Team Whitaker — a peek at the world from our branch

Happy 7th Birthday Sisty!

by Kathryn on May 16, 2012

Seven years ago, I became a mom…to my first girl. With all five pregnancies, we never asked whether it was a boy or girl until delivery day. When the doctor yelled out, “IT’S A GIRL!”, I responded, “SHOW ME.”

Our Anna-Laura is named after a dear Dominican Sister, Sr. Anna Laura. She also shares a birthday with her great-grandmother whose nickname was “Sisty.” Anna-Laura adopted that name and now proudly owns it. She is feisty, opinionated, loving and funny – just like her great-grandmother was. While the original Sisty is no longer with us, she most certainly lives on in Anna-Laura.

To my sweetest big girl,

Anna-Laura you are a total delight. You are also my biggest reason for praying Hail Mary’s. Your Nana says it’s because you have a little of your momma in you. That makes me very proud.

You get so excited over little things: a new book, a doll, a trip to Sonic Happy Hour, going to a birthday party. You get this little giggle in the back of your throat and you laugh through your teeth. It is so funny to watch you do it.

You are beautiful. Yes, you have your Poppy’s piercing blue eyes and Nana’s gorgeous blondish hair, but I love that you so freely give away your kisses and hugs. You often tell Clare and I, “Oh, you look SO pretty.” And you mean it. I pray your beauty always comes from within and your self-worth is dictated by the love you share.

You L-O-V-E to do your hair. Seriously. You must fix it three times before you leave in the morning, twice during Mass and multiple times when you come home from school. You taught yourself to braid and your favorite hairstyle is a side-ponytail, circa 1985. You may have a career there, who knows.

Your favorite color, hands down, is pink. You love lip gloss and fancy shoes, purses and baby dolls. But, if you want to know what I think? I think it’s a cover. You are tough as nails. On the soccer field, you dish it right back. You can outrun one brother and quite nearly the other one. You are a fierce competitor and you hate to lose. Seeing you dribble that soccer ball makes me very proud, not because you’re good at it (you are!) but because you really, really, really love playing with your friends.

You are social. While school is there for you to learn, I think you love seeing your friends more Gee, wonder where you get that trait? But, just in the last few weeks, you’ve really taken a liking to reading. Thank you, Junie B. Jones! Perhaps you, me and Hermoine can become friends in the next year.

You love to draw pictures and create beautiful art projects. You are SO going to love Art Camp this summer. The best part about your drawings is you do them for people who need prayers or a pick-me-up. Your heart is always in the right place. So sweet.

We call you pretty girl, ALGie and Sisty. You smile every time we say them.

You are my world. I love you and I pray that year #7 is your best yet.

All my love,

Mom

p.s. We are going to have a BLAST at your party this weekend. I’m just as excited as you!

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Fun Photo Workshop

by Kathryn on May 15, 2012

I have always loved taking photos. Back in the point-and-shoot days, my photos were eh. Shortly after Scott and I got married, we got a fancy camera for Christmas. I have a mother-in-law obsessed with taking photos, just like me. She and I would swap lenses and advice. Still do. She made the statement, “Better smile, a Whitaker is taking your picture!” famous.

B.C. – before children – I had a fab job working for a non-profit in communications. While taking photos wasn’t necessarily in the job description, we often travelled with our youth ambassadors and had to snap pics. I also worked with our convention photographers (some AP guys who are incredible) and learned by osmosis. I always knew what I wanted to capture, but the camera didn’t always interpret what my mind saw. I’ve taken a few formal photography classes and loved them all. That was back with my film SLR, practically the dark ages, now.

Fast forward to A.C. – after children – and my focus on photography (pun intended) has completely shifted. I’m looking to capture soccer games, dance recitals, academic meets, 4-H competitions and all the little moments in between. I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the result of my photos and spending way too much time in PhotoShop making them look better. Enter, Kristen Duke Photography. {You may remember her from the tutorial that led to a stellar 4-H project.}

Kristen offered a two-hour workshop right up the road, so I talked to Scott and asked him if he could “give” me my birthday present a little early. A friend and I, Renee, headed to the t.u. golf club (don’t get me started on the locale) for an amazing two hours. I finally feel like my camera and I love each other again. It is SO lovely. As for photo #2 below – what in Betsy’s name was I laughing about? Who knows.

To all my Houston peeps, she’s offering a class on June 2 – get yourself registered!

My poor family is enduring me taking more photos. I told them they’re just going to have to deal with it. The biggest lessons I learned from the workshop and Kristen:

1. Get yourself – yes, you MOM – in front of the camera. Get your settings on the camera done and then hand it off. While I have photos of me with the kids, I want more. I’m coming to terms with the fact that my hair will never be perfect, my mom belly may never go away and sometimes I will look dorky. But I DO NOT CARE. In 50 years when I look back at our photos, I want to see me with the kids and Scott, not just the kids and Scott.

2. Don’t give up. If you have a challenging lighting situation, just keep at it. Find someone else who loves photography as much as you do and help a sista out. Renee, I’ll be calling you.

3. Get yourself a 50mm, 1.8 lens. That’s what I’m asking for next.

4. Don’t rely on photo software to make a bad photo good. Do rely on it to make a great photo even better.

It’s good to be in love again. Thanks, Kristen!

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HDYDI: Making Your Own Laundry Detergent

by Kathryn on May 14, 2012

Choosing a Mother’s Day Out Program is coming next week. Sorry, I got ahead of myself!

A couple of months ago, I read a blog post about making your own laundry detergent. It sounded so…Austin. It also sounded seriously cheaper than the $16 bucks I was laying out every month or so for the “HE” stuff for my front loader. But, it was a liquid version and looked a little too complicated and messy for me. In a stroke of genius, I googled DIY powder detergent and found a winner. I had to make a run to the grocery store anyway, so I got myself the ingredients and whipped up a batch. I gave it a test run on Saturday night – oh the exciting life I lead, I know. But, it was awesome!

HDYDI: MAKING YOUR OWN LAUNDRY DETERGENT

The way I calculated it all out? With a batch that can do 100 loads, it cost me less than 5-cents/load compared to 21-cents/load with the old stuff. It took about five minutes to whip it together and it smells great. Just call me an Austin Hippie. This one is winner winner, chicken dinner. All I know is that my great-grandmother must be looking down from heaven saying, “Sweetie, you’re not hippie, you’re just doing what we did!”

Ingredients:

1 c. Borax
1 c. Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
1 bar of laundry soap, grated (I used Fels Neptha)

Grate the laundry bar. And, if you can, find a smaller grater as it makes it more of a powder consistency. I found all those items in the laundry aisle at HEB, but I’m sure Target or Wal-Mart has them, too. I used the Fels Neptha bar, but I think next time I’ll try and find Ivory just because I like the white instead of the yellow color.

Add the Borax and washing soda, mix it together and put into an airtight container. I found mine at the Container Store (shocker) and then popped a cheap measuring spoon (the set was 99-cents) in with the detergent.

Use 1-2 T. per load. I use 2T. on really dirty loads and 1T. for the lighter stuff. Translation? 2T. on the kids’ clothes and 1T. on mine.

I’m already feeling better about less waste: no more big detergent bottles to recycle and less gas to get to the store to buy said bottle. Plus, it’s made me think about what I’m washing, too. It’s not uncommon at all to have the kids, or me, wear the same item of clothing more than once before it’s washed. In college I used to joke that my jeans had been worn so many times without being cleand that they could just walk themselves to the washing machine.

The detergent feels a bit like cutting cable (post on that next week!): why in Sam Hill did we not do it sooner?

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Giveaway Winner and Your QOTW: May 11, 2012

by Kathryn on May 11, 2012

And the winner of the adorable Mary softie?

Kimberly (check your e-mail sweet lady!)

This week, we had some great quotes. Obviously. Here’s a few:

“Are you a priest?”
John Paul to Fr. Dave. He wasn’t sure what to do with a priest without his collar on. I explained that sometimes priests wear real clothes!

“So, Fr. Dave, the priest we listen to on the radio, is coming to our house? Wow, that is so cool.”
Will, after hearing the news. I think there was a fist pump in there, too. About two seconds later he says, “I don’t have to ask him a question, do I?” For my non-Catholic friends Fr. Dave has a show on Sirius and it gives listeners a chance to call in and ask questions of faith – about anything. Will and I love listening to it when we’re out shuttling kids. If you don’t have satellite radio, never fear. You can listen to some of the shows online at their website.

“For this three-month therapy cycle, Luke has met all of his speech goals but one.”
Luke’s speech therapist, Tasi. He has made amazing progress in speech. He’s still behind (on the low end of “normal”) but a far cry from the year+ delay just six months ago. I am one proud momma. This quote made me realize how far behind I am in the “Luke updates” department. Perhaps that will be on tap later this month.

Will: “Come on John Paul, let’s go outside.”
JP: “Wait, I gotta finish this chapter.”
Y’all have no idea how much we’ve struggled with getting John Paul to sit down and do anything for longer than a few minutes. Getting him to read hasn’t been nearly as easy as it was with Will. In the last month, though, he’s finally started to show an interest and I am giddy with excitement.

“Penis.” “Toot face.” “Poop butt.”
Luke’s new favorite words, compliments of his big brothers. Well, at least he knows the right name for the body part. As for the others, they are – um – two-word sentences?? Boys. Sigh.

This weekend is crazy fun, again. We have a math tournament, a baseball game (or two, depending upon makeups with all this rain!), Mass, a Mother’s Day trip to the NICU and a pretty fabulous celebration of moms on Sunday. I can hardly wait. Oh, and Scott gets home today. He’s been gone since Sunday and I’ve been batching it. To all you single parents out there, you have my sincere prayers. It ain’t easy and I only did it a week.

On tap for next week?

HDYDI: Choose a Mother’s Day Out Program
My Photography Class Recap
Top Ten: Teacher Love
PK Graduation
and more.

Go make it a great weekend!

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QOTW: “Wuv You”

by Kathryn on May 11, 2012

Mark it down right now folks, May 9, 2012 may be my best day ever. It’s the day my miracle preemie said two words I’ve said to him at least a million times…

“Wuv you.”

I posted the good news on Facebook and was completely overwhelmed with the 130+ likes, comments and sweet messages. Luke has been in some sort of therapy for 28 of his 32 months of life. I’ve repeated those words to him, whispered them in his ear, prayed them fervently to God and imprinted them on my heart in hopes that someday, SOMEDAY, he would repeat them back to me.

It was a blissfully normal Wednesday morning. We had just finished breakfast and I scooted into the office to check e-mail. I heard the familiar, pat-pat-pat, of Luke’s feet. He made the sign for “milk” while saying “nup.” It’s his sweet way of saying it and I can’t bring myself to correct him. I scooped him up in my arms, kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear, “Oh, Luke, I love you.”

“Wuv. You,” he said back. I paused for just a moment and then completely broke down, crying the happiest tears I’ve ever shed.

Clare came in to see the commotion and added, “Luke is the greatest baby ever.”

I’m not sure I will ever fully appreciate those two words Luke spoke to me this week. Now, he’s saying them all the time and I’m still tearing up. {crying right now!} I did what any good mother would do and videoed him saying it about five-million times I cannot stop smiling when he does his eyebrows.

We may not have it all figured out and there may still be mountains to climb, but little Luke is a fighter. I am so incredibly proud to be his mom. I told someone the other day that he is single-handedly going to get our entire family to heaven. That boy has a wonderful life ahead of him. Won’t it be fun when he starts blogging?!

I’ll give you more QOTW later today. For now, bask in the joy of this one!

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Fr. Dave from Busted Halo Visits!

by Kathryn on May 10, 2012

{Programming note: The Saintly Silver giveaway is still chugging along. Get yourself entered, ok? It ends Friday at 8am! }

Late Friday night, as I was dozing off, I heard my phone buzz. It was an email from Fr. Dave Dwyer, host of “The Busted Halo Show with Fr. Dave” on the Catholic Channel over on SiriusXM. Busted Halo has been a client of mine for several years and while Fr. Dave and I chat plenty via email, we’ve only met once in person. It was a quick howdy over chips and salsa (this time he didn’t break his tooth!) and a “see ya next time you’re in Texas.”

As providence would have it, I’m currently working on the latest print issue of their newsletter and he was in town for a wedding. On Sunday, he swung by the house to drop off the edits and hang with me and the kids for a bit. He laughed as soon as he got out of the car. If you’ve ever listened to him on the radio or on one of the podcasts, you know how hilarious that laugh can be. I’ll just tell you, it’s even funnier in person.

As he was sitting at our kitchen table fielding 8,000 questions from my kids, he quipped, “This is just like interviewing Cardinal Dolan.” To which John Paul says, “Who’s that?” I know, we gotta work on that kid’s catechesis. We talked about work, the radio show, kids, family life, his bad math skills, the Church, his summer trip with my other favorite Fr. Dave (Farnum) and our current number of ER visits – all over a great glass of peach sweet tea.

Trust me, there are more quotes, but I’m saving them for Friday.

The thing I love about having a priest or religious sister over at the house is simple: it reminds me of the importance of my vocation as a mom. I believe the presence of both – religious and family – is important to both vocations. Our family gives religious a taste of the struggles, and the joys, we experience in a marriage and as a parent. On the flip side, though, the holiness a priest or sister brings to our home is invaluable. For one, it provides my children to see that vocation as a real possibility and that folks like Fr. Dave are just regular people – all striving for holiness.

I think at one point I asked Fr. Dave not to use the kids as too much fodder for this week’s shows. I’m pretty sure he laughed. And, I’m pretty sure you know which kid he was laughing about.

Fr. Dave, thanks for the laughs and the gift of having you here. Next time, I’ll serve the sweet tea and make you a killer Texas meal. Promise! Oh, and tell Brett to go easy on the legs

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Top Ten: Teacher Gift Ideas

by Kathryn on May 9, 2012

If you’re like me, the end of the school year crazy almost makes you want to drink a nightly margarita. It is that fun. Quick, let’s finish that time capsule box. Go to that PK graduation. Take that class picture. Attend that dance recital/music recital/sporting tournament/etc. Oh, and don’t forget the teacher gift.

For the first few years my oldest was in school, I was always at a loss for what to get his teachers as a thank you. I’m the mom of a public school teacher and I know how hard all teachers work – public, private and homeschool. I clearly remember my mom coming home on the last day of school with her arms bursting with gifts. Her smile was even bigger. Regardless of the gift, it really was the thought that counted. She used to sit at the counter and show us all the treasures her students gave her. I think I got as excited as she did, particularly when they gave her candy. Her most favorite gift of all? The handwritten note. Those never go out of style.

My #1 criteria? It must be functional. My #2 criteria? Minimize the waste. There are plenty of cute gifts out there, but my goal is to always find something I know they’ll use or consume. If you’re looking for ways to show your children’s teachers the love, from preschool to high school, consider something they’ll really use and appreciate – without breaking the bank:

TOP TEN: TEACHER GIFT IDEAS

1. Personalized stationary. You can DIY it or visit a great printable shop, like Olliegraphic. Teachers write many notes throughout the year, why not give them something with their name or school already printed on it? Stationary will be our gift to the teachers this year. I had it created by Meg, then we printed out 10 copies of letterhead, a notepad, a folded and a flat card, put it into a clear folder and enclosed the CD with the files so the teacher could print more. Cost: All three teachers for less than $30

2. Flower in a Ball jar. I am a HUGE fan of Ball jars. They should nominate me as their spokesperson. So much functionality. You can plant a favorite flower for the teacher with a green thumb, fill it with homemade treats, packets of their favorite tea and then it can be used as the glass. That must be a Southern thang. No matter how you dress it up, it’s cute as pie. Here’s one we did for Christmas. Cost: $15/dozen jars

3. Pampering Gift Certificates. Chip in with a family or two and purchase a gift certificate for a massage or mani/pedi. The perfect gift, just in time for summer. Or, if you know your teacher’s favorite restaurant or movie theatre, a fun night out is always in style. Cost: $15-60, depending upon the service

4. One-of-a-kind Flower Pot. This is a spinoff from a party favor we did years ago. Grab a terra cotta pot, paint your child’s hand with acrylic paint and stamp it on the side. Fill the pot with pinto beans and then wrap regular ballpoint pens with floral tape and add a flower on top. Stick them in the pot. That way, the teacher always has pens at the ready, but they won’t walk off her desk! Cost: $10-15 (depending upon the supplies you have at home),

5. Adoration Hour. This is one of the many reasons I love being Catholic. If your budget doesn’t allow for any cash outlay, then offer the best gift there is, time in front of the Blessed Sacrament. You can make a homemade card that indicates the date, time and place you offered up the hour on your teacher’s behalf. Cost: $0

6. Rosary, handmade or bought. I’ve found a great site, Trendy Traditions, that makes really gorgeous pieces. You can always make one yourself. Be sure to have it blessed before gifting it and I always suggest praying a rosary with it before handing it over as a gift. Offer the rosary for your teacher. Cost: a few $$ to $40+

7. A Well-Stocked Summer Bag. Fill it with a Southern Living magazine (a go-to favorite in the South), your teacher’s favorite coke or bottled water, flip flops and sunscreen. Hunt around your house for that bag, I bet you have one. This gem came from the skiptomylou blog via Pinterest. Cost: $15

{Photo credit: Skiptomylou}

8. Tiff’s Treats. Frowny face if you don’t live in Dallas, Houston or Austin that offers this slice of heaven. Tiff’s bakes handmade cookies and brownies and delivers them HOT to your door. Amazing, right? You can always get the gift certificate or have them delivered on the last week of school (after it lets out so the teacher doesn’t have to share!) But, you can never go wrong with baking your own, putting them in a jar (see, I told you!) and dress it up with a note from your child. Cost: $12-15/dozen or less, if made yourself

9. Personalized clipboard. Many of my children’s teachers use these. With some scrapbook paper, modge podge, ribbon and some embellishments you can make a sophisticated or cute board, depending upon the personality of your teacher. There’s a great tutorial here.

{Photo credit: Somewhat Simple}

10. Saint Cards or Book. When Luke was born, an anonymous friend sent us a ring, full of laminated saint cards. It was my lifeline. For a teacher in a Catholic school, I can dare think of something more functional and educational than this. A classic book about saints is a great resource, as well. Many school do a saint project and that book would come in pretty handy. Include a card on the inside, indicating it’s from your family and perhaps have your child write a brief sentence or two to the teacher.

{Photo credit: Amazon}

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Guest Blogging Today x2

by Kathryn on May 8, 2012

I submitted both these posts a few weeks ago and they both happened to be scheduled for publication today. Crazy.

Over at Catholic Mothers Online, I’m blogging about Texas’ new sonogram law. And, my take may not be what you think. Go give it a read. I really loved writing that post.

At Austin Catholic New Media, I interviewed a religious sister (one of my favorites, Sr. Elizabeth Ann!) and a priest in our diocese, Fr. Brian McMaster. He’s an Aggie, too, so double bonus. It was fun and yet another reminder that God’s plans for our lives are so much greater than our own.

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HDYDI: Organizing Party Supplies

by Kathryn on May 7, 2012

First, an important item of business: go enter that giveaway for an adorable Mary “softie” handcrafted by Saintly Silver!

It’s no secret that I LOVE parties. Like, head over heels love them. During my 40 Bags for 40 Days Lent project, I found out just how “much” I loved them. Two trash bags and one recycle bag later, everything is finally back in order and organized in a much more efficient manner.

{insert birds singing a happy song here}

1. I have two plastic bins, one is for HOLIDAY, the other for BIRTHDAYS. In them, I store plates, napkins and plastic tablecloths. During the massive cleanout, I used up all the napkins I knew would never see another party again. Every night at the dinner table was a riot. “Happy Thanksgiving” or “Happy Valentine’s” or “Mom, those were from my first birthday TEN years ago!” was shouted at our table. No really, I did have napkins a decade old. They still worked, though.

2. I put the silverware, candles, straws, bowls and tablecloth weights in a smaller plastic basket that is easier to access. All our party supplies are in our utility room above our upright freezer, so I needed to re-think where I put things.

3. That left me with lots ‘o cups. I had two big water buckets we used for serving drinks that were cluttering up the garage. Instead of leaving them out there, I washed them out and brought them inside. One holds all the cups (brilliant, I know) and the other holds my cleaning towels. I figured I might as well make it functional! I just dump them in the dryer when it’s party time and after it’s over if all the water doesn’t drain out, the towels take care of that for me. I also learned that I will never buy cups again. If you need some, lemme know.

If it doesn’t fit in one of those containers, then it had to go. I’m working on only purchasing the things I need. And, by decluttering what I had, I found that I didn’t need to get much for my last party. It also makes bringing things like napkins or plates for a school party much easier because I know what I have on-hand.

All this party talk has me excited about a certain seven-year-old’s big day. Ooo la la. Hang tight, that ball of fun is coming your way in a couple of weeks. Squee!

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God is Faithful

by Kathryn on May 4, 2012

If you’re a regular reader, you know I reserve Fridays for the QOTW (quotes of the week). There has certainly been no shortage of those around here; however, not many are family friendly! It was a rougher week than usual – with Luke, banks, work, kids, etc. It’s just the way life sometimes rolls. I should make a mental note that when you start the week off with a 7:30am developmental assessment of your preemie, you can just about guarantee it will be an emotional week.

That it was.

When Archbishop Aymond (or ABIA as we affectionately call him, in honor of Austin’s airport), was here, his major theme as a Bishop was simple: God is faithful. I can’t remember a time we had a discussion with him that he didn’t say it. It rings true on so many levels and it really hit home this week, for me.

There was the morning I had the assessment and just as we were wrapping up, a fellow preemie mom called just to chat. He sent me a pick-me-up when I needed it most. God is faithful.

When things went horribly wrong with a financial issue, a brother-in-law provided some much-needed advice. And, we’re ending up better than where we started. God is faithful.

When my head knew I needed to register Luke for school, but my heart was not at peace, a sudden teacher change and a great visit with Luke’s OT and ST eased all my fears and worries. God is faithful.

Today’s usual neighborhood playdate turned into a sweet reunion with a NICU mom, I was reassured there are many who “get it.” God is faithful.

When I thought He couldn’t show me one more sign that He was, in fact, faithful, my funny 4yo performed the most awesome “dance” for me in her prettiest dress. God is faithful.

Quite honestly, the list keeps going. Crazy, right? It’s as if God *really* wants me to remember He is faithful. I’m down with that. {Note to God: thank you}

We, as usual, have a busy but very full and fun weekend ahead: a photography class for me (I cannot wait!), a soccer party, a birthday party, Mass and a sleepover with Nana and Papa. But, I’m pretty sure my haircut tonight will make me smile the biggest. When I win the lottery I’m hiring a hairstylist. Next week, you’re in for all sorts of fun:

HDYDI: Organizing Party Supplies (’tis the season around here)
Top Ten: Teacher Gift Ideas
A ton of fun party photos
Two Guest Posts: Austin Catholic New Media and Catholic Mothers Online
Giveaway Drawing ends on Friday @8am (get to entering)

Make it a great weekend…and thanks for letting me put it all other there. Love y’all.

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