Busy busy busy and an Answer Me This

Goodness, where have I been? Friday we had only 2 children due to respective sleepovers and so we raged. We raged so hard. We let Clemmy eat peanut butter cookies for dinner and we drank wine with friends around the fire. Perfect.

Saturday-day we had a dear old friend (Kirby's college roomies) swim party, b-day fete in which our bathing suited child (hint: 2, still poops in pants/diapers) was the only one to come sauntering through the gorgeously landscaped backyard paradise filled with a few parents but mostly non-parents, drinking margaritas and looking hip, saying "MY POO'S COMING OUT, MY POO'S COMING OUT."

And it was. All out and down and everywhere. I'm sure we converted all party-goers to the "have many children" camp.

Speaking of 2 year old's. I just noticed this lovely public art as I sit here typing...

And later that evening we were able to reconnect with our beloved Rhodeses, as they made their way towards Hawaii. We are positive that the California stop-over will now become an annual tradition. It was a perfect night filled with Peter climbing all over Lucy June, getting both babies to sleep, trapping our other kids inside with a movie, and (again) drinking wine outside by the fire. We miss you already, Rhodes. Kate is a self-proclaimed detail-less observer so she complimented our yard over and over even though there is an old pull up half-buried in the chicken coop and crayons melted into the patio pavers. Just another reason to call her a treasure.

And yesterday, we celebrated my mom's birthday with a constantly-freezing live stream of the World Cup championship game in which we watched the motherland bring it home. We barbecued and swam and sang Happy Birthday even though all my candles/giant fireplace matchsticks, blew out the second I emerged with the cake. It was perfect. And even more perfect was/is that my brother is home. He is home!

The other day the kids dressed up as girls/boys and had a dance party. It was amazing.

And hero made a baby trap in a rolling-self cart.

Other than that I realize I totally ditched One Hot Mess this last Thursday but I think I'm going to make that a habit. I'm finding lately that I can squeeze 2/3 posts out a week and that makes roughly 1/2 of all my posts hot messes. Which they practically are anyway, but I think I'm going to experiment with just every so often or once a month. Maybe that way more friends will be able to link-up? What do you think? Good idea?

I loved all the interaction happening after my last post. For the record I don't cloth diaper. I could swing it here and there with my first few but at this point, I just don't want to have to touch/wash/rinse any more poo than I already have to (see paragraph 2). I adore all you who fight the good fight- but I should have maybe also linked my fav and best diaper choice in terms of cheapness and a smidgen of eviro/healthness- Up & Up, Up &Up, Up & Up. I wish I could give you all a coupon or something but I can't.

And nowwwwwww......

Hey, Kendra.

1. How did you get your name?

I am going to direct this question to my daughter. But I can answer it because I named her. I'm sure one or two or 67 of you have wondered what the hell is wrong with my naming process. Hero Victoria, Mary Josephine, John Campion, Clementine Lee, and Peter Raphael.

I fully admit the Fike family name flow is a bit haphazard.

But Hero, let's talk about Hero.

Hero was named after one of my most favorite, favorite characters of Shakespeare- sweet, virtuous Hero of Much Ado About Nothing. I've always loved the story. Che romantico! Quanto tragica! (Google translator, did you work?) Kate Beckinsale didn't hurt either... Anyway, I always, always, always wanted to name my first daughter Hero. And so I did. It wasn't until years later that a friend pointed me to the Magnificat for the day. And, what do you know... it was the feast of an obscure 3rd century martyr named Hero. Quanto Perfetto.

Victoria was my mother's middle name and is mine, so, we loved the idea of passing it on. We are all 3 named after the only religious we know of in our lineage. My mother's Aunt, Sr Victoria. Who, I am sure, has prayed our whole family into the Church.

Kirby and I do tend to ride opposite sides of the fence when it comes to names. With the exception of Santino (yes, he wanted to name Peter Santino... can you even...) Kirby's names typically roll like: James, Joseph, Peter, John, Bill, Mary, Lucy, Dave, Chuck. And my names tend to be all like: Cosimo, Shepherd, Pia, Luz, Rocco, Paloma, Otis, etc.

I gotta admit Kirby kinda keeps coming out on top in the name department but Peter just had to be Peter. Maybe if another Fike rolls around we will stick him with something wild and cray. Let's hope!

2. Do you have a set time of day for prayer?

I try. Scheduler I am not, orderly I am hella not. But these are things I sincerely want to change. And so I'm trying. With the help of my handy app I've already gushed over and over about, I try to do a few daily prayers and I check them off when I do. Check! It feels good.

I try to say the Morning Offering when I wake up, because- it basically covers everything. I try to spend about 15 minutes in a combo Gospel/something else- reading/prayer time sometime in the morning. I'd like to do it before people wake up but sometimes it's at 10:37 when I'm drinking my fourth re-heated cup of coffee. I try to say the Angelus at noon, because it is good to just stop and connect. I try to say the Rosary but honestly that usually only happens when we are driving somewhere, which isn't every day. I try to say a quick prayer before bedtime, too. I'm sure this all seems very Opus Dei-ish and that's because it is. My confessor is a priest of Opus Dei and these are the areas that I'm gently, gently working on. It's funny because sometimes the impression I get from people who are familiar with Opus Dei or it's members is that the ones involved in Opus Dei are so because they are "so Opus Dei." You know, early risers, daily communicants, achievers, etc. And I imagine some are attracted to Opus Dei because it really suits the person they already are. But for me, it is the OPPOSITE. I am a schleppy, un-hairbushed, mess- most of the time. But I love the virtues that I lack and I want to grow in them. And because of that I love Opus Dei. I love that I'm slowly growing in discipline and order, and learning how to make my whole day a prayer- the dishes, the diapers, everything. I love that I can be learn to be a saint where I am. I love that I have an incredible confessor who helps me to do that. A teensy bit at a time.

3. Did your mom work or stay home?

Both! My mom stayed home when I was small, then she did daycare when I was in elementary school, then she worked as Ben Stein's personal assistant all through my Junior High/High School years. Yes, weird. Yes, awesome. Yes, Bueller, Bueller.

4. Do you vote?

By this question do you mean, do I save every absentee ballot sent to our home with the intention of voting but then I find it 3 months after the election and throw it away? Then, yes. The answer is yes. It's not cool, I know. But it's the truth. Maybe I'll vote someday, after many, many, many years of spiritual direction with a priest of Opus Dei. I do vote for presidents, though.

5. What's your favorite drink?

Most often drink: water. Best treat drink: Iced latte with HEAVY CREAM, YES. Best grocery store treat drink: Guava Goddess Kombucha (so goddessy)
Best alcohol drink: see all.

6. How are you photography skills?

Actually, they are good! I always default to iPhone and I'm starting to really kick myself for it. I have a great Canon 40d that weighs 90 lbs and I never drag it out anymore but I need to. Because, the whole camera--->Afterlight--->Instagram/blog can't go on forever.

Okkkkeeeyyy! Bye! Until next time!! Maybe on Wednesday! Maybe tomorrow! Who knows!