Crafting Adventures: Floral Finery

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Happy Easter!  If your family celebrates Easter, I hope it was a joy-filled day with lots of "alleluias" and a little bit too much candy.

I finally have a moment to share a look at the outfits I made for my kids to wear to Easter morning Mass.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have been watching my nightly progress on my Stories.

When creating holiday outfits for my crew, I typically choose one fabric to feature and then some accent fabric depending on the garments I'm making, and each kid typically gets their own unique garment made in that same fabric.  This time, however, I took my oldest to JoAnn- our favorite place to shop together- with only the vague idea that I wanted something floral.  We found these quilting cottons in various colors and just could not decide on a single color, so this time each kid got their own fabric- Miss Chief in blue, Peanut in green and blue, and Bean in the pink and purple.  To keep the outfits looking cohesive, I used the same pattern for the girls' dresses, but the little one got short sleeves and the oldest was sleeveless.  I also chose a lace ribbon to use as trim on both dresses and to tie off the back, and used the same buttons on each dress.  While it's certainly a departure from our usual single color palette, I think they look great together!  Mr. Geek and I shopped our closets for our looks- I wore a blue floral dress and he wore a bright pink tie.

The dress pattern I used was the Elouise from Simple Life Pattern Company.  For my 9-year-old, I did the sleeveless option with the dress length gathered skirt.  For my almost-2-year-old, I did the short sleeved version with the vintage length gathered skirt.  I used a lovely lace ribbon for the long ties in the back and to trim the hemline of the skirt on both dresses.  The back of the dress is really the star on this pattern.

For my son, I made the Classic Necktie pattern from Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop.  Unlike the many ties and bowties I've made for him in the past, this pattern is for a real tie.  I was sort of in a hurry when whipping this one up and ended up not using the woven sew-in interfacing, which would have given it a sturdy, crisp feel- I will have to make sure to do that next time.  The pattern also features adult sizing, so I'll have to make one of these for Mr. Geek next time, too!  Peanut looked like such a handsome gentleman and received so many compliments on his dapper look.

We're lucky to be spending the Easter Octave with family.  All of the cousins have really enjoyed this time together!  And we look pretty great together, too.

Happy Easter!

Much love,

The Geeks

He is Risen Indeed

 

Alleluia!

After a Lent that felt like it lasted literally a year, it was so nice to go to Mass to celebrate the Resurrection.  In an effort to make up for last year's live stream couch experience, we did something crazy- we took the kids to the Easter Vigil.  It didn't even start until an hour and a half after bedtime, and it ended just before 11pm.  But the kids thought the whole thing was so cool, with the candles, and the lights progressively getting brighter, and four brand-new Christians were received into the Church, opening up a great conversation about baptism and how their  baby sister's baptism is going to look different when we celebrate it, God willing, next month.  

We expected the insanely late night (everyone stayed awake through the whole thing!) would lead to a nice late morning...but alas, the prospect of presents is enough to rouse any kid from the deepest slumber.  So, we all lumbered down the stairs a mere 45 minutes past a regular school-day wake up to see our new dress-up outfits, movies, and a brand new video game- along with plenty of candy.

I made the pinafore on little Miss Chief and the matching bowtie on Peanut; I'll give them a separate post soon.  The kids were thrilled with brand new, homemade garments; I've been spending a lot of time and energy sewing for the pending arrival, and although they both enjoy picking out fabrics from my stash for the latest baby project, they really appreciated things that were made just for them (from brand new yardage purchased specifically for this).

Even if you're not yet able to return to worship in person, I hope you had a joyful day.

Much love,

The Geeks

Hallelujah is Our Song

Happy Easter from The Geeks!

So, it was a very Lent-y Lent, and a very quiet Easter, but we made it work.  Miss Chief was very upset that we couldn't go to church for Easter- she thought surely the virus would put itself on pause for us to all gather for an hour or so in the Lord's presence on this holiest of days, but of course that's not how it works.  So we processed through the house with a homemade, paper Easter candle, we sang as best as we could, we renewed our Baptismal promises, and we sprinkled each other with holy water.  And we did it in our fancy Easter outfits, with our hair done nice.  We squealed over Easter baskets full of toys and princess dresses and movies and books and books and books, and we're looking forward to some homemade chocolate peanut butter eggs this afternoon. 

So in the midst of all this weirdness, there's still hope and joy.  We are an Easter people, and hallelujah is our song.

Did you get dressed up for Easter-at-home?

Much love,
The Geeks

Crafting Adventures: Saint Teresa of Calcutta

So, you've got all those Halloween costumes out of the way, and then you remember- your little girl needs a costume for All Saints' Day!  My preschooler picked Saint Teresa of Calcutta for the All Saints parade last year and I was able to whip up this costume in one night with minimal sewing.  Read on to see how you can put together your own!

Saint Teresa of Calcutta Costume

Supplies:

-white fabric
-1" navy blue ribbon
-3/8" navy blue ribbon
-1" elastic
-thick flat plastic headband
-white thread
-navy blue thread

1. First, you need to measure your little saint- do this before you buy fabric to make sure you have enough!  Now, for our preschool All Saints parade, the little ones needed to be able to put on their own costumes over top of their uniforms, so it couldn't be anything too complicated like a real sari.  I designed this costume in two parts- a veil and a sash.  The first measurements you're going to take are for the sash.  Measure one shoulder, from the base of the neck to the edge of the shoulder, and call that W.  Next, take your measuring tape and hold one end at the edge of the shoulder, and drape the measuring tape down to the opposite hip, then around her body and back up the other side to meet at the edge of the tape (like a deacon's vestments).  The entire length you just measured will be X.  (This picture is a little deceptive, in that you can't really tell that I intend you to measure all the way around.  What's shown here- a flat measurement from shoulder to hip- is really .5X, if you want to be pedantic.)  For the veil, you want to first drape your measuring tape starting at one hip, climbing up all the way to the top of her head, then down the other side to the opposite hip- the full length of this arc is what we'll call Y.  Now, you're going to take one last measurement which I couldn't show in this picture- start at the hairline and measure over the top of her head and all the way down her back to the hip level (so that it ends at the same plane as the ends of your Y measurement)- this we'll call Z.

not drawn to scale

2. So here's what we do with those measurements.  For the sash, you're going to cut one rectangle of white fabric whose width is twice the W measurement plus 0.5" (for seam allowance) and whose length is your X measurement plus 0.75" (again for seam allowance- this one is going to be sewn in multiple directions, hence the extra 0.25").  For the veil, you'll need a rectangle of white fabric whose width is the Z measurement plus 0.5" for seam allowance, and whose length is the Y measurement plus 0.5" for seam allowance.  (I've really done a terrible job with this drawing; your Z measurement will probably end up being a little over half of your Y measurement.)  Of course I'm using 0.25" seams here, if you want to do differently then adjust your measurements.

3. To begin making the sash, first fold your rectangle in half, right sides together, bringing the bottom side up to the top as I've drawn it here (hence the need to double your W value).  Sew around one long side and one short side, then turn it out the right way.

not drawn to scale

4. While you've got just one long white rectangle, you're going to attach the blue ribbon to form the distinctive stripes you find on Saint Teresa's sari.  Place the wider ribbon along one of the long edges of the rectangle, and then two stripes of the narrow ribbon.  Space them all about a half of an inch apart.  To attach them, you could diligently applique around all four sides of each ribbon, but this costume probably needs to be thrown together on Halloween night itself, so ain't nobody got time for that.  Instead, set your machine to the widest zig-zag stitch, and stitch right down the middle on each ribbon.  Finally, fold the sash in half again, bringing the short sides together, right sides facing, and sew with a tighter zig-zag stitch to complete the sash.  (This takes care of the unfinished ends of your ribbon and the white fabric.  It's not perfectly finished, but it will do just fine for this simple costume.)

5. To make the veil, begin by hemming all four edges of the fabric (I simply folded over 0.25" and sewed with a straight stitch; again we're not going for perfect here).  Attach the blue ribbon in the same way as with the sash to make the stripes again (this time you'll want to fold over the ends of each ribbon and stitch them down to make a nice hem).

not drawn to scale

6.  Cut three pieces of elastic about 3" long each.  Fold your veil in half, bringing the short sides together, and mark the center.  On the wrong side of the veil, attach one piece of elastic along the center line about a half an inch back from the front edge (where the wide blue ribbon is).  Attach it with a tight zig-zag stitch several times back and forth along only the short edges, so that there is a gap where you can slide your fingers underneath.  If the edges fall under where your blue ribbon is on the other side, use blue thread.  If the fall on the white fabric, use white thread.  Attach the other two pieces of elastic in the same way on either side of the middle, about two inches away from your center piece.

7. To wear the costume, your little saint should put the sash over her shoulder so that the blue stripes are closest to her face.  To wear the veil, slide the wide plastic headband through the elastic loops, and put the headband on her head as you would normally.  (This holds the veil neatly in place on her head for a whole parade much better than if you just used bobby pins to hold on the fabric itself, and it's something she can put on by herself if you're not there to help.)

I hope your little one is ready for All Saints' Day!

Much love,
The Geeks

Happy Easter from the Geeks!

Happy Easter!  I hope your Easter Sunday was a joyous one, surrounded by loving family and sugared up kids. 

As you can see, we really stepped up our outfit coordination this year by going for full-out matching dresses- which we found at The Children's Place, if you're interested.  There is a whole line of dresses for girls available in store that have "Mom & Me" tags on them to denote that you can find a matching style for Mom online.  A word of warning, though- the fit on my dress was a little off, too tight at the waist and much too loose in the bodice.  But it was fine for one fancy day, and with some strategically placed safety pins and a sweater, you can't really notice.  As I couldn't seem to find a tie in the right color for little Peanut, I did something crazy and sewed him a vest, from scratch!  It's fully lined, the perfect pink, and has big black buttons (that are only for show- I didn't have time to worry about button holes).  I may post a tutorial in the coming weeks if I find time to create the graphics to accompany the instructions.

This is a difficult week for us in the Geek household because our beautiful girl is spending her spring break at Mammaw and Papaw's house!  She's having a blast already and this is good for all of us, really, but it was very hard to fall asleep last night knowing her bedroom was empty.  Baby Brother liked the novelty, at first, of having the house to himself, but was not amused at bedtime tonight when his goodnight kiss from Big Sister was blown across video chat instead of squished in person.  We're antsy for this Saturday when we get to reunite and hear about how Mammaw's house is so much more fun than being at home.

How was your Easter?  What are your spring break plans?

Much love,
The Geeks

Happy All Saints Day!

Happy All Saints Day!

Today the Pre-K classes put on a little parade of saints, so I quickly whipped up this Saint Teresa of Kolkata costume over the weekend.  She got to pick her saint herself!  We talked about a few different saints, and Mother Teresa stood out to her because she took care of sick people, like a doctor.  (She's still trying to grasp the fact that Mother Teresa was not, in fact, a doctor herself.)  While the Missionaries of Charity wear saris, I needed to make a costume that she could take on and off herself at school, on top of her uniform, so I made a separate veil and sash rather than having her figure out how to wrap a big piece of fabric around herself.

Are your little ones having any saint celebrations today?

Much love,
The Geeks

Call for Prayer Requests

Hello everyone!  I realize I haven't posted since Easter, but we've been a little busy!  We moved (just across town) in early May, a certain tiny dancer had a recital, and, you know, we're getting ready for this little boy!

School photo

This is Miss Chief's pre-school spring photo- they brought in this glamor shots- type photographer who provided the outfit, props, and jewelry.  Apparently the big sister is officially not a baby anymore!

And here's our little diva at her first ever dance recital.  She did the cutest little jazz routine and we are so proud of her.  She overcame a bout of stage fright at the dress rehearsal, got out there, and did her absolute best.  Of course I got teary-eyed, and Mr Geek and I applauded louder than anyone else in that auditorium because she was just so very good.  The best part is she loves dance class and wants to continue, so we'll be doing classes every week this summer and fall, too!

My due date is just around the corner- June 29.  Last time, I was so focused on figuring out this whole childbirth thing that I didn't have the chance (or, if I'm being honest, the inclination) to offer up my labor.  This time, I'm feeling much more prepared, and I have some special intentions on my heart anyway, so I'd like to ask you, dear readers- is there anything I can pray for during labor?

Feel free to leave any prayer intentions either in a comment here, on my Facebook page, in a private message on Instagram, or in an email to ourgeekyadventure {at} outlook {dot} com !

I can't wait for you all to meet the little man!  Please pray for me, too- that this labor goes smoothly and that our baby boy is healthy.

Much love,

The Geeks

We are an Easter People

Happy Easter everyone!  This year's outfits were assembled by Little Miss Chief herself, who is having quite the Belle moment, hence the yellow.  We had to snap this photo after we got home from Mass because we had to rush out the door to get to the 9am on time.  (We got there with 5 minutes to spare, but had to sit in the cry room.)

Yesterday was also the 10th anniversary of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, April 16, 2007.  I felt so blessed to be able to spend the afternoon with my dear friend I met that year, our freshman year in engineering school.  It's hard to believe it's been 10 years since that awful day, and there's something profound about spending the Triduum reflecting on how death touched all of us that day, and how we as a university community came together to heal in the aftermath.  We will certainly neVer forgeT, and I'm so proud to say that this day has become not one of sorrow or despair, but a day to celebrate the lives of the 32, and to enjoy, with our fellow Hokies, the beautiful spring day that was stolen from us all those years ago.  This year, that spring day involved my friend and I watching our daughters play in the sunshine, hunting for Easter eggs; we celebrate Christ's victory over death and the blessings in our own lives over the past 10 years.

So how was your Easter?  Who dictates the family color palette in your house?  And for my fellow Hokies- how did you observe April 16th?

Much love,
The Geeks

Lent for Pre-Schoolers: Fasting

I like the idea of a family Lenten sacrifice.  Growing up, the whole family gave up TV; we had a big entertainment center with doors you could close, so the television was literally locked up during Lent.  We sometimes took on our own individual sacrifices, too, but it was a nice way to keep each other honest if we're all giving up the same thing.

The past two years, The Geek Family's sacrifice has been not going out to eat during Lent.  Last year it wasn't terribly difficult, but it was a great way to save money which we turned around and gave to the Bishop's Lenten Appeal (the annual diocesan fundraising campaign to support the various ministries in the diocese).  This year it's been much harder to say no to fast food for lunch or to resist ordering pizza and whip up something on the stove instead...mostly because I'm pregnant, tired all the time, and turned off by the sight of raw meat or the smell of cooking food.  We have allowed ourselves to "cheat" on Sundays (which has mostly meant a big after-Mass lunch at Cracker Barrel, since their biscuits are my current craving) and have found it prudent to cheat when it would be impolite to decline (like when my team at work wanted to go out to lunch to welcome our newest members- it would've been rude to stick with my Lean Cuisine and sit out for that team building activity) or otherwise impractical (like when Mr. Geek was supposed to finish his shift at work at 4pm and instead was asked to head straight to the train station and transport some equipment to New York without any time to go home first- he let himself eat dinner that night and breakfast the  next morning at restaurants rather than a self-imposed fast with no warning).  So while this year we didn't quite make it 40 days without eating out, it still felt like a difficult sacrifice.  (We didn't allow ourselves to cheat just because we forgot to grocery shop or Mommy didn't feel like cooking- we got creative or powered through, which was admittedly difficult sometimes.)

It was even a sacrifice for Miss Chief this year.

This winter, we established a new Saturday morning breakfast habit (or even weekday mornings when Mr. Geek was working night shift)- we would go to The Coffee Store (Starbucks) or The Breakfast Store (Panera), get a pastry and chocolate coffee (chocolate milk), and talk about the errands we were going to run or our plans for the rest of the weekend.  To be told that we wouldn't be doing that anymore for quite some time was a bit of a shock for her, and for the first couple of weeks she asked if we could go (even throwing in an extra "Please?" or two).  We told her that it was good for us to make breakfast at home together, to eat around the family table, just us, but we have the same conversations- and the same "chocolate coffee".  So she doesn't quite get the connection to Lent yet- we're still working on grasping the concept of Lent in general- she does understand that she's not being punished, and that it's good for our family to cook and eat together at home.  (Okay fine, sometimes "making breakfast" around here means opening a package of Pop Tarts.  But we open it with love, okay?)

Little ones don't have to fast during Lent, so how do you introduce your pre-schoolers to sacrifice?

Much love,
The Geeks

Lent for Pre-Schoolers: Prayer

I don't know how many prayers a 3-year-old is supposed to know, but ours knows The Lord's Prayer and Grace Before Meals and if she's in the mood, she can follow along with some parts of the Mass.  (She likes when the sung bits are in Latin because they're more fun than regular English words.)  She's heard the rosary being prayed, and the last time was our bus ride to the March for Life, when she prayed along with The Lord's Prayer and counted the beads the rest of the time.  But those are pretty much the only types of prayer she's been exposed to thus far.

For the past few years, I've forgone attending Friday night Stations of the Cross because they start at what should be her bedtime and I've felt it was unfair to everyone to drag a baby or a toddler along who would rather be sleeping.  (Well maybe she wouldn't rather be sleeping, but her little body would.)  We've made Friday night into Movie Night in our house lately, though, meaning she's up past her bedtime anyway, so I figured if we're not going to honor bedtime on Fridays, we may as well squeeze in some holiness.  (And we can watch movies on Saturday night.)

Maybe I overestimated how good of an idea this was.

A different group hosts a meatless meal right before Stations every week, and so far, that's been her favorite part.  "Is it Friday today?  Are we going to have supper at church?"  But if we're going to have supper at church, we're going to stay for "special prayers" and that is apparently less exciting.

The first week, Mr Geek had to work night shift, so she and I went on our own.  She didn't want to sit still or look at the pictures in the booklet, but she didn't make any noise and she stayed in our pew so it was okay.

The second week, it was once again just us girls, and she had much more energy.  This time she wasn't content to stay in our pew and went further and further away, all the while grinning at me with a look that said "I know I'm breaking the rules, and I know you won't get loud about it because this is church."  She eventually came back and threw a stuffed animal at me, so I put it in my bag and whispered that we were going to go home.  As I started to gather our things she panicked and began yelling, "No!  I don't want to leave!  No!  I don't want to go home!"  And I mean yelling.  So I scooped her up and quite literally ran out of there- coats dragging on the floor, screaming child in my arms.  She definitely knew she was in trouble and leaving church was a punishment that had impact, but I felt so defeated.  There were plenty of other children there, many her own age or younger, who had been sitting quietly and even trying to follow along.  What was I doing wrong?

The third week, Mr Geek was on day shift and therefore available to attend with us.  Having both parents definitely helped- we could physically bound her movement, and the not-currently-pregnant parent could hold the 35 pound wiggle worm more securely, letting her turn the pages of his booklet and eventually encouraging her to participate in the kneeling and standing and kneeling again.  She still wasn't quite paying attention- until the end, when she started asking me about the figures in the pictures- but it was the best Friday yet.

The fourth week, everyone had a head cold.  We stayed home, ate scrambled eggs and Eggo waffles for dinner (because #pregnancy), and went to bed early.

This week, the Youth Group is putting on Living Stations.  I've spent all week preparing Miss Chief for what we're going to see- I explained that it's kind of like a show (a word she currently associates with a performance on stage at a theater) where people will be dressed up in costume, and one of them will pretend to be Jesus carrying his heavy cross.  She's been asking lots of questions about it and is looking forward to eating supper at church AND seeing a show there.  I'm hoping this will keep her engaged enough to want to pay attention.

Wish us luck.

When did you start taking your little one to Stations of the Cross?  How do you observe Lent with small children?

Much love,
The Geeks

Lent for Pre-schoolers: Almsgiving

Our three-year-old is at the age where she's paying attention to everything, learns just by watching and listening, and wants to feel like she's contributing.  So this is the perfect time for family Lenten activities that she can be involved in!

I signed us up for Ginny's weekly writing prompts over at Not So Formulaic, and for the first week's prompt she was able to draw a picture for us and then I wrote down her description on the back.  We're going to keep our family letters in a nice little binder and look back on them when she's older as a fun way of remembering how much she's grown.

But I'm also trying to get her more involved in the three tenets of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.  These are pretty big concepts for a pre-schooler- she only knows two prayers, she's exempt from the regular fast, and she doesn't own anything she could give away.

Still, we've come up with some ways to make this season more meaningful for her.

Every parent is familiar with the ritual post-Christmas purging of the old toys.  Every January finds our house stuffed to the brim with things she just doesn't need- it all seems to come in a rush since her birthday is in November and then Christmas comes right after.  I don't necessarily save this purging for January, either- pretty much after every gift-giving occasion I'm culling our inventory of unnecessary plastic objects.  (And since, on my side of the family, Chief is The First Grandbaby, any given Tuesday could be a gift-giving occasion.)  I've always been able to go through her things and decide what can be kept for future babies, what needs to be thrown out, and what could be given away while she's distracted by the Shiny New Thing (let's be honest- Things).

This year, though, I want things to be a little different.

For Christmas, Chief received a big, beautiful doll castle with a few dolls, and it just so happens to be a good size for a collection of little princess dolls she already had, too.  She's played with it probably every day since she opened it; it's definitely one of her favorite new toys.  For a couple of weeks, it sat on the floor next to the doll castle she'd gotten for her birthday last year.  At first, the little princesses held parties in both castles and visited each other and their new friends.  Pretty quickly, though, the princesses set up a permanent residence in the new castle.  As the old castle was kind of in the way, it was moved up on top of the toy box, where it remained, untouched and unnoticed, for about a month.

At the beginning of February, I asked Chief if she still played with her old castle.

"No, I like my new one."

I suggested that maybe, since she has a new castle for her princesses, she didn't need the old one anymore.  Maybe there were other little girls who might like to play with it.  She was initially pretty horrified at the thought and didn't want it taken away from her, so I dropped the subject.  She didn't return to playing with it, but we didn't talk about it, either.

I could have donated the castle without asking her, but she would have noticed- even though she doesn't play with it, it's huge, and had been a fixture in the playroom for just over a year.  I didn't want her to think she was being punished, or that it was being taken away from her, though.  I wanted her to come to the conclusion that she didn't need it anymore and that it could make someone else happy.  For a few weeks, I would periodically talk to her about it, probing to see if she was comfortable with the idea yet.

Finally, the day after Ash Wednesday, she told Mr Geek that she thought maybe some other little girls might like to play with that old castle.  So they gathered up its accessories and put it in his car, and drove it to the local charity thrift shop to donate.  She was really hoping to be able to see the castle's new owners immediately, but Mr Geek explained that they didn't know who was going to have it next.

She really is pretty selfless, and loves to share.  When she's playing with any of her massive collection of stuffed animals, she'll pause and say, "When the baby gets here, I'll let him play with this one."  (And it's often her most cherished toy that she's willing to share, not just the forgotten or neglected ones.)  Giving away an old dollhouse may not be the same as the old woman donating her last two coins, but it's a step towards a detachment from material goods, towards charity, towards the type of sacrifices Lent is all about.

I'm really proud of her.

What sorts of activities do you do with your little ones during Lent?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {92}

So obviously I've been away from blogging for a few months and, I'm sad to say, I've been away from reading blogs, too.  (Pregnant-Me mostly just wants to watch The Grand Tour on Amazon, shop online for baby clothes, and sleep.)  But this week I opened up my good ol' RSS feed again (how old school!) and followed my favorite bloggers this week and boy did I find some good stuff!

If you read nothing else from this list, definitely read this post from A Gentle Mother.  "...[T]here’s a big problem, for me, when it comes to balance. Namely, that’s it unachievable."  I needed this post.

Alison at Reconciled to You makes a very good point as she urges us, "Please Don't Give Up Social Media this Lent."  If digital witnesses to Christ all abandon ship during the most important season of the year, could we be missing out on opportunities to evangelize?

Katie at The Catholic Wife provided a wonderful reflection on the Fifty Shades trilogy- what are women really seeking when they read and watch these stories?

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

My Bloody Valentine

Although his name is one of the most well-known of all saints in the western world (other than that guy Patrick), the actual details of the life of Valentine the man are pretty hazy.  There are many different stories of why, exactly, he drew the ire of the Romans and ended up in prison- probably had something to do with converting people to Christianity (frowned upon at the time), probably had something to do with marrying couples in the Christian rite (also frowned upon, and explains the romantic love angle of his patronage).

One thing all the stories have in common?

He was martyred for the faith.  Specifically, he was beheaded.

How romantic!  Let's share a box of chocolates.

Gives a whole new meaning to "Be my Valentine," doesn't it?  "Be the guy who gets his head chopped off for me."

But you know, maybe it is kind of appropriate.  I mean, that's marriage, isn't it?

Not decapitation- our life is not that similar to Game of Thrones.

But being married means dying to one's self- putting aside all thoughts of I want and even I need and devoting time instead to what we need and what we want for our family.  Mr Geek dies to himself every day by waking up before 3am some days or not coming home until after midnight on other days working at a job that will mean good things for our family in the future.  He dies to himself by crawling on the floor and playing dolls with our daughter on evenings when he'd much rather put his feet up.  He dies to himself by running out in the middle of the night to find whatever very specific food my big pregnant self is craving.

I die to myself by...occasionally doing the dishes.  If he begs me to.  (I hate doing dishes.)

Okay so maybe I need to try a little harder at being his Valentine, since he's so good at being mine.

So tell me about your Valentine!  What sacrifices do they make for you?

Much love,
The Geeks

*These are two of my favorite engagement photos, taken FIVE YEARS AGO by the illustrious Emile Frey

Introducing Little Ones to the Culture of Life

Pretty much every year in high school and most of college, I went to the March for Life.  Since graduation, however, I've been less actively involved in the pro-life movement, outside of the occasional prayer vigil at an abortion clinic (though I haven't done that since before getting pregnant with Chief).  Of course, having a family and not shying away from bringing our children out in public is one way of living a witness to the culture of life, but it's high time we got active in our activism once again.

The stars happened to align such that all three (well, four) of us could attend this year's March for Life- and I think this year it was more important than ever to show up in  person and remind our elected officials that we're going to hold them accountable to the values they claim to have.  So on Friday, we bundled ourselves up and headed down to our parish to catch the bus into DC.

During the week, we prepared our three-year-old by telling her she wouldn't be going to daycare on Friday and that instead, we'd be going to church to pray and then ride on a bus.  (Buses are a big deal right now- the big kids at daycare take a bus to school and she wants to ride a school bus more than anything.)  We made it to church for the tail end of holy hour (she'd be more of a distraction than a participant in a quiet hour of prayer without the Catholic aerobics and musical interludes of Mass) where I pulled out her big wooden rosary and showed her how to use it to pray.  We loaded the stroller into the cargo compartment on the bus and boarded for the quick ride.

Before we started the (very quick) highway rosary, Chief asked us where we were going on the bus.  We told her that we were going to save the babies- we told her that some people don't know how special babies are, so we needed to tell them.  She agreed that babies are special- that she loves the baby in Mommy's belly and will take care of that baby when he or she gets here- so we asked if she could tell everybody else, and she responded with a very sincere, "Sure!"  Then she listened to the whole bus say the rosary, and participated in the Our Father every time it came around.

As to the actual March, I knew I'd be comfortable bringing her to this one as opposed to other demonstrations that go on in this town.  People defending the rights of the unborn are never crude or vulgar, and there's never rioting or violence.  The counter-protesters normally are only allowed at the end of the route and are always too small in number to hurt anybody or even be heard over all the praying.  (Although there was an interesting breed of counter-protester along the route this year- radical evangelicals who were protesting neither for or against abortion, but protesting the Catholic Church itself which seemed a little counter-productive in this context.)  Chief napped as we walked past the graphic images, thankfully- although I do believe that the best way to defeat abortion is to show the world what it actually looks like, I think three is too young to be exposed to it.

When we got back on the bus to head back to the parish, Chief looked at the people putting away their signs and climbing back on to the other buses.

"Did we save the babies?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, Baby, I think we did," Mr Geek replied.

"Does everybody know that babies are special now?"

"They sure do.  You did a great job."

We teach our pro-life values by showing our daughter how to love and respect all people because everyone was created in the image and likeness of God.  But the older she gets, I think it's important to show her how to speak for those who can't speak for themselves, and to appreciate this great nation she lives in, whose laws are written and the behest of its people and not just its leader.

Have you ever been to the March for Life?  How do you talk to your kids about the sanctity of human life?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {91}

We're going to the Maryland Renaissance Festival tomorrow- which gives me just a few more hours to finish our costumes!  (Talk about last-minute...)  Between all the October activities around here this week, I found these awesome things on the internet:

Check out this (hilarious) DIY Halloween-themed doormat at Jojotastic!

For a costume or even just for everyday office wear: check out this easy victory rolls tutorial at A Beautiful Mess!

The Sew and Tell Project shared a look at a pattern for DIY wings- my little one needs wings for her Halloween costume this year, but I cheated and bought some cheap ones.  Next year I should snag this pattern!

How do you put big love into small things?  (See what Erin at Humble Handmaid has to say!)

Angie at Yellow Pelican shares 11 things she loves about NFP (and we Geeks agree!)

Julie at These Walls recently discovered her parish's adult faith formation class and now I want our parish to start one, too!  I really enjoyed sponsoring Mr Geek in RCIA because the classes were so engaging!

So what all did you find on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet {89}

Uuuuuum I didn't post all week >.<  But I have a good excuse!  I promise!  And around about, oh, mid-October you'll be able to see what I've been working so diligently on :)  (Psst, I finally figured out Instagram Stories, so if you follow me there, you may have seen a sneak peek of what's going on at Casa Geek- and I'll be sharing more as I go!)

But thankfully other people blogged this week, so you can read them :)

Magic Kingdom celebrates its 45th anniversary this weekend!  How exciting!

So like I said, I can barely manage to blog once a week, but Julie at These Walls is signing up to post every day in October- that's definitely brave!

As our society pushes us to teach children how to read (and do math and use computers) earlier and earlier, are we potentially robbing them of the joys of reading in exchange for the hard skills?  There are a lot of great points made over here at Sew Many Wild Things.

Catholic Mom has a great list of 13 Ways a Busy Mom can Pray the Rosary.

Speaking of moms- If You Bring a Mom a Muffin is a lovely (and non-pushy) reminder of ways you can help a mom with a new baby at home.

Sterling Jaquith attended the St. Catherine of Sienna Set the World Ablaze Conference for Women, where she heard Meg Hunter-Kilmer talk about evangelization- and how we should talk about Christ the way we used to talk about that cute boy with a guitar...passionately and non-stop!

Jenny at The Littlest Way has something to say about the critics of St Theresa of Calcutta- exactly how can one hope to achieve sainthood in our modern culture if even Mother Theresa isn't good enough?

What awesome things happened on your internet this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {88}

Urgh.  Going back to work after vacation sucks.  I only worked two days this week- I specifically scheduled an extra day off after we got back in town to grocery shop and just generally recover from our trip- but those two days felt like twenty.

The highlight of this back-to-the-grind week?  These awesome things on the internet!

On the list of things I "need" from ThinkGeek we can now add this LED twinkling stars skirt.

Oh, Joy! has added OMG and YAY to the collection of letter vases found at Target (previously you could buy OK in stores, I think they're still available online).  I think I'm going to get the YAY ones to use for birthdays and such :)

Apparently I need to up my game for "wacky hair day" at school- here are some ideas on Make It and Love It!

Better than Eden has a genius list of things people need to hurry up and invent.

Bean In Love shows that the only thing better than sewing for one little girl is sewing for twin little girls :)

Shayla at Northern Exposure is celebrating four years of marriage to her lovely husband- go congratulate them!

There is a beautiful piece about moments of grace over on Erring on the Side of Love that had me nodding my head the whole time.

I really needed this reminder from Haley that although it seems like certain actions or habits are required in order to be a holy woman, it turns out you can be good and holy without them.

Along the same lines- ever notice how it's seemingly cool nowadays to bash your kids, your husband, motherhood itself?  Kristina at Calidrab talks about how maybe it's a good idea to take a break from that thinking every now and then.

There is a heartbreaking reflection this week over on Elizabeth Ministry that is exactly what I needed to read (and maybe I'll read it a few more times to make sure it sticks).

What all have you been reading this week?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {85}

Our vacation is almost over and I'll be sad to see it end.  We've had a wonderful time visiting with family and celebrating my sister's marriage.  It's been so relaxing to not have any responsibilities and a mostly empty schedule, just talking and playing and showing off our lovely little munchkin to my aunts and uncles and cousins.

In the downtime, I've had the opportunity to catch up on some blog reading, and I found a few things to share with you:

Lovely Haley is once again using Jane Austen to teach us life lessons.  (I, for one, am in the camp of people who sort of hate Emma, though I love the story.  I guess it's time to revisit her.)

Catholic All Year has a refreshing take on teaching modesty to young children.

Julie at These Walls makes a shocking confession: she thinks social media is not entirely awful!  (I agree!)

I found this great post on A Gentle Mother with her take on the bullying epidemic in our culture.

There's a great post on Sweet Little Ones about letting go of perfect (something I need a lesson in every now and then).

Real Catholic Mom has a similar post this week about remembering whose image and likeness we're created in (hint: not our own).

What all have you found on the internet lately?

Much love,
The Geeks

Oh, Internet... {84}

Looking for a few interesting reads for the weekend?  Look no further!

Jamie at Petite Panoply is adorable, and I absolutely love the hairstyle she wore with this look.  I mean seriously.

That's Sew Kari made a beautiful little dress for her daughter for Easter!  I love that keyhole back!

Bean in Love painted a beautiful pattern on the concrete floor of her covered porch and I love it!

I may or may not have been stalking Dwija's newest addition on Instagram lately, so I loved reading this update over at House Unseen.

Haley at Carrots for Michaelmas provided a wonderful overview of liturgical living for the month of April.

What blogs are you really into right now?

Much love,
The Geeks

Happy Easter!

Hello, world!

I guess I sort of accidentally gave up blogging for Lent.  Oops.  But the unintentional hiatus has left me energized to get back to writing, so I have some good things planned for this little blog in the coming weeks- book reviews, musings on parenthood, and maybe even a recipe or two.  Stay tuned!

In the meantime, check out our adorable Easter outfits :)

While we love the Easter Vigil, Miss Chief is only two, and a crazy long Mass that starts after bedtime is just not a rational thing for our family to do right now, so we went to the 10:45 Easter Sunday after a slow morning of cinnamon rolls, candy-filled eggs, and treats.  (The Easter Bunny even brought something for Mommy and Daddy- the Inside Out play set for Disney Infinity, because there was a sale on Amazon ^_^ )  Then we spent the afternoon cleaning the house like crazy, because we had a dear friend over for a fancy little dinner complete with peach glazed ham and chocolate mousse pie.  All in all, it was a day for rejoicing!

How did you celebrate Easter Sunday?

Much love,
The Geeks