6th Birthday, Hot Potato, Awesome Godparents and Mo :)

You know it's bad when I resort to shooting shot glasses of apple cider vinegar. Yeah, I just can't seem to wipe this darn/damn sinus infection. My sights were brightened though today when my Grace said: "Mamma, you will get better by Christmas. I just know it." Thank you my dear Grace, the peace that brings me about the next 9 months is short of no peace, but really your words are sweet.

Anywho-- enough about me and my sinus cavities--- It so must be noted that last week we celebrated a big birthday.  Our Isaac turned 6 years old! 

As the mom, I always want my kids birthdays to be just perfect. I want them to feel super loved, special, and super duper happy on their birth of a day. Matt and I always start the celebration the night before with decorating our breakfast nook with everything that screams: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! For Isaac this year it was Pokemon that spoke to his little heart. And then bright and early on the 22nd Isaac and the rest of our crew started the day of birthday bliss with pancakes and wrapped gifts of Pokemon cards (duh!), red and black Heelys, legos, and little trinkets wrapped by hers-truly-Grace. 

Now to the par-tay... we opted for a simple birthday party with just family and (pheww) it was a big hit! Cousin Chase came up from south Tampa and then my family came for brunch, cake and a slew of games. We pulled out all the classics: hot potato (with a real HOT potatoe), water balloon toss, pin the tail on the donkey, and balloon volleyball. A couple of tears from the kiddos were shed (per usual) due to their competitive little hearts, which I blame completely on Matt's side of the family.... Haha, Just kidding, of course! You know that us Maz's would rather die a slow death than loose at balloon volleyball. But in the end we managade to finagle it to where each kid won at least one game -- Matt and I have become the masters of trying to minimize tears in every situation.

Jaja playing pin the tail on the donkey :). 

Birthday boy pinning it, while sporting his new Heely's. 

The h2o balloon toss *ahem* that my parents dominated in. 

HOT potato. Happiness abounds in this picture... and then the music stopped and someone got out...

Isaac's Pokemon cake that was lovingly made and crafted by Aunt Katrin with the kids at her house the day before while I was home painting my nails (or mopping the floors, same diff), because she spoils me!

After all that Matt took the boys out for a game of bowling and laser tag, via Aunt Emily's and Uncle Michael's awesome Groupon bday gift.

Oh and I must mention that the day pre-birthday, Isaac's Godparents took him out to lunch for some gluten free pizza, which was the creme de la creme for our little 6 year old. And after his cheesy goodness with 2 of his favorite people, Uncle Nate and Aunt Katrin (and cousin Ziggy), he got to pick out his own bday gift -- Pokemon cards, of course!

And the best Godparents of the month award goes to... these 2!

Uncle Nate is awesome for many, many reasons, but one thing that I love most about my brother is that he is always willing to put together toys/furniture/anything that Matt and I don't want to or don't have the patience to figure out, hence Isaac's 360-- the finale gift given by my parents. 

And of course a picture of our little party gal must be included in this birthday post.

Isaac, we love you to the moon and back and pray that you have the best year ever! 

What I Wore Sunday

I was actually inspired by a friend of mine from Naples (who has since moved, so I keep in touch with her life via blogging) who wrote an honest post today about why she posts her outfits on the internet every Sunday. I just love it when bloggers put it all out there for their readers. So, really you should read this, it's great! 

And in lieu of her post I decided to link up with the gals from Fine Linen and Purple and What I Wore Sunday. 

Us Loboda's had a great Sunday. 

I wish I could just stop at the sentence above, but once the final hours of daylight were ticking away and dinner was on the table, each and every child of ours seemed to have a meltdown one. right. after. the. other. Ugggh, exhausting at best, but yada yada life goes on. 

Before the cry fest 2014 hit though, Matt and I each were able to spend one on one time with the boys. Isaiah and I marched off this morning to his first school birthday party where I must admit that watching 7 year olds bowl is far from my definition of fun. Can you say just a tad (or a lot) bit borrringgg. But it was nice to be there with just him and watch the interaction that goes on with his friends from school. And once we got back Matt then escaped with Isaac for some g-free pizza and swimming. 

Because of our adventures during the day, Matt and I split up Mass times and I can't tell you how nice it was to go to Church with just 2 kiddos instead of 4. It's the little things, like not having a active 17 month year old in your lap and then at your feet and then in your lap and then repeat 100 more times, that made Church such a more pleasant experience. Just saying....

Happy Sunday, y'alll!   

Ash Wednesday Mass and My Sweet Isaac

Today we celebrated Ash Wednesday with our big boys (1st and kindergartener) at their all school Mass. I absolutely love going to Mass at their Salestian school where the music and Mass parts are done with much joy and enthusiasm by all of the students. I also love that the boys are allowed and encouraged to sit with us and that my children behave miraculously well when surrounded by their peers (or probably more accurate surrounded by their teachers, whatever works, right?). 

Way back in August Matt and I and the girls made our first appearance at the opening school mass. Upon walking through the doors Isaiah quickly spotted us and with his teachers permission bounded down from the bleachers smiling and waving. Before finding our seats though, I looked and looked for our Isaac. Finally I spotted him with his class where he was sitting contently with all of the other little kindergarteners. I waved to him and motioned for him to come and sit with us, but he barely looked my way. His teacher saw me and went to get him, but she came back and whispered to me: "He didn't want to come." So I quickly blew him a kiss and sat down with my other 3. But, while sitting there my heart was somewhat crushed that he didn't want to sit with us, sit with me! I had to refrain myself from running up the bleachers and giving him a big bear hug. 
My Isaac is a melancholic and shy at his core. I logically knew that it wasn't me or us that he didn't want to sit with, but that it was just WAY out of his comfort zone to be singled out and walk the big walk all in front of his classmates. I knew this in my head, but still my heart ached because I wanted to be close to him! When mass was over I waved to Isaac, trying  my darndest to say through my eyes and smile that I saw him and loved him. 
Well, every mass since then our Isaac has responded in the same way. While Isaiah is running towards the girls and I when we walk through the doors, Isaac smiles but doesn't budge from his seat... well, that is until today... today he sat with us! It may have taken him 8 months to warm up to the idea of walking in front of his class to sit with his mom, dad and siblings, but he did it and all in his own timing. I just love that kid! And my heart was soaring all through Mass to have him so close. 
I pray that you all had a blessed Ash Wednesday and can't wait to hear what you are doing for lent! 

Mass with the Loboda's, nose picking and all. 

Our sweet Isaac. 

Ps. More to come on what our little family is doing for lent and the ways in which I plan on becoming closer to Jesus during this time. I know... the suspense is killing you (smiley face, smiley face). 

A Sunday of Considering the Lilies

While driving to church yesterday morning to the tune of a made up song by the Gracie girl my sweet husband reminded me that today was indeed "my" gospel reading at mass. 

For as long as I can remember Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 6 have always immediately calmed my heart and freed me of worries big and small. During my sophomore year in high school my mom wrote this scripture on the back of my assignment notebook and told me to read it anytime I was anxious or worried, which I did throughout my days and years of school. And though I have read this Scripture over and over again, I still never tire of hearing Jesus' words telling us to not worry, to simple trust and to just consider the lilies.

Knowing that this reading, my reading, was at the heart of the Scriptures today gave me an extra glide in my step and peace in my spirit as I walked into church. And this peace, His peace, lasted all while managing our little minions in the pew throughout mass, which is a true sign that miracles do in fact happen. 

Matt may have a different side to this, but the kids all seemed to want me and only me for the entirety of mass and by God's grace I just went with it. There was no frustration, even in the midst of Hope taking out each and every one of the 100 missals that were somehow jammed into the two little clear holders nailed to the back of the pew in front of us. I was peaceful with no worries, just bein' happy. I held Hope, let Grace lay against me, rubbed Isaac's back when he needed my attention and held Isaiah's hand intermittently throughout. Even when Hope and I made our usual detour to the back of the Church and then to the great outdoors when the temptation to pull every pamphlet off the back table was just too much for her, I was still a jammin' with His peace. 

And at the final blessing, though mentally a bit (okay maybe a lot) tuckered out from the going of one child to the next and trying to make sure all were behaving in church styled appropriateness, I was - you guessed it- still peaceful.   

So, y'all I am praying that God's peace and His words of "Therefore I tell you do not worry about anything..." will guide me and you throughout the rest of this week! 

I'll never let go Grace. Promise. 

Isaac did NOT want to get in the picture with us. Really I don't blame him.

The kids most favorite person in the world.