Markisms

The older children have a fun game in which they ask Mark to repeat ridiculously long words.  He's quite capable and at 2 is extremely articulate.  For the most part he uses words in the correct context. Becca asked him one day to say "paleontologist" and so he did.  I asked him what paleontologists do and he responded "eat my brains".  I think I can chalk that up to older sibling's obsession with the Plants vs. Zombies game.

Time lost

It has been so long since I last posted.  I regret that.  There's been so many little things that will probably be lost because I didn't record them.  Things like Katie starting to scooch (I think it's been 1 1/2 months).  She puts both legs to one side and then pushes.  She then alternates sides.  It's not the fastest means of locomotion, but it works for her.
Things like Mark calling hamburgers "hamburgergers", which he no longer does.  His language skills are amazing.  He speaks so clearly and has such a large vocabulary.  Frequently he'll accuse the inanimate of calling him an "idiot" or a "dum-dum".  He will also inform people that he has the right to do something  because "Mama said so", that doesn't work with me so he'll change it to "Patrick said so" or less often "Daddy said so".  He's only two.
We've all had birthdays except for Katie.  Becca bakes our bread.  We went to Fort MacLeod for holidays this year in a TENT.  That is such an act of penance for me, let me tell you.  It was so cold at night in the middle of August and Katie is still not sleeping through the night, so I would have to get up with her.  Yuck.  But the historic sites we visited were great.  We also spent time in and around Innisfail, where we went to Markerville Creamery and Stepphanson House.  And of course we spent time in Medicine Hat.
I have canned and canned until I have no jars left and no space left in my cold room.
We planted and harvested our garden.  It was a cold, wet summer, so things didn't grow as they normally would.  Our potatoes are few, but our raspberries were many.  Our roses did amazingly well.  It seems that they really like water.  Who knew?
That is just a smattering of all that has happened in the last few months.  I'm hoping to stay more on top of things now.
By the way, I passed my course.  83%.  But there was sweat involved, I assure you.  It is sad how one's brain atrophies if not put to proper use.

Merry Christmas

So here we are. After an Advent that feels like it didn't really prepare me. Not that I'm blaming Advent. It was circumstances and my state in life right now. God knows. While praying before Mass last night - interrupted prayer: "sit down; please get off the baby; oh, baby are you alright?; etc"- Baby Jesus gave me such a consoling gift. It truly and really doesn't matter what I got done, or didn't get done. It's not about me. Why can I not remember that? It's about Him and his generosity in coming every year, no matter what. Thank you Jesus. Thank you for this crazy hectic life, that leaves me gasping for air at moments and laughing hysterically the next. Thank you for this man you've given me in sacramental marriage. None of it perfect, all of it good. Help me to remember that it's ALL good.

We went to the Vigil Mass. Not our first choice. We'd prefer to go to Christmas morning Mass, but family obligations don't permit that at this point. It is a very crowded Mass, which is good, but distracting for little ones. There was a family we didn't recognize (they may just be regulars who sit on the other side of the church. I swear we'd see a whole new parish if we but only sat on the other side occasionally.) sitting kitty-corner from us. They were laughing their heads off at us and the antics of our little ones. Mark especially provided some fine entertainment. His favorite word right now is no, which has many different meanings and inflections. At one point he wanted his coat, so Justin tried to help him, but help he did not want. "No, no, no" he said sweetly, but determinedly, while backing away and ended up falling backwards on his bottom.

We had passed Katie off right away so that we could focus on Matthew and Mark and at mid-point of the Mass, Mark seemed to realise that she was missing. He picked up the car seat and looked under it, around it and in it. He looked around the immediate vicinity. So he looked a bit further. He spotted one of our friends who has a baby who is a month older than Katie. He decided that was Katie, but he was too shy to go get her back, so he just stared suspiciously.

Anyway, here's a couple of little Turnerisms:

Rebecca: "I think the best thing about cooking the turkey is the stuffing... after the meat, of course".

Mark (16 months): loud scream followed by "shhh".

Alexander when asked if Santa Claus was coming: "Actually, I don't believe in Santa Claus. I believe in St. Nicholas".

Autumn is Truly Here

The last couple of days definitely belong to Autumn. She's firmly grasped the trees and garden in her artistic hand. Every thing's painted in gorgeous colours of reds, yellows, golds and greens. I so enjoy the smell and sights of this season although it is slightly touched with melancholy these past 2 years. I wish there was some way to have the colours without the cold and frost. My garden has had the biscuit, although in all fairness, it wasn't a good summer for my garden. It was put in late and then neglected. We had a good month where we were really diligent, but then I became tired and apathetic, overwhelmed by projects in the house and the garden suffered. So today we harvested the last of the potatoes, dug up the sad little beets and carrots and I weeded the strawberries. Our rototiller died so it was a bit of a jungle I had to work my way through and I've only made it about 6 feet in, but I'll keep working at it.
This week has been full of feast days, Michaelmas (Angel food cake), St. Therese (cupcakes) and Guardian Angels (too tired to do anything, but next year I want to do angel hair pasta and wings with angel cookies HT to Minnesota Mom and Bless Us O Lord). October is so rich in feast days and instead of planning grandiose things and doing nothing, I'm focusing on simple things like reading about the saint and a theme in the meal. This seems doable at this stage in my pregnancy. There are many things that I have to limit myself on and set priorities. I think that I am getting better at this.
Mark is still scooching, although the last 2 days we've caught him standing in the middle of the floor. He's starting to sign (all food related). He's very verbal, although there's very little that's discernible. He says "hi", "thank you", "daddy", "Becca"? All in all he's very joyful. He has up to 6 teeth now and they're popping in like popcorn.
And finally we've been waiting to run out of propane so that Justin can change something on the tank. Unfortunately it happened last night, a Friday. No gas delivery until Monday and it is chilly. And there's no hot water. It is certainly making me grateful for running water. I don't have to haul it, only heat it. I'm also grateful for my dishwasher, my shower and my washer.

A one and A two...

Little Mark is still a nurser.  He's incredibly efficient.  Recently I have noticed a trend.  I used to nurse him just on one side so that he'd get the hind milk, but now it's as though he can count and there's no way we're done until he's had both sides.  Did I mention he has a temper?