I took an interval training class.  I'm able to do that without breaking the bank because we belong to our local YMCA.  There is nothing glamorous about the Y, certainly nothing glamorous about our little Y that could, but we really love it.  It really is such an awesome resource for families.  The membership is affordable and if you're a member you get a break on the fees for all of the kids sports and classes on top of tons of free group exercise, use of the pool, I could go on.  Really, if you're looking for a family friendly alternative to a traditional gym you must check out your local Y.

3.  

Yesterday I walked into my bathroom to find that someone had shaved (shaven?) one of my make up brushes with their Dad's razor.  I don't know who it was but I have a pretty good idea.  I really thought I'd seen it all, or most of it.  Some of you are saying "you already posted this on facebook".  I know, but, THEY SHAVED MY MAKEUP BRUSH.

4.  

Please keep praying for Ben:

Pray for Ben and his family.

and Ava:

Pray for Ava and her family.

Could you also pray for my friend Sweetie?  She just had a double masectomy and is on the road to recovery.  Please pray for her continued healing.

5.  

You know that saying about resting on one's laurels?  Some people don't want to rest on theirs, but I'd like to make a little nest out of mine, scant though they may be, and just snuggle up in there and take a nap.  It turns out though, that there is no rest for the weary my friends.  The reason this blog has been languishing of late is that I'm working on a BIG project.  It's totally nuts and it is something that grown ups do, the competent kind, not kooks like me.  Some dear friends of mine, dear friends who were there that night at Wegmans, and I are opening a schoolish.  What is a schoolish?  It's really called a Learning Center and it's a place that offers History, Literature, Science, and Latin for 2 half days a week.  There will also be electives like art and music in the afternoon.  Why a schoolish, I mean Learning Center?  It's a way to have the best of homeschooling and traditional school.  

I still can't believe this is happening but it is happening because we are making it happen.  We're in the midst of incorporating, filing our 501c3, choosing curriculum, and on and on.  My Dad used to say that he always felt the same inside even though he grew older on the outside and I've always felt that way too, but I've never felt it as keenly as when I was sitting across a conference room table from our attorney discussing our venture.  I kept expecting her to suddenly say: "Wait just a minute young lady...WHERE IS YOUR MOTHER?" but she didn't.  This isn't what I expected to be doing a little more than 5 months after finishing chemo, but I am.  It's taking up most of my free time right now.

6.  

April 2nd was the anniversary of when my neck got filleted to get my lymph node out.  A year.  I can't believe it.  The 16th will be 6! months since my last Chemo.  I had a CT scan last week and I go to see the oncologist today so she can tell me to my face that I'm still in remission.  Could you pray for me?  I get a bit of anxiety every time I have to go there.

7.  

I'm sure you haven't figured out from this blog, but Jennifer Fulwiler is my favorite blogger ever.  She is the hostess of these here quick takes and she has a book coming out about her conversion from lifelong atheism to Catholicism.  It is recommended by Dean Koontz and Gretchen Rubin people!  And then, AND THEN! she was all like, oh, I think since I just wrote an awesome life changing book I'll write another awesome life changing book to go with it.  Right now if you pre-order her memoir: "Something Other Than God: How I Passionately Sought Happiness And Accidentally Found It", you can get a free e-book "The Family First Creative: 42 Tips For Following Your Dreams While Putting Your Family First".

What are you waiting for?  Do you hate learning important stuff?

I just wrote this whole thing under toddler attack so sorry for formatting etc...Go see the amazing Jen for more, better written quick takes!