I have my rights. I should be the one who decides what gets posted here and what doesn’t. And I happen to think we’ve had more than enough fishy pictures as of late. But Dan and the boys are saying things like, “The bass was huge” “What a fish” and “Ambrose did it again.” They have managed to convince me that this must be shared with the world.

DanielleBean.com: Best of the Bassing Blogs.

Here are a few more pictures from last weekend.

First, a peek at the way a 5 year old boy packs for a road trip:

Then a look at my view from the front seat:

And one chosen from among many standing-in-front-of-a-cool-plane photos:

And finally, we did do more than just look at cool planes. We also went fishing. I’m thinking that perhaps we girls need to plan our next family weekend away. Antiquing anyone?

is found inside the engine of an F-15.

on some quick book reviews:

Opus Dei by John L. Allen, Jr., newly available in paperback, promises to be an objective look at “the most controversial force in the Catholic Church.” I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was exactly that. Allen is thorough and fair in his reporting on Opus Dei and its members. He talked to current members, satisfied former members, and disgruntled former members. If the Da Vinci Code controversies piqued your interest in this group, you can fully inform yourself with the truth about its history, its practices, and its members with this book.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To by Anthony Destefano: Don’t be fooled by the gimmicky title. This book is a pleasant, not too heavy read that is both encouraging and inspirational. The prayers God always says yes to include “Forgive me,” “Show me you exist” and “Give me courage.” Destefano is Catholic, but this biblically-based book is written for a wide audience.

A Reader Writes:
My youngest is 17 months and sleeping with us. We are all happy with this arrangement but we are due to have another baby in 3 months and I would like to hear about people’s experiences with co-sleeping with two babies. Is it possible? Is it lunacy? She is no longer breastfed but still wakes with teething and I can see that happening for quite a while. Also, since she has stopped feeding, she goes down for a sleep with a bottle and a cuddle from me if necessary. I lie down next to her and she relaxes and goes to sleep. I love this time and part of me hates to lose it. But am I being unrealistic? The other part of me thinks “get her used to going to sleep in the crib by herself so it’s not so traumatic when the baby comes.”

We have never officially called it co-sleeping with two babies, but we surely have had multiple children in our bed at night. Sometimes it’s nice and sometimes it’s … really, really not. They key is figuring out and doing what works best for your family regardless of what the books, the mothers-in-law, the friends, and other “experts” might tell you. You probably won’t know exactly how you will like multiple co-sleeping until it happens.

For now, I think the key words you have used are “I love this time.” If you love your current sleep arrangements you should not feel pressured change them in anticipation of the new baby’s arrival. Every baby, every toddler, every mother, and every father is unique. They all have different needs and different preferences. I would suggest you keep an open mind and remain flexible about your family’s sleep arrangements as you head into the coming months. You might all co-sleep and love it. Or you (or Dad) might find your sleep is too disturbed and you need to find ways to encourage the toddler to sleep on her own. Be open to doing whatever works best for your family – even if it’s not what you envisioned as “ideal” all those years ago before you had children – and it will work out best for your family.

I have occasionally featured homilies from my friend Fr. Augustine (from Bamber Bridge Lancashire, UK) here on this site. Now I am pleased to report that he has his very own spot in cyberspace. He records and posts short sermons on the Mass readings daily — Bookmark him!

If you find a staple in your baby’s diaper … You will worry about there being more where that came from.

And though your helpful husband will suggest using the metal detector on him, you will opt instead to call the pediatrician. Who will tell you to call the Poison Control Center. And so you will call your friends (yes, they are friends by now) over at Poison Control and they will once again reassure you. Even if there are more where that came from, your baby will be fine. The tricky part, they will tell you, is getting it past the esophagus and it would appear that your exceptionally bright child has managed that part very well. So fear not for his intestines which are really quite durable.

I’m just sharing these little tid bits of helpful information in case there are any neglectful mothers out there who can use them. In my own real life, I know nothing at all about staple-eating babies, metal detectors, and durable intestines. Really. And even if I did, I surely wouldn’t blog about it. Really.

We are in full force recovery mode here today after our extended weekend away. There’s laundry. And mess-containment. There are short-fused toddlers. And there are naps. Children have been collapsing on random beds and couches throughout the house. You never know where you are going to find a body.

Today it shall be sufficient to say we had a wonderful trip. The kids played with, watched planes with, went swimming and went fishing with scads of cousins. I managed to visit with all three of my sisters while eating way too much pizza, ice cream, and chocolate milano cookies. Need I say more?

Now. Back to the laundry.