More Words

So, my camera cord is in the mail...in the meantime, here are more words from Frodo Seven.  Today was a good day--one where the planets aligned and I actually crossed off most of the items on my to do list.  It was laundry day.  I like laundry day because by the end, I always see a lot of progress and I know that that is one task that I don't have to think about again until next week.  I also did a thorough cleaning of our bedroom and came up with a big bag of things to give away--another of my secret fixes.  (Those Good Will guys love me).  

Late in the day, Madeleine and I met with her orthodontist.  He's an older gentleman who's been in the business over 40 years.  I had planned to shop around and interview at least three doctors before settling on one but I liked this one so much we're putting on chips on him.  When he found out we have five girls, he was very interested in gaining our business so I think he'll do a good job.

The highlight of the day?  Tara is signing up for her next marathon here in Houston on January 10th!  And Chris will be running the second half with her to spur her on to Boston.  This is her race.  I know it!  Please pray for her and happy second day of Advent, everyone!  

Oh--and you go, Wilson!

Open Heart, No Fear

So, I have somehow misplaced my camera cord and am unable to post photos of our holiday.  For now I guess, I'll have to make do with words so I'll tell you about a great show we watched tonight.  It was an episode of Little House on the Prairie, our family night ritual.  Tonight's was my very favorite.  With Pa's blessing, Alfred goes to apprentice with an old, Jewish craftsman.  The man is disliked in the community for being a Jew and he is alone.  He is gentle and wise and teaches Albert much more than how to carve wood.  Albert grows to love him and finished the episode by completing their last project, the man's own coffin.

The older I get, the more I find that Truth is repeated over and over in nature, stories and the lives around us.  It's simple but sometimes hard to hear or accept.  One of the things my Mom told me after I crossed the line into adulthood was that during my most difficult growing up years, she prayed that I would encounter people in my life who would say to me what she would like to say but that I might not hear coming from her.  Looking back, I see how God answered that prayer through a special deacon at our church, a teacher who went the extra mile to show her confidence in me and my friend Roberta who later joined the daughters of St. Paul.  I think it is a rare child who blindly accepts what her parents tell her.  Questioning is a part of life and it is through those questions and the search for answers that we not only learn the Truth but love it enough to live and, if necessary, die for it.

As a mother, I know that Chris and I cannot be everything for our girls.  The most basic reason being that we are not guaranteed even one more day on this earth.  We have tried to surround them with other adults who will love them and act as guides or merely fellow travelers on the journey who will provide good answers to their questions.  And of course we have great faith in the protection of their guardian angels and God Himself who will not allow anything to happen to them that will not ultimately be for their good.

I sometimes find parenting to be a very scary thing.  Fear is not a good place to begin though so I fight to keep my heart open to others and to God's will in our lives.  Tonight's story was a great affirmation of what I believe to be true about most people--that they are trustworthy and have something valuable to teach us.  

Advent

So, faithful Frodo Seven followers, I have a few fun posts for you about our Thanksgiving and trip home but before I get to that, I thought I'd point you to my Mom's recent post about advent.  I think I like advent every bit as much as I like Christmas.  For me, the joy of anticipation and preparation nearly exceeds the actual celebration.  Maybe that's because the perfect celebration is still to come on the other side of this "vale of tears".

I am especially excited about this advent because the girls and I are preparing a Jesse tree.  I found a website with bible verses and special symbolic ornaments that will help us trace the story of Jesus' ancestry.  Add to that the advent wreath, our advent house filled with treats and special messages and the fun of secret advent angels that we are doing with our TEAMS group and we have a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks.

We are wishing you and yours a very holy advent season!

Happy Thanksgiving from Frodo Seven!

Today, if you find yourself asking, "how in the world can I be related to these people?", be grateful--it means that you're part of a family!  We wish you and yours a very blessed Thanksgiving! 

Frodo Seven

August 1, 2009

Frodo Seven says "Thank you!" to all of our faithful readers

and a big "We Love You" to the Kreitzer Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandma and Paka!

Memory Lane

So, when I was a little girl (no comments please), whenever our family went on long car trips, I would ask my dad to tell the story of the day I was born.  It wasn't a particularly fascinating story.  It began with mom and dad going to hear live music the night of June 26th, 1970--they joked that it jolted me out of the womb because I was born at 3:23 the next afternoon while my dad was watching a baseball game and eating a cheeseburger (my poor mom).  These days, the girls constantly ask me to tell them stories about my life.  I wish I would have known about this mommy assignment when I was younger because surely, I would have kept better journals.  I can usually summon something up from the cobwebs of my memory and they seem satisfied--so far.

Yesterday, we took a trip down memory lane--literally.  We went on the tour of KU subtitled "Lovestory: the Chris and Alice Chronicles".  We went to the sub shop we visited on our first date, ate on Campaneille Hill overlooking the football stadium (on our first date we looked out over the lake but now that Chris is secure in my affections, he feels free to unleash his inner sports fanatic).  We walked the campus and saw the buildings where I taught my first Spanish class- in which he was my star student, visited Mass street and took lots of photos.  

We've done this pilgrimage more than once and I love showing our girls where our family began.  I have this possibly naive but romantic hope that they will see in us something that they want for themselves.  One thing is for sure--if they do what a lot of girls do and marry someone like their daddy, they will be very happy women.

1900 New Hampshire Street

Madeleine's first home

Second stop on our first date

First stop was Spanish Mass

At our rehearsal dinner, we named the tables after places we went and things we did on our first date.  Since it was like one of those all-day movie dates we had plenty of material.

A moment of silence por favor

KU--sort of

Rock Chalk Jayhawk KU!

Teddy Roosevelt named the Rock Chalk chant the best college chant in the nation.

Guess who.

More to come.  We will be visiting KU again tomorrow for family photos.  It is supposed to be cloudy and rainy but nothing less than a tornado will stop the familia Doyle!

Rock Chalk

OK, enough with the Tara lovefest :) --we made a pilgrimage today to show the girls where it all began.  More to follow.

Dos Jayhawks

Another Correction

This is crazy but Tara did not make Boston after all.  The official time keepers made a mistake and she did indeed miss it by a mere five minutes.  What a roller coaster couple of days.  As big sis' of the runner, I feel like going down to the office of the marathon powers-that-be and reading someone the riot act but in the end, I think Tara wants to make Boston for real, not just on paper.  We talked to her today before she found out about the mistake and she told me that she had thought she'd missed it by mile 20 or so and at mile 23 was in so much pain she started walking.  But she remembered that she'd told Chris she would leave it all out there so she gave herself sixty seconds and started running again--through the pain and despite the fact that she thought she'd missed her goal.  She ran to the end and for that, she's a winner in every way to me.  

Kreitzers bringin' it all over this great nation of ours

Correction

So, the official results came in this afternoon and Tara ran a 3:40:33.  Qualifying time for Boston?  3:40 with a one minute grace which means...she made Boston after all!  What a surprising, amazing, wonderful ending to this story.  Of course, the real ending will happen in Boston in 2011 when Dave, Tara and hopefully Chris and our dear friend Ralph take their victory 26.2.  Can you say party?

Not in Texas Anymore

Where in the world are the Doyles?

This just in:  David met his goal and qualified for Boston this morning with a minute forty-five to spare.  When I talked to him Friday, he told me there was about a one percent chance of his making it.  In typical David fashion though, he brought it and achieved the (nearly) impossible.

Tara missed her goal by just five minutes but was extremely happy with her run.  We're expecting another try in the near future.  I will be there for that one!

Congratulations both of you!  

On the Road Again

It feels like yesterday that we piled in the car for the long trip to Virginia last summer yet here we are again--this time making the journey to KC to spend Thanksgiving with the Lenexa Doyles.  We can't wait to be there but are having lots of fun along the way.

Dinner

At the hotel-o (mia-eese for "hotel")

small friends who are joining us again

they liked the big bed

Polar bears

It turned out that the heater was broken on both the pool and hot tub but that didn't stop daddy and his brave girls from taking the plunge.

Mommy and Ella stayed dry!

And finally--a big shout out to my little bro' and sis' who will be running tomorrow's Philadelphia Marathon.  Boston or not, I am so proud of you both.  Dig deep and BRING IT!  (And take a page from Madeleine--if you happen to lose your breakfast, no problem--just keep running!)

GNO

Good times, great friends.  The women of Kingwood TEAM 8.

Firsts

Mia and Grace had dentist appointments the other day.  It was Grace's first checkup and cleaning though not her first visit to the dentist.  She chipped her tooth badly as a toddler and had to have a baby root canal.  This week's visit was more routine.  She was still a bit nervous so Sophie, Ella and I went with her while she had her x-rays and met the dentist (we really like her).  Grace was an excellent patient and both she and Mia received much praise for the job they're doing on their teeth.  We made sure to give Daddy credit as head tooth cleaner and inspector at Casa Doyle!

In other firsts--I made it all the way through plyo for the first time this morning!  Plyo is one of the workouts in the p90X program.  It is jump training and I feel tired just thinking about it.  This morning, I didn't do the bonus but I finally made it past the rock star jumps and completed the workout.  A small victory. 

Beautiful Day

Today was a beautiful day.  The weather was perfect with sunny, blue skies yet chilly enough  for a sweater.  The kind of day that makes me love being a (maybe temporary?) Texan.

Other things that made the day beautiful:

*An educational concert at The Miller Theatre

*Watching the girls roll down the hill over and over and over and...

*Having my favorite father-in-law join us and buy us lunch after the girls ate theirs on the drive down town

*A long chat with my mom

*Eating leftovers for dinner--no cooking and not many dishes

*Chris doing the dishes and sweeping the kitchen for the first time in...well, you really don't need to know that

*Chris taking the middle three to K4J while I ran errands with Madeleine and Ella

*Laughing because Ella really is such a cuss!

*Oh, and last but definitely not least--John Mayer's new CD that came out today.  Love it.

Here's hoping that you have a list of your own.  If not today, maybe tomorrow...

Nutcracker Market + More

Last weekend was really a red letter one all around.  Saturday, Chris and I enjoyed a rare day-long date at The Nutcracker Market while Grandma and Grandpa treated our fair ones to Disney on Ice.  All of the girls enjoyed the show as did G and G Doyle.  Clearly you're never too old for Disney!  As for me and Chris, we made it through most of the market and crossed off a lot of our Christmas list.  Chris referred to himself as "bag boy" most of the day because he carried the loot but he was a terrific shopping buddy and came up with gift ideas and helped make decisions.  I am most excited about a special gift we chose for Ella's birthday but that will have to remain secret.

Back at home, we loaded the crew in the car and went out to dinner to celebrate our friend Chad's birthday.  We had a lot of fun--fun that continued at Mass Sunday morning when the girls ran around with their buddies some more.  I was talking to Kim and watching Ella out of one eye when I saw Kim's one year old Dylan lean in and kiss her.  It was so cute and I tried to get him to do it again for the camera but Ella was more interested than he was at that point.  The rest of Sunday was lazy with nothing to do but be together.  So nice.  I hope you had a good weekend too!

They sang "Happy Birthday" and more--including a song I used in class last Thursday.

It's called "Eres Tú" and is incredibly cheesy but is great for beginners because it's easy to understand with simple vocabulary.  Check it out.  It's by Mocedades.

Proud Grandpa

Ella poses alone because Dylan keeps running to mama

He started it--really

A little gift from Chris, picked up at the market.

Not exactly true but nice that he thinks it is.

Lights, Camera, Madeleine!

On Friday night, all of the residents of Casa Doyle plus Jack, Barb and one small friend enjoyed the annual SMMCS Talent Show.  Madeleine was among the starlets and she was impressive both for her dance and vocal talents and for the presence of mind she showed in dealing with some frustrating microphone problems.  I don't think I can put into words the pride that I felt watching our oldest daughter on stage.  When I see her, I see the girl she was at two, five, eight, eleven...  She's always loved to sing and dance and she's always been able to clear the floor or quiet a room.  It's an awesome thing to watch her mature into such a talented yet humble young woman.  We love you, Min! 

Singing "Journey to the Past" from Anastasia

Her microphone kept quitting on her but she didn't miss a beat.

Madeleine and Cristina did a fun dance routine to Footloose.

This was their serious dancer pose.

Mia with old SMMCS buddie, Allison

Allison's mom is Madeleine's science teacher--small world

Budding Starlets

The little guy in the middle did an amazing dance to Hasta la Vista

He's Cristina's little brother and a favorite of Madeleine's.

Not to be outdone by her big sis', Ella provided entertainment for the crowd in back

During Madeleine's song, she kept belting out the ends of the lines and holding the notes.

All of the girls know the entire album of Anastasia because of Madeleine's act.

Wild Thing, I think I love You

So, you may have noticed a slight change to the FS header.  If not, check it out now.  I've liked the new quote for awhile and it often comes to mind when I am feeling like Max--like I've had a little too much "wild rumpus"ing and it's time to go home.  The main reason the quote made the header though is that when our girls feel lonely and want to be where someone loves them best of all, I hope they think of Casa Doyle.  I really do.

Oh, Maggie G!

Margaret Grace and Madeleine Noel

So, if you know us in person or have been reading Frodo Seven for awhile, you know that Doyle daughter #3 is a unique kid.  They all are of course but she's the one that makes me especially happy that we homeschool because I know without a doubt that her teachers would not be able to appreciate or understand her the way I do.  Take what happened today.  I asked Grace to clean up a few things that were under the table.  She did the job halfway and headed outside to join her sisters.  I called her back in to finish her chore, and as I prepared lunch and waited for Grace, I heard Ella crying frantically.  I went out to investigate and discovered Ella trapped in the playhouse with two very large stones blocking the door.  Naturally, I was not happy with the culprit, who finally trotted inside for her chore and some quality time in the corner.  After a few minutes, I started talking to Grace about trying harder to think before she does things and being kind to her younger sisters.  Grace listened quietly and then replied, "but Mommy, I wanted Ella to stay inside the playhouse until I finished my chore so that I could play a game with her."  Imprisonment for love?  A deep seated desire to torture a little sis'?  Maybe both.  One thing's for sure.  Although I never know what each day will bring, I do know that my girls are some of the most wonderful and interesting people I've ever met.  They're on loan from God and I thank Him for that.

Hey!

So last week, the newest priest at our church, Father TJ, helped me with something special--a birthday blessing for a friend.  I was expecting a quick sprinkling with holy water, but he went all out and the small ritual was the highlight of the day for me.  When I called about the blessing, I also invited him to dinner at Casa Doyle and tonight was the big night.  I am sorry to say that the girls were not on princess behavior.  To be fair, they were so excited to see Father TJ that they talked over each other, interrupted and generally forgot every single table manner we've taught them.  Then there was the spilt milk and Grace's dive under the table that prompted Sophie's loud, "Hey!  You're wearing my panties!"  I told Father TJ that he has a standing invitation to dinner with the Doyles anytime he needs to reconfirm his vocation.  Chris and I enjoyed his company so much that we're hoping that next dinner isn't too long in coming. 

Peace all around

Silly faces?

Father TJ brought it to the birthday fun with this Viking pose

Don't ask why we happened to have a Viking hat on hand...