Taking Care of Business - Natasha

Mazerolle family piano lesson

May and June have been crazy in my household, and I still can’t believe how fast they’ve come and gone. I can’t even remember anything about what I have been doing since my last post, except that it involved a whole lot of nesting!

We officially finished all our curriculum requirements in May, but picked up a few extra subjects (and got a head start on some of next year’s material) in June, because I just didn’t feel right about not doing anything for the last month of the official school year. It was nice to have a bit of pressure off though, because up until then everything had been, “We have to get this done! We have to get this covered!” The boys also finished their piano lessons in May, which was nice because I was starting to find it difficult to get everyone out every Wednesday afternoon. As it turns out my previous employer had some extra jobs that needed doing around the office, so I was able to pick up a day of work once a week for the summer. I know this will make some people shake their heads (what is she doing working when she has so much on her plate already??) But it’s only one day a week, and we have a great (and reasonably-priced) babysitter, so I see it as kind of like a day camp for my kids once a week. Plus it’s an opportunity for me to earn a little bit of extra money to put towards our family retreat this summer, and next year’s school expenses. I am really thankful for the opportunity, and also happy that when it comes to work, my Monday is also my Friday!

The four oldest kids started soccer at the end of May, which runs every Monday and Thursday evening for the summer. It’s crazy getting them there, and we don’t always, but my goodness we get so much out of it when we do make it. I love soccer because as far as sports go it’s relatively inexpensive, and it doesn’t require as much skill as say, hockey, so it’s much less competitive. My kids can just go and have a good time. This summer is the first time my daughter has played, and so far I think she’s got her brothers beat! Who would have thought that with three older brothers, this little girl would turn out to be the sports superstar? I heard some parents talking to each other about how good she was the last time we were at practice, and my heart nearly exploded out of my chest! So worth the time commitment it takes to get there.

Soccer stars!

 I recently have taken up baking like wildfire! We bought an air conditioner this year, which helps because I can run the oven on a summer day without heating us completely out of the house. We don’t buy any pre-packaged snacks anymore (my choice), so I am trying my hardest to keep a full supply of healthy snacks around that are easy for the kids to grab, and almost as fun as the ones they get at the grocery store. I also started making bread about a month ago, and wow! I really hope I am able to keep it up, because it’s a savings of over $1.25 a loaf – and when you go through a loaf a day, that adds up pretty quick! I’ve sort of taken this on as my commitment to lowering our costs as a family, since I can’t go out and earn a living every day the way my husband does. Every little bit makes a difference, and I just hope that when the nesting wears off I am able to keep it up, and this becomes a new lifestyle for our family and not just a period in my life that the kids and Jeff look back on fondly in a few months!

And of course, there is the baby! Our little one is growing fast and furious inside my belly, and I am definitely feeling the effects of it. I’ve moved from the awkward, “is she pregnant? Is she just putting on weight?” stage of pregnancy to the part where people are completely confident to ask, “When are you due?” Which is thrilling to me, because I love the opportunity to share my excitement with anyone! We have also started the task of rearranging our house to accommodate our new little one, and I am thrilled to discover that it’s not going to be nearly as crowded as I thought it would be. It’s such a nice feeling to realize that you have everything you need – God really does provide for every little thing.

BABY!!

 What I am most looking forward to about the baby’s arrival is slowing down. It always strikes me funny that with a bigger family, having a new baby doesn’t mean the same crazy chaos that it does with a smaller, younger family. I remember when I only had a few very little ones I would take every opportunity to rest and relax in the months before a new baby was coming, because I knew it was the calm before the storm. But when you have older kids, it’s the opposite. These are the months where we can get around easily without diaper bags, nursing and sleeping schedules, and car seats. We can stop by a friend’s house and stay until ten if we want, and won’t pay for it by being up all night when we get home. We can go to the beach, the zoo, the park, and not worry about keeping a little one out of the sun (or corralling everyone back into the van so Mommy has a quiet spot to nurse). So while the pace of these days sometimes leaves me exhausted, I am relishing every minute of it. I know there is no way I could ever keep it up, and that’s what pushes me to enjoy the most of it now, and not let it slip away. Because I am also looking forward to October – when I can stay in most nights of the week, put my feet up, and fall asleep with a newborn laying on my chest. When everything I do will involve having a little one bundled up next to me, and I will spend the wee hours of the morning in complete exhausting, head over heels in love with a new little person who was born into the family and somehow became like they had always been here.

30 weeks

 Here’s to living life to the fullest, at every stage along the journey! God is so good!