letting the cat out of the bag...

dottie angel's adopted auntie lives in an old gray cottage by a babbling brook. she spends her day wisely with hook and yarn in hand. on occasion she feels the itch to stitch and on those days she can be found beavering away with her trusty sewing machine Mr Bill making 'high hope' flags

she is quite happy to note the shop window is looking springified despite the rain outside ~ Tif

The Weekends

Now that I'm home with the kids during the week, I find that I enjoy weekends more than I did before. When I was working the weekends were go-go-go, full of house projects and to do lists. Now weekends are time to spend with family. The days are laid back and go with the flow (so not me, or at least not the old me). And, I'm not going to lie, it's nice to have an extra set of hands all day!



I can't even tell you what we did on Saturday (sad, because it's only Monday...) but Sunday started off with a little boy, swollen gums, ice cold oranges and mesh teethers.

My little man has a puffy gum with a tooth that is doing its thing in his mouth. From what I read it can take months for that tiny tooth to work its way to the surface. Poor little bugger.

He absolutely loves gnawing on fruit I put in these mesh things. I seriously can't wait until our 4 month well baby. This kid is so ready to start solids. I swear he'd take the fork out of my hand and feed himself from my plate if I let him.

Puff woke up and played with her new taggie blanket that her Grammy Jayne made. She is so tactile. If she can touch and explore it, it's her kind of toy.

Then she went about her normal morning routine of sleeping and sleeping some more. I have a feeling this taggie is going to be her new go for sleepy time.

Later on we got a special delivery. It arrived several hours late, which was not so fun. But it arrived and that's what counts. So we did actually get to cross something off of our (never-ending) to do list. 

Thankfully the kids slept through all of the action, giving Joe and I time to move stuff from the house and garage out to the new shed. 

What I realized is that we have a lot of stuff. I hate stuff. I'm a throw things away kind of gal. My husband, on the other hand, may be a hoarder. I'm not saying he is, I'm just not saying he isn't...

At the end of what felt like a ridiculously long day, I ended up sitting on a blanket in the grass with both of my babies. While looking at our home, now crammed with baby stuff, I started thinking about all the ways we were going to make room for our (much larger) family and I couldn't even believe how lucky I was to be faced with such a "dilemma". I sometimes can't even believe this is my life. That my biggest problem is where I'm going to fit a double stroller.

Lots to do this week. Our "small" Christening seems to be fetching quite the turnout, so I cancelled our dinner reservation and decided (five days before the Christening, mind you) that I'm going to host everyone at our house after mass. What this means is lots of last minute scrambling, catering orders and party supply shopping with two babies in tow. And now I actually have to clean my house and hide some of the plastic village away, lest anyone think they arrived at Toys R Us by accident. 

I clearly didn't think this plan through. But the party will be much more intimate this way. And the babies will have more time to meet and visit with family. So that's that. I can't wait to see everyone. 

I have prayed so long for weekends just like these.

Surviving April

1. Koala Baby Sheet Savers

Okay, this photo doesn't really do these things justice. They are basically terry pads that tie to the sides of the crib and the are super absorbent. I'm short, and changing a crib sheet is freaking hard. Especially with all of the untying of bumpers and maneuvering around mobiles. There's a lot of heavy lifting and grunting involved. 

I found these things by accident in BRU a few months ago and they are a total lifesaver. I bought four of them at $7 a pop, and I change them out every day. Now I only have to change the crib sheets once a month or when we have a bottom end blowout. With two reflux babies who spit up 24/7, these things are an amazing sanity saver.

2. Baby Einstein (aka Baby Crack)

My cousin had copied a bunch of Baby Einstein DVD's for me when I was pregnant. I said thank you and put them in my basement with the rest of our baby stuff that I couldn't use yet. Recently, on a trip down there to retrieve paper towels, I knocked over the stack of DVD's and thought "What the heck, let's try one of these..."



*cue the angels singing*



I managed to have 30 minutes of hands free, no parent required entertainment for my kids. That means not only did I get to eat lunch without holding a child, but I actually got to eat lunch. Hallelujah! And I totally don't feel bad putting them in front of Baby Einstein for 30 minutes. It's classical music and colorful pictures. Pretty innocuous. Our favorites are Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven and (my personal favorite) Baby Bach.

3. Old Navy Flip Flops

The needle finally crept past 40 degrees. In Upstate NY that means get a pedicure and break out the flip flops. And so I did. I had been holding onto a pair of gold flip flops from Guess that were seven years old (yes, gross, I know) but I could never find a pair to replace them. And, seriously, I looked. I found these online, took a chance and ta-da. Cute, comfortable and $12.50. Need I say more?

4. Amazon Prime

Unfortunately for Joe and fortunately for me, I've discovered the ease of shopping with this button. It's dangerous. It makes shopping way too easy. Shopping like I did in the old days - i.e. spring's hottest nail polish color - and shopping for my new life, I'm talking diapers, nipples, wipes. Almost everything available on Amazon is Prime eligible and it's seriously how I've survived my first three months of parenthood, when getting out the door with two kids in the winter hasn't always been possible.

My weekday purchases have all arrived the next day, and I've gotten two day shipping for weekend orders. Between this little button and Amazon Mom coupon codes, my life is so much easier than it could have been. Seriously, how did people survive before the internet?

Trees of Love

“For you are all trees of love, and without love you cannot live, for you have been made by Me for love…” wrote St Catherine of Siena in her “Dialogues” between God and the soul.

As we enjoyed the splendour of Friday's Wedding in the great Abbey of Westminster some prophetic words came to mind at the sight of the nave lined with 2 Hornbeam and 6 English Maple trees (see video further down).

It is related of the confessor Dom John Baptist de Feckenham, the last Abbot of Westminster, that he was engaged in planting Elm trees when he was handed the message which, by an act of Parliament, dissolved his monastery and exiled the monks.

The bearer remarked, with a significant smile, that he had planted those trees in vain; for neither he nor his monks would enjoy them.

“Not in vain,” answered the saintly Abbot. “Those who come after me may, perhaps, be scholars and lovers of retirement; and whilst walking under the shade of these trees they may sometimes think of the olden religion of England and the last Abbot of this place.” And he went on with his planting.

Thank God that 450 years since Abbot de Feckenham planted those trees many an Englishman has returned to thinking of the olden religion of England.

The singing of the “Ubi Caritas” at the Wedding and the mention to Her Royal Highness Catherine of St Catherine of Siena, whose holy death
took place on the same day, 29 April, 1380, remind us that the grace of Faith is always extended to our Sovereigns and that its acceptance relies perhaps on our prayers, suffering and love.
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge presented a beautiful image to the world of human love and royal dignity, that edified us and made us proud to be British.

The gothic vaults of Westminster Abbey.

As they left the Abbey below the avenue of trees they had “planted” for their wedding day under the Gothic vaults – the stone patterns themselves representing interlaced branches – we could only wish with all our hearts that this tree of their espousals, so sweetly planted, will produce fragrant blossoms, with many scents of great variety.

As the Prince salutes, his bride bows her head.

There was some support for the Royal wedding! Lines of police slowly lead loyal supporters towards Buckingham Palace.

God save our future King and Queen, William and Catherine!

As the Royal Family stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, there was a flypast of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight consisting of a Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire and a Hurricane.

There were over 5000 street parties organised throughout Britain. The above is an great example of a street party!

The Scottish Royal Standard proudly flies over Papa Stronsay.


Domine, salvum fac Reginam nostram Elizabeth.
“Our mother, prince, and friend,
God save the Queen!”