Grandpa and the girls

Grandpa and Audrey stopped over this morning to say hi. Great minds think alike because Faustina, Jude and I were going to do the same thing! Grandpa is the center of attention with this two little girls. And I think they have him wrapped pretty tightly around their fingers. As Grandpa and Audrey were leaving Faustina insisted on getting into the car too and Grandpa caved - he drove both of them away! As they took off, Faustina was waving and said, "Be good, Mama!" Whether she was telling me to be good or trying to say that she would be good herself is left for interpretation.

Faustina's first car

We had a small gathering for Faustina's birthday yesterday. Mike and I got her a power wheels car which is pretty fun if I do say so myself. Everyone had fun with it yesterday in the backyard. I am sure it will get a great deal of use!

Little Miss Independent

Grandma and Grandma called Faustina 'Little Miss Petite' when she was born. Well, now she is Miss Independent. I hear "I'll do it!!" at least 100 times a day. No exaggeration.

She wants to pick out her own clothes to wear, dress herself, when helping her with the potty she will have none of it, when I am changing Jude she tries to push me aside and says "I'll do it!", she refuses any help in understanding how toys work: "I'll do it!", she wants to work in the garden by herself, she 'cleans up' and yells 'I'm doing it!' as she imitates Mike and me.

She is so adamant about being in charge that we are at the point that I can't read a book to her. She'll sit on my lap, we'll start a book and then 2 pages in she'll start yelling, "I'll do it! I'll read the book, Mama." And she turns the pages and talks about the pictures and shuts me down if I read any words.

I'm glad she wants to learn and be independent....we'll just have to channel this energy in the right direction...!

Sleeping through the night!

Jude has now slept through the night 5 nights in a row. 8pm-7amish. It is so wonderful!

The Cornerstone

"Following Christ influences the very core of our personality. When someone is in love, this fact influences his whole view of things and events, however trivial they may appear. He is influenced by it as he walks along the street, when he is at work, in his attitude toward social relationships - and not only when he is in the company of the person he loves. Being a Christian is the most important characteristic of our existence, and it has to have incomparably more influence on our lives than even human love has on the most ardent lovers.
Christ is the center of our lives and our whole being. Cassian comments, "Let us imagine an architect, who wants to construct the vault of a Cathedral apse. He has to trace the whole circumference beginning with a key point - the center. Guiding himself by this infallible norm, he then has to calculate the exact circumference and the design of the whole building...In this way, a single point becomes the fundamental key to an imposing building." In a similar way, God is the point of reference of our thoughts, our words and our deeds. We should want to build our very existence in relation to him."

- Monday's reflection from In Conversation with God

Encouraging article on our food industry

This article from The Atlantic was a pleasant surprise for me to read. It is about how Walmart of all places is starting to compete with high end grocery stores like Whole Foods. Walmart is working with small local farm within 50-100 miles of their store and making organic produce affordable. It, actually, is quite shocking and very uplifting when it is easy to despair about the dire state our food industry is in.

Last summer I went to the movie "Food Inc" with my Mom and Dad at the Lagoon Theater. I could not bring myself to eat store bought meat for several months; even when I would be at restraunts or friends' houses I would think about the meat after seeing that movie. I am grateful that twice a year our family buys a cow from a local farm and splits it up 4 ways. The cows are grass fed, the prices are very reasonable, and the meat is delicious. I don't have to worry about ingesting an animal that was wading around in its own manure on the farm (yuck!).

Teeta is two!!

Faustina is two years old today!! Wow. It is hard to believe. It seems like yesterday that it was May 19th when I was in labor for 24 hours and spent the day with my Mom walking around the neighborhood in excited anticipation - and pain! :)

We are so proud of our little girl. She is growing up into quite the young lady. She has a passionate heart, a will of steel (!), an intense desire to learn, crystal clear articulation as she is saying EVERYTHING now, she has a sense of humor, likes to have fun, and she loves her brother.

We are so excited for this next year to see her person develop. Happy birthday, Faustina!

The graduate

Another chapter is done in the Adkins' lives. Mike is officially finished with his MA in Catholic Studies at St. Thomas University! Hooray!

We are so thankful that Mike was able to spend these last three years immersed in this program. He met many new people, wonderful professors, he made several new lasting relationships, and of course he learned SO much. For me, it is bittersweet for him to be done. I loved when Mike would come home from classes and we would sit sometimes for another couple hours while Mike reiterated his class to me and we would discuss the material. I was lucky to learn so much through his program! I also associate his masters program with the time that we were married, we both worked at Trinity, and both Faustina and Jude were born! We are now into a new stage with Mike at a new job, me staying home with the kids, and the kids getting older.

Last night Mike presented his thesis to a group of professors, students, family and friends. It went well; the work of finishing off his thesis was Mike's biggest challenge since he has been so busy with family and work. Perhaps, Mike would have liked to have spent a bit more time on this project, but everything went fine and he is done. Last night I was so proud of seeing him explaining his thesis and finishing the last leg of his journey. Good work my dear husband!

Two in one

This won't last too long! But at this point they love sharing the sink for a bath as well as the single stroller.

One more surgery

We had Jude's 5 month check up on Monday to see how his kidneys are functioning. There was good news and bad news. The good news is his kidneys are doing fine and there is very little reflux (when urine kicks back up into his system). The bad news is that Jude needs to have the same surgery he had 5 months ago. The doctor punctured a hole in a flab of skin that was not allowing urine to flow out; this hole, unfortunately, healed up. It is a fairly minor surgery, but it is, nevertheless, a bummer that Jude has to go through it again. The surgery is scheduled for July 21st. Hopefully, this takes care of the problem; if this one does not take, we'll have to do a much more invasive surgery involved removing a good portion of his upper left kidney. St. Jude, pray for us.

Teeta's velveteen rabbit

I had to see it to believe it. But this is for real. Faustina's love for Teddy is beyond anything I have witnessed in a young child. I know kids become attached to stuffed animals and blankets. They are a source of comfort, security, and often need to these objects in order to fall asleep. But Teddy is not just a source of comfort or security - he is real!


Teddy is part of the family - if anything ever happened to teddy we all would be devestated.

The love affair began when Faustina was about 3 months old. It was the first time I remember hearing her laugh. She was on the changing table in her room while Mike and I held Teddy in the air and slowing zoomed him in on her as she giggled uncontrollably. For about the last 10 months, every half an hour Faustina checks in with Teddy to take care of him and make sure he is doing okay (I am not exaggerating!).

Faustina sleeps with Teddy, nurses him, takes him for walks (a few days ago we went for about a 1.2 mile walk in which Faustina walked the whole entire way with Teddy in her shopping cart- I clocked the mileage on the car),changes his diaper, she asks him how his day was, how he is doing and what is wrong, feeds him, carries him on her shoulders, he goes shopping with us, he goes on every car ride with us, to church, to the park - EVERYWHERE. Last night, Dad and Faustina sat in front of the washer for THIRTY minutes while Teddy got a 'bath' in the washing machine.

This is the real deal. Faustina is a loyal one.

"Amen!"

We were saying grace before dinner yesterday, ending with the usual sign of the cross "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Faustina was making her usual cute attempt at making the sign of the cross, and then she said, "Body of Christ, Amen!"

No, we did not teach her that! She has only heard that at Mass when we go up for the Eucharist. It's amazing what kids pick up and remember through association.

Something to keep in mind....

This is a good quote to keep in mind while raising children, but also to keep in mind about one's own childhood. This is from "The Brothers Karamazov". Alyosha, the youngest Karamazov brother, gives this speech at a young boy's funeral. He is specifically addressing a group of the boy's peers who had taunted the little boy at times.

"You must know that there is nothing higher, or stronger, or sounder, or more useful afterwards in life, than some good memory, especially a memory from childhood, from the parental home. You hear a lot said about your education, yet some such beautiful, sacred memory, preserved from childhood, is perhaps the best education. If a man stores up such memories to take into life, then he is saved for his whole life. And even if only one good memory remains with us in our hearts, that alone may serve one day for our salvation...and keep us from great evil."

Mother - daughter moment

I've probably mentioned it before, but I've always considered myself a bit of a tomboy. My poor Mother when I was growing up - I never liked to wear dresses, I wanted to play sports and be outside, etc, and the list goes on.

When Faustina was born, I was actually a bit worried, "What will I do with a girl??!". I always relied on my girlfriends to help me any 'girly' stuff. I never had any sisters; and, actually, my Mom was quite 'natural' as she never work make-up or much jewelry.

Well, I was caught by surprise on Friday when Faustina came up to me and said, "Do my hair, mama."(she had seen me blow drying mine). I was almost shocked to feel the emotion of excitement at the thought of dolling my little girl up. It was one of those parent moments when your heart swells up with pride and love for your little one.

We sat down on the bed and looked into the mirror. And she actually sat still and watched intently. I was instantly brought back to my own childhood when my Mom would put french braids in my hair while I sat at my little 'beauty dresser' in my room. Unfailingly, every time she would recite
the poem:

"There once was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very very good,
But when she was bad she was horrid!"

And I really believe she meant this poem when she said it! :)

I love having a girl as our oldest child - God certainly knew what he was doing when he gave us Faustina.