Major Score!

So, I started Christmas shopping today-finally. I hit my favorite thrift store and it paid off.

I got the three wee ones several wooden toys and a cool educational game for less than $15.00.

HOWEVER, the biggest score was for...me. :)

I have been looking for new curtains for my living room for years. Yes, years. But because we have such high ceilings they are always so expensive. So, I've just kept looking for the right curtains at the right price. I warned my husband long ago that when I found the right ones and the right length I was going to get them.

Well, I found eight panels of beautiful shear curtains with embroidered leaves (made by Pottery Barn) for $15.00 bucks a set! And they were the right color-natural!! Cool! I am so excited. I came home dancing for joy.

I love thrift stores.

Bath time discussion with the resident Dr.

For some reason bath time discussion is always interesting with my girls. Perhaps it's because it is the end of the day and they have all these questions from the happenings of their day. Who can say?

A few weeks ago Katya, Thea and I watched the Nativity Story that came out a couple of years ago. Thea faded out toward the end, but Katya really loved the story. She especially loved the childbirth scenes of Mary and Elizabeth. Both scenes were not graphic, just a little intense due to the pain of childbirth. As you can imagine, Katya has had many, many questions about childbirth since then.

For example, when Mary and Elizabeth cried during childbirth, Katherine wanted to know why they were crying. I said they were tears of joy.

I will say that Katherine is really interested in things medical-and always has been. Just today she asked if there were homeschooling books that taught about the inside of our body. "Like blood and stuff".

When I was pregnant with Zoe, Katya would go to the Dr. with me and would always beg them to give me a shot or do some procedure so that she could watch.

She has also asked for a microscope. A MICROSCOPE! How about a Polly Pocket!!

I said that Papa was the Science teacher and she should talk with him...

OK, back to bath time: So, Katherine says: "Mom, when you deliver a baby, does it hurt?"

M: "Yes, it hurts"
K: "A little bit or a whole bunch?"
M: "Well, some of the times both"
K: "So, what are you saying? What does it feel like?"
M: "Umm, well sort of like you are pooping"
K: "Oh. Well, does it feel like are really big poop like (and she yells) yeeeoowww!!!! Or, does it feel like a poop like, oh, that kind of hurt."
M: "Well, some of the times both"

I am thinking that Katherine may be headed to medical school. I pray not.

I am also thinking that should God give us anymore children I will let Katherine watch the delivery. Both Fr. and I think she would love it.

The Fiery Chariot

Today the girls and I read about the Prophet Elijah and the fiery chariot. I forget what an awesome story it is. I even got very excited when the chariot took him away, leaving Elisha as the new Prophet.

Anyhow, Thea looked at me with her sweet big brown eyes and said, very solemnly, "Mommy, I don't want to die, I want to go up to God in a fiery chariot with you, Papa, Katya and Zoe".

Me too, Thea, Me too...

ZZZZZZZZ

Forgive the absence!

I know all of you don't want to hear me ramble on, but rather want to see more adorable pics of the babes. Well, you'll have to wait. I am suffering from a serious case of sleep deprivation.

Seems my little Zoe Marie, now 14 months old, has decided to become a night owl in her second year of life. At least she comes by it honestly. No, I'm not talking about me. That would be her Papa...

Anyhow, Zoe was sleeping pretty well after her newborn days were over and then a few months ago she began the dreaded middle of the night wakings. Uuugghhh... Katya was pretty bad, Thea was awesome (sleeping through the night from almost day one), however, Zoe is really bad. Last week, at the peak of all her sleeplessness, she was waking up every two hours-almost every night.

Since I thought I was a pro at sleeping children (that thought alone is a recipe for getting put in my place-huh?), I gave away my copy of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". So, I rushed out to the used book store and grabbed a new one. Pronto. Read it-double pronto. It is an excellent book.

It's pretty amazing how much sleep little kids need. We forget that they are little and require so much more sleep than we do. After reading the book, I put Zoe on a new sleep routine: Asleep by 6:30, instead of 8:30 and one long nap at 12:30 or 1:00, instead of two. I did have to let her cry out her first night of waking up at 3:00a.m. for an hour. That was absolutely horrible. I will tell you though, she is a different child.

Now that most of you are yawning either from the boring story or from getting sleepy, I'll see if I can come up with some cute pics for my next entry.

Until then, happy sleeping! :)

On making Barbie a better girl...

I remember when Fr. Justin and I first had Katherine, we decided then and there that we would not allow Barbies into her toy box. We both agreed that Barbie and her friends were no example for our daughter and future children. The shape of her body-unnatural. The cut of her clothes-to skimpy. Too much makeup!

Well, it's a good thing Katya doesn't keep them in her toy box...

In all fairness, we have not purchased a single Barbie. They have all been gifts from various people. I will never forget Katya's first Barbie. A parishoner's little girl gave it to Katya for her second birthday. As Katherine opened the big pink box and saw her first Barbie all glittery and smiley, I knew we were toast. She didn't even know what a Barbie was until that moment, but it was love at first sight.

At first I was wondering how I was going to give Barbie the slip without Katya noticing. Yes, there have been toys that have secretly disappeared in the night. One toy that stands out is the screaming, I mean screaming baby that cried very loud. Anytime she tilted one way or the other she screamed. She has joyfully been adopted and now lives someplace out of earshot. Anyhow, as you already know the end to this story, Barbie stayed.

So, as time passed and the Barbie collection grew, I decided that since we were clearly not going to give Barbie the boot, I would have to teach my daughters about proper dress, modesty and ladylike behaviour using Barbie as our example. I conveyed this thought to my husband and he just glanced up from his computer and sort of grummbled. "Look, all they do is dress and undress them constantly," I said. "They treat them like their babies."

My husband sat looking doubtful, kept typing and didn't utter a word.

So, I continued: "If Barbie came to our church, we wouldn't turn her away would we?" "I mean, just because she doesn't know how to dress modestly doesn't mean we can't teach her-and the rest of her sorority (because at this point we have about ten Barbies)...right?" "Further, maybe she (and all her sisters) regret having plastic surgery to augment their bodies!"

(You can just read the line above the above paragraph again for my husband's response.)

Realistically speaking, I never want my daughters judging anyone, for any reason, period. I saw an opportunity here to teach my daughters some valuable lessons.

Well, he just raised his eyebrows, and said "I see." I think he felt outnumbered.

Three years later, we work hard to keep Barbie and her friends well covered. I explain why Barbie has to wear pants under her short skirts, a sweater over her crop tops, and why stiletto heals are impractical-but on rare occasions are o.k., especially when Barbie is going to the ball.

I think Barbie and her girls are softening up a bit. Just today the girls and I were playing with the Barbies and someone suggested that they be baptized and chrismated. Why, Thea even thought we should make them little crosses to wear around their necks! My heart leaped! My mind began to race! For a moment, I (silently) thought that we could make them all little black cassocks and tonsure them monastics! Now we're getting somewhere! :)

I was a little nervous about trying to talk my husband into keeping Barbie and her friends. But, I have to admit they have brought my girls many hours of fun. And they have enabled me to talk about many important topics to my little ladies.

Would I recommend Barbies for little girls? Not necessarily. But sometimes you work with what you've got.

Eis polla eti despota!!

Our beloved Archbishop Dmitri came to visit our parish yesterday. As always, it was a wonderful day. I wish everyone could know this man. He is a blessing in my life and in so many other's, I'm sure.

He came to us at 9:00a.m. and stayed until 2:30. We had a beautiful hierarchical liturgy with a glorious feast afterward. Everyone enjoyed his visit. He is a true Texan with great southern hospitality and charm. He simply doesn't know a stranger and makes everyone feel welcome and at home.

Katya did present him flowers (after changing her mind about four times before he got here). :)

I tried to use my camera, but my one year old was extremely busy. Other parishoners tooks photos that I will try to share, but I did get a couple.

The two pics here are of our much loved priest (who also happens to be my husband) receiving the Kamilavka. This is an award given to priests for dedication and hard work, among other reasons. He is completely deserving of such an award, in my very biased opinion. He works tirelessly for our parish, as well as the Russian community in Dallas. For those of you who want to know more about this award, you can visit orthodoxwiki.org. The other photo is of Vladyka and Fr. Justin while Vladyka was talking with our parish.

Many years to Fr. Justin! I love you! Your Wife.

If you want to see other photos, you can go to our the Diocese of the South website: www.dosoca.org

Only the child of an Orthodox Priest...

Our Bishop is coming to visit this Sunday and Katya is going to present him with flowers. (In the Orthodox Church, it is customary for a young girl to greet the Bishop and present him with flowers upon arrival.) This will be a first for Katherine, as she has always been too shy.

Anyhow, I asked Katherine if she was sure she wanted to present the flowers, since last time she was shy. She said yes and then asked what it meant to be shy. I gave her a definition and then added, "you know when you hide behind my skirt when you don't know people, well that's being shy". Katherine quickly added "or when you hide behind your papa's skirt".

After I had a good laugh, I said "yes, or behind your papa's CASSOCK".

For those of you who are thinking "huh?" In the Orthodox tradition, the priests wear cassocks, which are long black robes-or according to some little five year olds a "skirt". :)