A Wonderful Bare Foot Walk on...

my kitchen floor! Ha, ha. Today I did that. After I mopped the floor, I just had to do it. I know it doesn't always last long, but I had to experience that clean clean feeling of the floor right after it's mopped. I basically feel like I mop sections every day due to spills or sticky messes, but this was the whole kitchen, entryway, and family room. They boys wondered what I was up to, and before I knew it, everyone was walking around bare foot. Kind of funny. Enjoying it while it lasts. Ha.

Sweet Anne

How can it be that she's going to be one in just a few days? The time just flies by. She's doing so well. We are all enjoying her interaction these days. She's much more intentional about her sounds and actions. She'll mimic a lot of what we say, claps all the time, is full of smiles, and has now been working on her fake laugh/cough. She's so much fun. Her favorite food? Well, she's totally not picky. It's wonderful. And, it appears she's going to be able to tolerate regular milk (Jacob & Leah were allergic at the age of 1 so they drank rice milk)! She's not walking yet, but that is totally ok with me. I love watching her get all around the house (not the stairs) and we can just watch what it is she is trying to get. The kids love her dearly and they all watch out for her and can always make her smile. Don't grow too fast my sweetie!

How Could I Forget?

Faster than a speeding bullet, stronger than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...it's a bird, it's a plane, it's SUPERMAN!

So in the midst of my nostalgia, I can't believe I forgot to mention what the boys are totally into lately. Well, Jacob has been a big Superman fan for a while (at least since Halloween). I decided to get some Superman episodes on DVD from the library and they have been getting to watch a few in the past few days. Currently they've been from Season 5 & 6. These are the old Superman episodes. You know, the ones with the great screen effects & stuff. Anyway, it's been actually entertaining for all of us. I do remember watching some of these episodes as a kid. It's fun watching the boys enjoy them and tell me about them, "Mom, Superman flew all the way...(insert anything)...and he was able to save (insert someone)...etc., etc."

Now I'm thinking I need to check into the Lone Ranger! Now that's classic, too!

A Happy and Nostalgic Father's Day

What a wonderful day to celebrate all the important fathers in our life. We had a great day. We went to Mass, then over to Grandpa Dan & Grandma Sally's for brunch. After that, we came home for Anne to take a nap and Patrick took the rest of the kids to the pool for a little while. We had Shrimp Scampi, vegetables, and corn on the cob for dinner followed by Tippin's French Silk Pie and/or Chocolate Sheet Cake for dessert. Yummy.

A number of things today had me thinking back to my childhood and having some nostalgia about some things: recipes, dishes, and corn on the cob.
- recipes:
So I decided to pick a recipe for brunch at Dan & Sally's and I made "Donna Mueller's" coffee cake. Funny that this recipe had this name for so many years. Patrick has often wondered why it's always "DonnaMueller," said altogether and very quickly as if it's a one syllable name. Then, for dessert tonight, I made chocolate sheet cake for the first time. I was telling the kids how my mom used to make it often when I was a kid and I really enjoyed it with a big glass of milk. Smelling it and tasting it, I just felt like, wow, what a familiar taste; it had been a while.

- dishes:
When I was making dinner, I decided to wash some of the bowls & pots I had used during the process. I need to keep my motivations straight - I was doing this since I had just emptied the dishwasher for the second time today and was trying to avoid filling it right back up with all the big items. So, I was washing them to save myself some work later. Anyway, while washing, I had two thoughts: 1) should we get rid of our dishwasher for family bonding and stress relief purposes, and 2) the thought, once again of Grandma Rita's washing methods in her ceramic sink (aka LOUD). I don't think I'll ever forget how she washed dishes so quickly and sloshed the dishes & water all around. As far as getting rid of my dishwasher, I was thinking how it was actually a bit relaxing to stand there and just work on that; to put out of my mind any other chores I could be doing and actually afford myself a few minutes of quiet (other than the sloshing of dishes, ha). Hmm, it was actually kind of nice, forcing myself to slow down for a bit. Then the other issue of the family bonding benefits of washing dishes. You could ask my siblings if they agree; well, I guess mostly Lissy (doubt that Beth & Ben ever really did many dishes). Wow, every night for a long time, I can recall the two of us doing dishes. Boy, sometimes, or was it most of the time, that we'd fight about it? But, I do also know that it was simply additional time together, interacting, talking, etc. Are there enough benefits to make me get rid of my dishwasher. NO WAY, but the thoughts were still good and it probably wouldn't be a bad thing, just can't imagine going back. The next load is primed, too, just waiting for a couple more before another cycle.

- corn on the cob:
Just a short comment on this. So, I remember eating quite a bit of corn on the cob as a kid. Patrick & I were discussing something that we have none of, but both vividly recall - the corn on the cob push pin type things you'd poke into the ends of the ears to hold the corn with. I remember different decorative ones: ears of corn, pigs, other animals, etc. Kind of funny to remember that we had them; now we just hold the corn. Seemed like they were a pretty common thing to have around the house.

The Price of Clothes

This weekend, the Wall Street Journal had an article about large families that I found interesting. It talked about the fact that having a large family with good parenting "is easier than people think." Some of the points they made were based on comparisons/studies of twins raised apart and then adopted children in a family. They said that basically, there were several things that parents do (or don't do for that matter), that in the big picture, don't really matter. Point: basically made it look like a lot of worrying that parents do or ways that parents try to prepare their children for life don't really matter. Now it's not that anyone is saying good parenting isn't necessary or anything, but in their comparisons, they kind of said that to a great extent, some things parents do simply don't make a difference. For example, in identical twins raised in separate families (and thus a somewhat different environment), that they grew up to be basically equivalent in intelligence, happiness, etc. Anyway, if the article is of interest, I'm sure it can be located. My main point with this is the comment Leyton made to me when he knew I was reading it.

Leyton said, "Mom, I know that having a lot of kids can be expensive." I asked him what made him say something like that. He said that it was because clothes can cost a lot for a lot of people. Wow. Not sure where that came from. But, I did take advantage of the moment to let him know how special he and his siblings are to us. I simply reminded him that no matter what, we are so happy to have our family and we would much rather have them (and the need to buy clothes for our kids) than not have them around. I told him that, yes, most things do cost money, but that we can do our best to use our resources wisely, provide for our family, share things, etc., but again, that every dollar spent couldn't compare to the amount of joy we feel from having all of them. He gave a big smile and we shared a good hug. Such a great kid...along with our four others.

Sweet Dreams, Princess

Moments after she dozed off tonight...

A Great Quote for Mom

Tonight Jacob told me what he's said several times before and always gives me a chuckle: "Mom, you're the best mom I ever had."

Hmm, thank goodness I know I don't have a lot of competition, hee hee. But, I do appreciate the intended compliment.

The Awe and Amazement...

The kids saw their first real rainbow last night. So wonderful to watch their enjoyment and hear their commentary.

Branson, MO, 2010

What a fun trip! This year we did actually accomplish the whole Kuenzel clan gathering in one place for vacation. Grandpa Jerry & Grandma Donna, The Grahams, us, Ben & Rachel, and Beth, Robert, & Mya all made the trip. Although everyone wasn't there at the same time for too long, it was nice getting a chance to get everyone together.

We arrived on Saturday (the day after the kids were out of school) and then Patrick was able to stay until Monday night before having to head home for work. Sunday, Patrick & the kids went to downtown Branson to walk around a bit. Monday we went to Silver Dollar City and had lots of fun. Tuesday (and every day) we went swimming. Thursday's highlight was that Leyton & Nathaniel made tie-dye t-shirts. They did a great job and had lots of fun with that. Thanks, Grandma Donna, for helping them! Friday was check-out and time to head home. We were happy to have a nice week, but we sure enjoyed getting home to see Patrick again. And, the fun didn't end there - that weekend was Memorial Day weekend and we went to the Jiggle Jam on Saturday and had a wonderful time. The kids loved it and it was a great summer kickoff. Who could go wrong with Funky Mama, Mr. Stinky Feet, The Doo-dads, The Jimmmies, and the one and only Ralph's World. That was my first time to see Ralph's World and he was wonderful. Nathaniel & Patrick went up on stage, and Leyton had his picture taken with Ralph after the show. What fun.

Progress on the Home Front

Ah-ha! It has taken us a while, but we've made it...for the past almost year since we moved, the kids have mostly enjoyed this house as well and/or better than the last. All except for Jacob that is. I think it has probably been his age and his sense of security that has impacted this in my opinion, but he held on to the idea that he liked the old house better for probably at least 8 months. When we asked him why, he typically said he liked having his own room and that his room was blue - nothing we can't create here, but nonetheless, that was his commentary. Then, we went a few months without talking much about it. But in the last few weeks, he has finally been saying that he likes this house better and he wants to live here forever (yes, he does tell me he'll want to live with me when he's older and married). He is such a sweetie.

Smiles from Vacation (5/24/10)

Vacation Recap to Come

So I'm a bit behind on the vacation details from recent weeks. It will come, but not tonight. Time for sleep!

True Motivation

I start by saying I love my family, I love being a mom to my children and I love being a wife to my husband. I also say, though, that it is true that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own choices. I do my best not to judge others for their decisions. I know I'm not perfect, but I depend on my faith and trying to associate with people who may support the values and ways that Patrick & I try to live by and teach to our children. However, we know that we often find ourselves out of the norm. Doesn't really bother me too much, but there are still times when a comment, a look, etc., can really affect (aka hurt) me. A recent situation has led me to think about this more. So tonight, I found myself listening to a song that really has an impact on me and reminds me of where my true motivation should be. It helps me in dealing with a difficult or hurtful situation. It is called: "I'm waiting" by John Waller. A reminder that I shouldn't let situations hurt me, but know that I'm working on bigger and more important life goals.

In addition, I found an email that I received a few years back that I have kept because I really enjoy the perspective. It is called, "The case for large families" by Michael Pakaluk, professor of philosophy at Clark University, lives in Cambride, MA. I think he makes several excellent points and I keep this and read it every now and again. Simply put, there's a comment toward the end about jogging through the park vs. walking through the park with five of his children that I especially enjoy.

YES! What a great thing to hear...

Tonight we were all talking about the laundry that was sitting on the family room floor before bedtime. Then Leyton started tracing letters in the air that I couldn't make out since he was going pretty quickly. I asked him what he said. He said, "Can I fold clothes?" Any thoughts on my answer to that? Go right ahead, my son! Ha. Then Nathaniel, Jacob, and Leah chimed in that they wanted to help. Then I literally heard, "Mom, folding clothes is fun!" They were busy with towels, shorts, etc. Then, "Mom, can you show me the right way to do shirts?" Wow, now this was great! Can I hope for this to continue? They were bummed when we had to head upstairs since we didn't finish. I assured them that I could have laundry every day for them to fold. Nathaniel said, "Every day?!" with a smile. Perfect. So, just for their sake, I didn't finish folding it tonight so we could work on it tomorrow. We'll see if they're still interested. Either way, I appreciate the help!

"Mom" still has a sense of reality...

Today I mentioned I was ready to go get my hair cut. I asked all the kids to get their shoes on. Done. Then Leah said to me, "Mom, 'cuz I am a mom. I will take you to get your hair cut."
Me: "You will? Thank you, Mom. Will you drive me there?"
Leah: "No, Mom. I can't DRIVE! 'Cuz you are the REAL mom! YOU need to drive."
Ok, ok. So it was kind of funny how adamant she was despite her eternal pretending. Hee hee.