The Ugly Trunk

Done.

2011-10-12T15:39:00.002-05:00

I just don't have the energy to maintain this blog anymore. I never have the time to post an entry, and when I do sit down to write I end up going off and reading much, much, better blogs than mine. I'll leave this blog up for a while, but for now I'm done.

Have a great day!

mere

My Milkmaid Skirt

2011-08-09T11:49:00.002-05:00

Using the tutorial for the "Milkmaid Skirt" at Crafterhours I made this little number a few weeks ago. Next time I make it, I will not add the two inches to the back measurement. I did this not realizing that that was really intended for the toddler variation of the skirt, to allow extra room for a diaper. I might also make the pockets deeper, and the length a little longer. That said I think it is a super cute skirt, and a very well done tutorial.

Have a great day!

mere

What I did last week

2011-08-08T21:37:00.004-05:00

Made this dress using this pattern.

Things I learned:

1. I CAN sew with rayon after all. I will be doing it again.

2. This was an easy pattern. I made the whole thing from cutting out the pattern to sewing all of the dress except for the hem in about two hours. I had to stop when the baby woke up.

3. I need a new iron...one that doesn't sputter and "pee" all over my fabric while on the "Rayon" setting. Grrrrrr.

I am very happy with the results.

In the picture, I am standing in front of the one green spot in my yard...the garden. Everything else is brown and crispy. We ate three of the melons harvested last week and I can officially say that homegrown cantaloupe is far superior to the ones sold in the stores. We actually used seeds from one of the store bought varieties, but I think the luxury that we have of just letting the melons get really ripe on the vine, is something that big farmers don't have. We also ate a big mess of fried okra, tomato salad, basil, peppers, and Ollie enjoyed fresh catnip. The tiny water melon was a bust...it started to rot. When we cut it open it was pink inside and smelled of water melon, and had a few seeds that looked mature, so we planted them. We'll see if any thing happens with that.

Have a great day!
mere

Joy and Sorrow

2011-07-28T10:04:00.005-05:00

Bless my soul!! We have a tiny watermelon! Ah, the joys of gardening! I really didn't expect to see any watermelons since we only have the one plant. This is growing from a seed that was "planted" when the boys were spitting watermelon seeds around the freshly tilled sweet potato bed. I didn't pull it because this is, after all, a family project/experiment.

Remember this post?

Well, she did it again, in almost exactly the same place, in almost exactly the same way. Sarah Jane runs. All. The. Time. And while I appreciate her energy level and would bottle and sell it if I could, the house rule of NO RUNNING INDOORS is constantly broken and constantly repeated. So, on Tuesday, when she was giggling and running and tripped over the legs of the computer table chair and dove head first into the leg of the little kid table, I had very little sympathy for her. She was sobbing, and bleeding, but this time she was calmer, and I was able to bandage it up well enough to stop the bleeding, and we talked about how this was a consequence of her disobedience. I was hoping to avoid the emergency room. We have one car, and taking her anywhere would have meant my husband having to leave his very busy schedule, and I just didn't want to ask him to do it. In his defense, he was more than willing to come home, but I assured him she was fine.

It probably would have healed just fine. But when my husband got home and looked at it, he was a little upset that I hadn't already taken her in. It started bleeding again when I took off the bandages, so that I could redress it with the butterfly bandages that he brought home. I started to doubt myself, and started thinking that she might appreciate having had a professional take care of it when she's an adolescent who might be self conscious of a big scar on her forehead. In the end, we did go to an urgent care clinic, where we were quickly seen and attended to by warm professionals who assured us that, no, it wasn't stitch worthy. This time the Dermabond did not end up in her hair because she was very still, and I think this scar will not be as bad, although it will always be there. Maybe when she's older she'll see it in the mirror and remember to listen to me!

I am thankful it wasn't worse. I am thankful for urgent care clinics, and sweet doctors and nurses who disarm fearful children with humor. I am thankful for stickers, and the fact that Dermabond looks purple in the tube (it's her favorite color and it DID make a difference). I am thankful for the reasonableness that age brings to children. I am thankful for little green watermelons and the joy that discovery brought to the kids!

Have a great day!

mere

Two things

2011-07-06T10:08:00.006-05:00

TA-DAAAAAA!
I am so happy that the stars aligned and all three of my youngest kids slept for about three hours yesterday afternoon! After they went to bed all I had to do was sew on the buttons, and try it on!

It isn't perfect. There are a few flubs, but you know, sometimes done is better than perfect. I partly just needed a little kick in the pants to get the creative juices flowing again and I really was sick of looking at this fabric in the ugly trunk, taking up space. Now I have a small pile of scraps to do something else with, and I can move on to other projects. Yippee!
No make up, wet hair. Just keepin' it real folks. Not a fancy dress, just something to wear around the house, or to the store. But it's done, and it was virtually free!

And now for something completely different.

Last night we passed our local park down the street from our house and I saw two hoops, a few brooms, and several people running around. "Are those kids playing QUIDDITCH?!!!" I exclaimed loudly. I was driving so I really couldn't look, but my husband replied that he'd heard something recently about "Muggle Quidditch" on the radio. Well, we Googled it as soon as we got home, and yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as Muggle Quidditch, and there are leagues. And brackets. Read all about it here.

We saw no sign of either seeker or the snitch, which is apparently played by a person taking off and running away from the field. Since our park is bordered by a large greenbelt full of wild trails, it stands to reason that's why this game was being played on this field. It was just hilarious, watching these college aged kids running around with sticks or brooms between their legs, throwing the quaffle through the hoops and pummeling each other with the bludgers. It really looked like a Monty Python skit (see here or here). I'm sure there's other less wholesome things these kids could be doing!

I'm not really sure about the broom sticks. Why are they there? Wouldn't a bike or a skateboard simulate flying better than a broom? And running with a sick between your legs seems to be a sure way to, ahem, hurt oneself eventually or someone else in a most painful way.

I really wonder what J.K. Rowling thinks of all this. I'll bet she is highly amused. I hope she is! What a compliment that her Harry Potter series has made such an impact on so many people.

We took video...but for some reason it is taking forever to up load, so I will just link to good old youtube and you can see for yourself!

Have a great day!

mere

It's July!

2011-07-05T07:41:00.004-05:00

First, a few pictures from the garden. We have lots of tomatoes! Just this morning I went out and picked 7 little Sun Gold cherry tomatoes and 3 Early Girls...so add that to what is pictured above. If you live near me expect a gift of fresh, organic, delicious tomatoes soon! We just can't eat them fast enough.

This is our cantaloupe. It's a little larger than a soft ball. I can't wait to taste it!

After producing about 6 cucumbers my plants succumbed to aphids. I ripped out the mystery gourd, since I found out that it needs another plant to cross pollinate with. So, since it was attracted pill bugs, and taking up too much room, it is now in the compost. We have tons of basil, and have seen some okra. I may be able to cook up a mess of fried okra at the end of the summer. As each pod ripens I pick it, cut it, freeze it and add it to the already frozen okra. I wish I'd planted more.

Here's a dress that I am working on. If I can ever get it finished, it will be nice cool to wear in this dreadful heat. It's going slowly because the only time I have to work on it is during nap time or after the kids go to bed. I believe in naps, for EVERYONE, myself included, so giving up rest in the afternoon is really hard and often means that I end up cranky and mean, especially if being drowsy while trying to sew means that I have to get out my most hated tool, the seam ripper.

So, going slowly. I will post pictures when it's done.

Whole 30? Let's just call it the Whole 15. It doesn't really help when some well meaning relative gives you two large bags full of fresh baked bread to give to your friends, and half of that ends up in your freezer, and the kids know about it and beg for it every day at snack time, and there is butter to go with it......

Screen fast? Well, the remote for the box is still hidden. I did not miss network TV at all. We did allow movies, because we enjoy movies as a family, and sometimes it is nice to be able to go to the bathroom and NOT have company...this is more likely to happen if little people are being captivated by moving images on the idiot box. I did not blog, but I did look at blogs, and I checked news sites, and the weather. The older boys stayed off the computer, except to occasionally find and print out origami instructions. So,that they proved they can have some discipline. However, they could not wait for July 1st, so it's pretty obvious that some pretty restrictive guidelines are going to have to be enforced regarding usage on the 'puter.

Well, that's pretty much all I have to say. I hope everyone's summer is going well. We are very dry here in Texas, so if you wouldn't mind praying for a little rain here, that would be great!

Have a great day!

mere

Linky Love

2011-05-30T16:13:00.002-05:00

I've found some new blogs of interest, and thought I'd share them here:

The Thinking Housewife

Inspired To Action
Check out Kat's e-book, Maximize your Mornings. It's really helping me get organized!

I Take Joy

Full of Grace, Seasoned with Salt

Like Mother, Like Daughters
(I love Leila's advice on raising boys, and many other topics in her sidebar)

HUNTER-GATHERING
(Speaking of boys...a real life Peter Pan)

B. has two more days until he is free from the clutches of public school life. Quite a few things will be changing in our household, to move us towards living a more organized, less cluttered life. Starting on June 1st, we will be doing a TV/Screen fast, as well as starting the Whole 30 diet. Well, I will be modifying the diet somewhat for the kids, (they get milk every day and that won't change) but DH and I will try to stick to it. We've gotten about half way through and seen results, but I really want to try to re-boot. I am not over weight, but I do have some gut issues that I'd like to try to pinpoint, and I am hoping to see some results with Benjamin.

The kids will be totally screen free. I have been very lax about letting them watch too much TV and play too many games on the computer. It really needs to stop. DH and I will check our e-mail and such while the kids are asleep or not around (which will be hard!) and if I blog, it will probably be very quick and short. Pray for me! It will be hard for me to stay motivated when I am dealing with complaining children.

Have a great day!

mere

The Garden, Again: The Compost Post

2011-05-24T11:12:00.007-05:00

A cucumber, which will be eaten later this week. We've already eaten two. Sam made the astute observation that they tasted like cucumbers. Was he really that disconnected? Sarah Jane says they look just like little pickles. Um, yes, child...

This is my compost pile, loosely surrounded by chicken wire. It isn't pretty. In fact some of the residents of this pile are the epitome of disgusting, but like everything in this world, they serve a purpose. For me, they are making the job of gardening much easier.
The compost pile is open at the back of our yard, up hill from the garden. All of the grass surrounding it is long, lush, and green. The "tea" from the compost pile fertilizes everything down hill. It may go against every conventional gardening rule out there but when we find pill bugs, snails, or other garden pests we put them in the compost. When we eat a grapefruit, we put the empty halves in the garden to attract the pests and then later, we convey the rind and the little guests to the compost where they will be much happier and actually do a job, i.e., decompose the organic material and turn it into rich, steaming, compost. After turning it, you can see the steam and feel the heat emanating from this lovely brew. It doesn't smell bad at all, in spite of all those egg shells.

Along with some organic fertilizer, applied every three weeks or so, the garden also gets the compost. The plants like it. Look at that pepper!

Cantaloupes, with flowers. These were grown from seeds out of a store bought melon. It remains to be seen whether or not they will actually bear fruit. One of the flowers has five petals, another six, and they are on the same plant. This seems unusual to me.

Apparently, the tomatoes like me. I go outside first thing every morning and talk to them because I've heard that tomatoes are sometimes hard to grow. I won't tempt fate, but you can see from the pictures that four of the five plants are bearing fruit. Only one is not growing or bearing fruit, but that may be because it is the odd man out and a different variety. We'll see....

Sweet potatoes. We eat a lot of these tubers, and I have heard that they are a great "chop and drop" crop. Theres also a couple of watermelon plants that the kids planted and a black berry plant. This is my "experimental" bed. There are also a lot of weeds here, but I am hesitant to pull them up because I also planted a little piece of ginger, but I forgot where exactly...and since I don't know what it will look like when it comes up, I am afraid I may destroy the plant before it really has a chance.

I am really loving this, if you haven't figured it out yet. We have learned so much, the kids are really enjoying it, and we're spending a lot more time outdoors! Joe loves to get his little hands dirty. I can't tell you how many times he's tasted the dirt! He also adores the hose.

Emily, I took your advice and ran some string for the bean plants to run on and they've already taken the hint. Now, I just have to figure out how to rein in the tomatoes, and the mystery curcurbit (pumpkin/butternut/acorn squash???) Thanks for the tip!

Have a great day!

mere

Outraged

2011-05-11T21:42:00.000-05:00

The above document is part of my state's "essential skills and knowledge" curriculum. It is a worksheet page that was included in my son's homework packet.

I have a problem with it for many, many reasons.

Let's go to the fine print on the bottom right hand part of the page. This work sheet is from the "cool jobs" unit. "Cool" jobs? Really?

Now let's look at the two words "they" have selected from the dictionary: model and flyer. Funny, the auto-correct on Blogger doesn't even recognize flyer as a word and that is because it isn't really a word:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flyer

It should be flier...and even then it doesn't really fit the definition given.

And then there's model. According to the worksheet the first definition of model is, " a person who shows off clothes or other things." Interesting, because Merriam-Webster lists that as the ninth definition of the word model.

This is outrageous to me. OUTRAGEOUS that children in government schools are fed this kind of pabulum all the live, long day and yet our lovely school district claims that it is broke. They are closing schools because they supposedly have no money. As a tax payer this disgusts me. As a parent this sickens me. As someone who will be cared for by this generation when I am old, this TERRIFIES me. This kind of crap is not education. Opening up an actual dictionary and actually copying down a definition and then using the word in a sentence is way more effective than doing stupid worksheets. And believe it or not three kids at a time can SHARE a dictionary and get the information they need to do the damn job! They don't each need a lap top, people! And excuse me, are they actually glorifying "Model" as a "cool job" or are they mocking the occupation as "showing off"? Just exactly what are they trying to say? What TEA bureaucrat created this unit for FIRST GRADERS to do in the first place? Seriously?! I...I...have no words. Well, not any that are fit to print.

Moving on:

This came home with Benjamin yesterday. I want all you smart people out there to look at this and cry. Are the folks at my child's school actually telling me that the entire TEAM of first grade teachers could not PROOF READ this letter home so that they all did not look like complete morons? I'm sorry...I have never heard of May the 23th. Is that similar to Quatro de Cinco? And exactly how does "Ice cream Day", or "Popcorn Day" or "Watermelon Day" adhere to AISD curriculum standards? And I know that I should not be surprised, but seriously, $5.00? Didn't I just send money to the school for some other doo-dad just last week?

So, this is what has me all bunched up tonight. I feel vindicated that at last I have seen the light and Benjamin will be home next year. I just feel sorry for all the rest of the kids who have to suffer through this tripe for all the years to come.

Have a great day!

mere

More garden pictures and news...

2011-05-10T11:03:00.004-05:00

The Princess in the garden.
Cucumbers!!!
Growth!!
Tomatoes!!!
Sam and a Blue Jay.

So, the news?

We've decided to home school Benjamin next year.

As some of you know, Benjamin is our son who has been receiving special ed services through the local public school for PDD-NOS, an autism spectrum disorder. While he is very social, he does still have some deficits and is somewhat delayed for his age. Bringing him home is a huge commitment, but one that has been a long time coming and fraught with much hand wringing, discussion, and prayer. This year we have seen fewer milestones met, he's received fewer services, and has seemed spread very thin when he gets home from school. We've also noticed more conflicts with him regarding the authority of his teachers and parental authority. So, the decision has been made and the school has been notified.

I am very excited. I firmly believe that this is the right thing to do. I also realize that this will be a big job and will take considerable preparation over the summer to get ready.

One thing I have already begun is serious decluttering. We live in a very small space. Our house is 1100 square feet, with 3 Bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. When we bought it, it was just right, but then we only had three children; with five kiddos, things can get very cramped in a hurry!

Now, please don't think I am complaining! We actually bought a house we could afford, and that was a true source of comfort when my husband was furloughed for two months in 2009. Since then, the job situation has recovered entirely and we are in financially better shape, but here we are still in the cramped quarters and probably will be for at least another year. But you know what? We have clean, running water, toilets that flush, walls and a roof that keep wind and rain and heat and cold out (or in as the case may be), a large back yard and everything else that we really need. Sometimes that is very hard to remember, but it's the truth. And drastically decluttering will make it that much better!

Another thing that I have been doing is getting up earlier. I used to jump out of bed at 6:45, hurriedly preparing breakfast for Benjamin in order to get him out the door and on the bus by 7:20. Now I am getting up at 6:20 and it is making a difference. My goal is to get up everyday at 5:30, to really get a jump on my day. I am hoping to start using that time to exercise, plan, and study the Bible/pray. I think it will make a huge difference in terms of the success I will have next year.

So, there is the news and the plans and such. I will try to blog more often, especially when those tomatoes get ripe!

Have a great day!

mere

Lately...

2011-04-25T12:53:00.002-05:00

...I've been tending the garden.

Don't judge...it's a first attempt garden.

Cantaloupe, okra, basil, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, pumpkins, bell peppers.

I've been mothering my babies.

Savoring the moments.
Joe + chocolate ice cream= a bath.

I'll be back soon!
mere

The Christmas Dress

2010-12-15T09:09:00.005-06:00

When I was pregnant with this girl, I bought this fabric and made a dress for myself. It was a maternity/nursing dress, made from a pattern that I'd used before. However, because I was huge when I made it I had to use a lot of the fabric...Fabric that I thought was gorgeous, but looked more like wrapping paper when I put it on. It didn't help that it had a big red bow on the front which was the drawstring to the nursing panel. One well meaning friend actually told me that I looked like a gift ready to unwrap. Once home, I realized she was right! I only wore that dress a couple of times.

When Joe was born, I tried it on again. Nope. There was just no way I could wear it. It made me feel like a sailboat in full sail. So, I decided to salvage it and make a dress for the girl child. That decision came last year, with the intention to construct it for Christmas, but that didn't happen.

This year it did.
It isn't perfect. It didn't turn out exactly the way I'd envisioned.

It's actually better.

And The Princess loves it.

Score!

Have a great day!

mere

Has it really been over a month?!

2010-12-07T08:13:00.002-06:00

I'm not dead!

Not turning my back on the world!

Just really, really busy!

I have been wrapping up the term with the kids, trying to keep up with the house, and lately, making gifts for people.

Joe is walking, climbing, running now, and therefore he is into everything. Everytime I sit down to work at the computer he is trying to get into my lap. Sometimes he comes up and rubs his little face on my leg and then I feel the teeth...Yes, he's a biter, or a little "Grundoon" as my aunt calls him. I think he's constantly teething because he seems to want to have something to chew on or suck on ALL THE TIME. He has a blankie that he cannot be without because he chews on the corners. He drags it Linus style all over the house, which is very cute, but forces me to wash the blankie more often than he wants to be away from it. If he doesn't have the blankie, he wants to be on me...wash, rinse, repeat!

Eventually, I will have a chance to share photos of the things I've been making, but that won't happen until after Christmas, since some of those things are for people who read this blog.

Have a great day!

mere

A few more thoughts...

2010-10-28T07:52:00.004-05:00

A couple of months ago I mentioned to my MIL that I could really use another bookcase for our school books. I was tempted at the time to go curb scavenging, and had almost claiming some industrial sheling that belonged to our neighbors. But rather than settling for ugly cobweb covered plastic shelves that really wouldn't have worked too well, I decided to just wait. You have to understand that my MIL is able to find things that we need...She is constantly finding little things at just the right time for us. I asked her to share our specific need with her sisters, who are always spotting bargains and then sat back and waited. Sure enough, two weeks ago she brought over a book cabinet that she got for FREEEEEEEE! All I had to do was re-glue a piece back on that had fallen off, and buy some knobs.

Then we received another smaller bookcase that was a total bargain that matches both of our bookcases from one of the sisters. We now have more shelf space than books!

AND then I received a new old lamp from my Dad that once belonged to my great-grandmother. He had rescued it out of a trash heap after she died, and had kept it for many years. It needed to be re-wired and it needed a shade, but both of these were cheap easy fixes, and I now have one corner of my house that actually is decorated and cozy looking. Now I just need to have that print framed.....

Sunday, my DH looked at S.J. and remarked that her dress was very short, and wondered aloud if she needed new clothes. Yes, she does...she is growing like a weed! I took this as a challenge to finish a jumper that I had started and then abandoned after she told me that she didn't "like flowers anymore." The fabric was given to me many years ago by our neighbor at the time who ran an upholstery shop from his garage. He knew that I sewed, so I got his scraps.

I used the same pattern that I used for her denim jumper that I made last year. The skirt is pleated so that the little floral strip is hidden within the pleats.

I'm pretty pleased with the results. I figure that if anyone says that they have a sofa covered with the same fabric, I will say, "If Scarlett could wear her curtains, then my daughter can wear your couch."

She decided she is okay with flowers, now. So, she got a dress for FREEEEEEEEE!

I am all about FREEEEEEEEE!!!!!

I've decided that the Moby wrap is wonderful. Yesterday we were expecting my cousin to come over and needed to clean up the house. Joe decided that he would fuss. Into the Moby he went, and I was able to do the dishes, clean the bathroom, pick up the living room, dust, and vacuum while he slept on my back. I was able to finish everything in time to have a shower and fix my hair! WHOOP!

Theoretically, you are not supposed to use a sretchy Moby wrap for a back carry, but my other wrap simply does not work as well. He is very secure as long as he is relaxed and sleeping, but once he gets restless and starts wiggling, I take him out. My convenience is not worth the risk. But this baby is such a mama's boy that he is pretty content as long as he is in physical contact with me. This can be a good or a bad thing.

All of the above to me is evidence that God loves me and takes care of me. Through the past couple of years, really, He has clearly been taking care of all of our physical needs, through other people. Sometimes, when things seem really dire, it is so hard to trust Him. But again and again, He has shown us that we can trust Him completely. I still doubt at times. And I realize that dire to me is not even close to what dire is in Haiti right now. So, I just feel very humble and thankful, for all of it.

Have a great day!

mere

Just Because

2010-10-25T14:58:00.004-05:00

See this little face?

I love this little face.

How could I not?

Sigh.

Have a great day!

mere

Just a few random thoughts...

2010-10-22T14:26:00.004-05:00

1. While I really appreciate the rain we got during this past September, I most certainly do not appreciate the bugs that wet weather seems to bring with it. I am not a big fan of extermination...too many chemicals sprayed who knows where....but we may soon be greeting an exterminator with happy smiling faces, open arms, a plate of cookies, and maybe even a parade. I have never seen so many silverfish, earwigs, or dare I say it, cockroaches in my life. They are brazen suckers, too, pretty much saluting me when I walk into the kitchen in the morning and turn on the light. But this morning our fearless cat was playing with something that will cause me to wake up screaming in the night, will cause me to never go barefoot in our house again, and has provided my two older sons endless amusement today: a scorpion. A. big. scorpion. in. my. house. SHUDDER!!!!

Nothing, except for maybe a very large and hungry centipede, can make me want to curl up into a little ball and suck my thumb like a scorpion can. I hate them with a bright purple passion. They are a result of THE FALL. Therefore, I will joyfully welcome every chemical known to man that will eradicate the possibility of ever seeing one of those nasty little creatures in my house ever again.

2. Why do my boys delight in tormenting me with pictures of scorpions, origami scorpions, scorpion references, and reliving the whole incident this morning...me squealing, wincing, moaning, wanting to run and suck my thumb? Why can't they remember how I finally decided to protect my children, took off my pink flip flop, beat the little miscreant into smithereens, right straight back to hell where it belonged? WHY?

3. Today my public scholar had "Track and Snack" at his school. He has talked about this upcoming event all week, pestering us to send money to the school for this event. Did I mention this is a PTA fundraiser for the phys. ed. department? We were supposed to send snacks that were packaged; first graders were supposed to bring small bags of "Goldfish, pretzels, Doritos,..." etc. We decided NOT to send snacks such as these to school with my son because: a) we don't eat that stuff at home and b) those foods are taught at school DURING P.E. to be "whoa" foods (as in "don't eat them"). The other grades were supposed to bring cookies, juice, gatorade and other sugar laden fraken-foods...only the kindergarteners were supposed to bring real food substances, ie., hard fruit such as apples and oranges. I didn't understand until just a while ago why he wanted money, but apparently these items were to be sold to the kids during Track and Snack. Since my son did not bring snacks or money he was only allowed to have two snacks. So, summing this up, my son's entire day at school was spent in a PTA FUNDRAISER where he was not allowed to have all the food snacks he wanted because I chose not to participate. He did not eat the banana that I sent with him.

4. Next week at the public school is Red Ribbon week. It's the Just Say No to Drugs campaign and every day there's some little thing the kids are supposed to do. I find this ironic, since they just had Track and Snack today where they encouraged kids to gorge themselves on sugary crap to make money for the PTA. I don't have the statistics in front of me, but don't we as a nation have a little problem with obesity? Maybe it's slightly more of a health risk to many more people than illegal drug use? Perhaps if you're feally overweight you might at some time turn to drugs (prescribed or illegal...it happens both ways and both can be deadly) for weight management? Seems like they are sending some REALLY mixed messages at school these days...

5. I met OCTAMOM at Costco today. She was beautiful and very sweet and nice. I was wearing a skirt that I wish I wasn't wearing and a shirt I hate. No makeup (although that is pretty normal for me). I have a chalazion on my eye that would be killer if I was dressing up as a witch for halloween, but since I'm not, it just looks bad. At least I had actually dried and styled my hair. Sigh.

6. I just killed a mosquito that must have bitten me at least ten times in the last ten minutes. CALGON, TAKE ME AWAY!!!!!

Have a great day!

mere

william orbit feat Gwyneth Paltrow - grey green season

2010-09-21T08:44:00.000-05:00

william orbit feat Gwyneth Paltrow - grey green season: "Orbit Stream Cast"

Have I ever mentioned how much I love William Orbit? Pretty much every thing he touches is golden. He has an amazing ability to make good singers sound great, and great singers sound amazing. His work is really almost like an aural collage or sculpture...layering sound upon sound until, at last, he's got a really lovely composition.

I know a lot of folks don't love Techno, or "electronic" music...But I am sure my parents will remember how I used to dance around our living room to my dad's "Switched On Bach" album.

I came upon this song on one of his stream casters on his website. I hope you all enjoy it!

Have a great day!

mere

Life Happens

2010-09-02T13:44:00.005-05:00

Howdy to all of you who are still coming and peeking in on my sad, neglected, little blog. The summer flew by. We had a death in the family; My husband's grandmother who had been ill for some time, died two days before my in-laws fiftieth wedding anniversary. Although my dear MIL was sad, we all encouraged her to go ahead with the party and vow renewal ceremony that had been planned before her mother started to decline. Our niece F. was there taking pictures and got several of the whole family.

She also got this one of my baby boy:

Yes, he really is that sweet.

We also started school again.

This year I am much more organized. And I am sure that everyone out there will laugh at me, but I am convinced that it has helped us stay on task, so I will tell it here: I have instituted school uniforms.

I don't know about you but I feel different when I dress to play a part. So even I wear "teacher clothes" during our school hours, and when we are done everyone changes after our materials are put away. I don't make them wear shoes, unless we go out, but this way our clothes do not distract and rather remind us what we doing. I know people who can stay at home all day in their jammies, but that produces serious discord with us. So, there you go, call me a dork if you want, but our year has been great so far.

We also started Co-op which was really fun. I feel so blessed this year to have two like minded women with like minded children to do this with. The kids seemed to really enjoy it as well.

Here is Sam, receiving "help" from Joe and Ollie.

Can you believe my baby boy is ONE year old now?!!! How did this happen? HOW?!!!

I don't make him wear a uniform. Yet.

Well, okay, he's in a polo but that is just coincidence.

Have a great day!

mere

On a roll...

2010-06-29T22:11:00.003-05:00

Every now and then I dig through the Ugly Trunk to find something and I always serendipitously find something else. It is one of my tricks, in fact, when I am looking for something that I stop looking for IT and for something else instead. Invariably I find the lost item within five minutes.

Anyway, I found a half finished dress, with the parts just hanging in limbo. I had an "AHA" moment, and remembering the dress from yesterday, I decided to keeping on rolling with the success.

S.J. totally loves it. Loves. It. She can twirl in it, and it has purple fabric in it...What's not to love? Unfortunately, this is the only good picture I got of her in it before the batteries in my camera died. Yes, I have rechargeable batteries, but they won't hold a charge. Sigh.

It was fun to make, my little princess was happy and my husband really liked it. Win Win for everyone!

Do you see all that rain in the background? 3.5 inches at our house today! Thank you, God!

The Picnic Dress

2010-06-28T16:29:00.002-05:00

Using this tutorial I made this for S.J. today:

A running,

Twirling, Picnic dress!

I'll probably make an elasticized head band out of that kerchief she's wearning on her head. There are a couple of flaws but I think you'd have to be looking pretty hard to find them. The most important part is that she loves it! I score double points because I used fabric from my ever growing stash. YES!!!

Have a great day!

mere

Look who's crawling...

2010-06-09T14:53:00.003-05:00

Life just got a lot more complicated. I can no longer plop him down in the middle of the living room floor and expect him to stay.

Seems like he was born yesterday....and now here he is getting ready to stuff the VCR, like his brothers before him.

Have a great day!

mere

Well, hello there!

2010-05-31T08:11:00.003-05:00

I logged in this morning, because I realized that it's been literally months since I last blogged. If you read regularly, let me say I AM SORRY!!! I can't stand it when people just stop blogging...I wonder if they are okay, sick, dead or just turning their back on all their readers.

Everything is fine. More than fine. And very busy.

So I'll just give a short recap for everyone here at the Ugly Trunk:

Jake, oldest boy is great. He turned twelve. He grew a lot taller. He eats everything in sight. He is now wearing men's sized shoes. He took a pre-algebra class through the once a week school, and learned a ton of new material, and earned a B+, which I think is great.

Sam, is also doing very well. Now nine, he is also taller and trying to eat as much as Jake. He got an easy A in his math class. He continually comes up with new diabolical Lego creations.

Benjamin is almost done with school. He has today off for the holiday, and then goes back for two more days. The school sent a note home asking parents to send board games that are labeled with our child's name. I'm not sure why they couldn't let Friday be the last day of school, but, oh well. B. loves school, but he is excited that he gets to be at home to see the garbage truck.
I wish I could say that he is growing, but his growth rate is much slower than that of his siblings. He is supposedly always hungry. My feeling is that he is not absorbing his food properly, because of some problem with his gut health, which seems to be very common in kids with autism. My plan for the summer is to play a bit with his diet and see if we can clean it up: Lots of healthy meats, fats, fruits and veggies. No grains, no dairy, no refined processed sugar, no "franken-foods". We are pretty much grain free at this point, but giving up dairy is hard.

Sarah Jane is all about purple and pink and playing dress up and tea-party. She is trying to decode letters and numbers. She will sit down and write "letters" to people that are a series of the letters she can write: "LLLOIIUJLOIILLJJUUB CCSJLOSSIIPUI DUJLLOOOSSIJLUOB." Which translates to "Dear Grandma, I love chocolate cookies and brownies. Love, Sarah Jane." Hilarious.

Joe, the very happy baby, has been trying to crawl. He can get up on all fours and wiggle to just about any place he wants to go, but cannot get the forward motion of actual crawling. He now has two teeth. He hates baby food of any kind, and would much rather eat paper, rocks, leaves, raisins and stuff from my plate. He is not anywhere close to giving up breast feeding. He's obviously getting enough food...he weighs about twenty five pounds or so!

DH is great. He's been working out and has improved his health and physique. His job situation has improved vastly. Last year he was furloughed for eight weeks. The company that he works for went through bankruptcy, but has now pulled out of it and the company is reorganized. We lost income, but he still has a job after three different lay offs, for which we are VERY thankful. He has the unique position in the compnay of being the only person who does what he does, and has managed to make himself very useful in lots of ways, and also makes his boss look good. That is the key to staying employed, I think.

Me? Well, I've been playing with string and fabric but I don't really have a lot to show for it. Lots of ideas and no time. I've been playing with different recipes, and last night I grilled for the first time ever. I think I may be in love with grilling now.

I have been trying to figure out what to do about this blog. I don't want to give it up. I think for now it is going to be mostly about domestic things: crafting, sewing, cooking, food, etc. The main thing is finding time to do it...it is really hard to type one handed with a squirming baby in the other arm!

Well, people are up and wanting to eat again. So, back to life!

Have a great day!

mere

Snippets of life

2010-02-11T10:12:00.003-06:00

A normal day:
S.J. got a hot pink feather boa for her b-day. This is where it ended up:
Filet crochet insanity:
S.J.'s new bed:
A new skill: Have a great day!

mere

FINALLY!!! A New Post!

2010-02-08T10:49:00.003-06:00

Howdy!

I am finally posting again!

There was no particular reason for why I wasn't posting...just really busy and could never find the time!

Anyway, Niece's doll is finished and was placed in her loving arms in January. To say that "Elizabeth" (as she is now named) was a huge hit would be a gross understatement.

From bottom to top you can see the progress of the making of this doll. I am sorry the order is backwards, I forgot that you have to upload photos opposite of the way you want them displayed. That's also why my pics are at the top of the post rather than at the bottom. DUH!

Her under dress and the side panels of her over dress have embroidery done by the new sewing machine that I got for Christmas.

Isn't she a beauty?

In other news, I turned forty, Sarah Jane turned four, Sam turned nine, Joe grew and was more than double his birthweight at his four month well check, we have a new dishwasher and printer courtesy of an anonymous donor (a story for another post) Sarah Jane got a new bed, and I had a moment of insanity and hacked off my hair by myself. I have since had it cleaned up and it looks and feels much better...See pictures at the top.

So, I am back. I will try not to let all two of my readers down again with such infrequent posting!

Have a great day!

mere

Progress

2009-12-18T10:49:00.005-06:00

Last night I made more progress on "Eliza". Niece can rename her if she likes, but she is at the point now where she needs a name.

She now has skin. The pins are there to hold the back darts in place.

A lot more padding...

Eye lids.

And she can stand up ALL BY HERSELF!

That is one of the coolest parts of these dolls...They are soft enough to be loved on but can be posed when needed.

She's a little more lumpy in the thighs than I would like, but hey, aren't we all? Just keepin' it real.

There is no way I will be finished by tomorrow. That's okay though, because we will see our niece again in January. I did experiment with a faster way to do her hair and I think it will work out just fine.

Today, I am baking like a madwoman and making chicken stock. My husband's family is getting together tomorrow and all of our gifts this year are consumable. I've hired Sam to make origami containers for some of these and he's hired his older brother to cut the paper for him. It's a regular factory here, folks!

Have a great day!

mere

A new little project

2009-12-16T08:50:00.004-06:00

The madness begins.

Niece "A" turns ten on Saturday. She'll be out of town but I'd really like to be done with this doll before then because we'll be seeing her mom that day, and I'd love to send this home with her.

This is the metal skeleton/armiture. Notice the feet...they are plastic wine corks carved into a foot shape. This is why I never throw anything away.

Covering and padding. I like her little hip bones.

More padding with a head. A little more feminine shape.

More padding and head with eyes. I let S.J. choose the eye color...she chose brown. Yes, she realizes that this doll is NOT for her. I may make another one for her later....

Close-up of the face.

The well padded backside. NOT a barbie. My dolls have hips and bulges just like I do...;-)

Obviously, I have more work to do on this girl. She's still pretty ugly, but I am confident she'll look pretty good when I am done. The work has gone much faster than it did with Penelope. Mostly, I just realy enjoy the whole process of creating. I have drawings of her dress that I'll be making. It will be purple, Niece's favorite color.

Enjoy!

Have a great day!

mere

Penelope revisited

2009-12-14T13:45:00.002-06:00

Do you remember Penelope from last year?

Well, she needed some new clothes. She now has a new under dress which will go with a lot, and a new over dress that is fit for a princess.

I can't wait to see what Sarah Jane does which she sees her"sister" in her new duds.

I love how it turned out.

Love it.

My niece A. has told me that she would love a doll like Penelope, so I may make another one for her. If so, I will be sure to take pics and document the process.

Have a great day!

mere

Lately...

2009-11-14T15:00:00.004-06:00

I've been doting on this little guy. Catching first smiles. Watching Sarah Jane being a big sister. Making fairy wings. And just generally trying to savor all of this. These moments are all too fleeting.
I've also been cleaning up my house which has been neglected for waaaaaay too long, and enjoying schooling with the older two boys. This last week we were more diligent than we have been in a long time, and we were able to get so much done. I am so proud of the way both Jake and Sam stuck with their schedules and got ALL of their work completed everyday. I am so proud of me too, for keeping them on task and helping them when they needed help. It was just a good, good, week.

I have plans for a couple more sewing projects as well as some very cool Christmas gift ideas. Penelope, the doll I made last year for S.J. will be getting some new outfits. I am surprised at how well she has held up through the last year. She's just a little dirty, but I think that's to be expected. I'd love to try making another doll like her, but it was really time intensive. We'll see.

Have a great day!

mere

Legos

2009-10-29T13:43:00.002-05:00

My two older boys love Legos. I like them just fine until it's time to vacuum.

I also don't like stepping on them in a dark room with bare feet. Or pulling them out of babies mouths.

But I really do like the creative fire they spark in my boys.

My son Sam makes some really cool things. He's able to look at something and then translate it into "Lego".

Hence the Lego Slug. Please admire the detail of this creation.

I especially like the yellow mantle. The tenticles are pretty cool, too. They move.
I am surprised that he didn't find a way to make the slime...maybe that's what all those random Legos are that are all over the house!

Have a great day!

mere

Bitten

2009-10-26T08:14:00.002-05:00

I have been bitten by the creative bug again.
I opened the ugly trunk the other day and found a large piece of denim that I found as a remnant somewhere. I paid under ten dollars for it, knowing that it would probably be useful some day. I'm so glad I did.

S.J. has been needing some new duds for the cooler weather, and I really wanted her to have something that will be versatile, durable and long wearing.

I confess that I love jumpers...especially uniform style jumpers, and I have been known to peruse French Toast catalogs, coveting the darling uniforms for little girls.

So, I found this fabric in my stash and thought it would be a great jumper. With S.J. standing very still I took some measurements and made a pattern out of old brown grocery bags for the bodice. Then I cut the fabric, got Joe situated and sewed it together. The bodice took about and hour, and then the skirt was done later after the kids went to bed. Then the next morning S.J. tried the dress on, and I marked the hem, allowing for some growing room.
Here it is, all finished:
Joe sat in his little seat in our kitchen and made friends with Whoozit. This is where he is when I'm cooking, or doing the dishes or sewing.
"I wonder if I can touch it?"
"Hmmmm. It rattled when I did that. Does it happen everytime?"
"YES!!! It does!!!! So, I have several more projects all lined up in my head now. I am so happy with the way the jumper turned out, and I have also rediscovered several other pieces of fabric that will be turned into something soon. Stay tuned for photos of all these projects!

Have a great day!

mere

Gratuitous Baby Pictures

2009-10-15T11:10:00.005-05:00

Having a chat with Big Sis' after a diaper change. Oh how she loves him!

At six and and half weeks old he now weighs over twelve pounds. Did I mention he likes to eat and does so at every opportunity?

Look at those cheeks! Don't they just beg for a big smooch!

Joe is such a little love these days. He's really becoming a lot more aware of people and has started smiling at everyone. Theses smiles are often accompanied by little happy noises and coos. Here's another I just took:

He was busy watching me and I got a "full body wiggle with smile" when I looked down. Makes it all worth it!

Have a great day!

mere

Fox Path Academy school pictures and info

2009-10-06T13:53:00.006-05:00

Jacob, 5th year student.

Samuel, 3rd year student.

Benjamin, intermittant kindergartner.

Sarah Jane, preschooler.

Fox Path Academy is our very exclusive private school, which meets every day in the living room and at the dining table of our home. We also go outside often for play and nature study. Subjects include Bible, reading, writing, math, penmanship, history, geography, literature, picture study, poetry, composer study, nature study, Shakespeare, and Plutarch. Our curriculum is here. For P.E. we use the crossfit kids model. We plan to incorporate Latin in the future. The older students receive outside math instruction through a local, once a week school. We do enjoy field trips when we can.

Benjamin is an intermittant student at FPA, because he also receives schooling and special services at the local public school.

Here's our fifth student, but I'm not sure what grade to put him in;-)

Where did I get the name? From a line in that Wendall Berry poem : "Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction." We definitely make a lot of tracks!

Our school motto comes from Aesop: "Where the skin of the lion doesn't fit, one must wear the fox's habit."

Our mascot is, obviously, Reynard the red fox.

School is currently in session and going well.

Have a great day!

mere

I have five kids...

2009-09-19T15:06:00.006-05:00

And here they all are!

It has been a busy three weeks as I am sure you can imagine. We're all adjusting well to being a family of seven.

Joe is a very mellow baby, and pretty "organized". He likes his pacifier and has learned how to hold it with the back of his hand so it won't fall out. He seems to understand that night is for sleeping. He's right next to me so if he wakes up hungry he knows what to do, and usually doesn't wake me up unless he just can't latch on. Sleep is a wonderful thing!

We start school on Monday. The older two boys have been attending outside math classes for about three weeks now, but I've deliberately delayed the beginning of homeschooling until we could get some kind of routine going. We'll still be finishing our first term before Christmas, so it will work out just fine. Joe will be in a sling or in the Moby Wrap for most of the lessons, I think.

I'll try to post again with more pictures and other news soon!

Have a great day!

mere

Falling in love again....

2009-09-01T23:21:00.003-05:00

Joseph William made his entrance into this world at 8:15 am on Sunday morning, weighing in at 7lbs, 14 oz and stretching out to 20 inches. Mommy was a little tired after an 18 hour labor, but we are both doing just fine. Thanks to everyone out there who has been praying for us. God is so good!

Have a great day!

mere

All is quiet...

2009-08-26T20:13:00.002-05:00

We went to bed last night after our little practice run to the hospital, thinking that for sure we would be awakened with "real" labor. Not so, my friends.

About 10:30 this morning we retrieved the kids from my parents house, where they stayed the night. They had fun and my parents have a much better idea of how much they eat. So far today there has been very little activity that would suggest our little one will be making his grand entrance anytime soon.

It's very frustrating for everyone.

Hopefully, I will have a much more interesting post, but until then I will sign off.

Have a great day!

mere

Finally!

2009-08-25T23:16:00.002-05:00

Things are happening!

We went to the hospital with fairly regular contractions, but my dilation wasn't enough to keep me there. On the way home the contractions really picked and have kept up so I think we'll be headed back before the night is through.

I'll post again as soon as I have more info and preferably a baby in my arms!

Have a great evening!

mere

Ack!!!

2009-08-22T21:45:00.003-05:00

Nothing. To. Report.

DH has kindly informed me that I look like a giant sagging water balloon. He wasn't trying to be mean...It's true, I do! The baby has seriously dropped. It's getting hard to walk.

My eleven year old keeps asking when I think I will go into labor. Tonight at dinner when he asked again I just told him, "Never...I'll just keep on expanding until I'm bigger than this house!" At this point it's almost easier to accept that than to keep trying to predict when it will happen. In any case I'm starting to go a little batty. I have had several long episodes of contractions that seem to be labor and then they suddenly stop. I start getting all excited, and then...nothing. DH says that I seem to be going through oscillatory cycles, and that eventually they'll just keep going. That's great because I know that in the end I will have less work to do because of these episodes, but I never know now when I should pay attention, or ignore the contractions. If I pay attention I get myself and the whole family worked up...If I ignore it, I may be singing a hymn in church when my water breaks! So, anyway, I am becoming a certified nut job. They're coming to take me away, Ha Ha!

Have a great day!

mere

Hmmmmm.....

2009-08-21T22:23:00.002-05:00

I have six days to go. I think it will be less!

Yesterday, I fell into a pattern of strong contractions about 15 to 10 minutes apart. I was just sure I would miss my 39 week appointment today, and would be posting baby pics instead. Alas, we got the kids in bed and they fizzled out. Rats!

However, at my appointment today we learned that I have progressed from 2 centimeters and 30% effacement last week to 3 centimeters and 70% effacement as of today. I am a walking time bomb!

This evening things really started to pick up again. I'm not sure I will be at home tomorrow morning when the kids wake up...for now things are very slow, but they were really going just about two hours ago, so we'll see.

Have a great day!

mere

Idolatry

2009-08-17T11:51:00.005-05:00

Idols. We all have them although, if we're Christians, we are to avoid them at all costs.

What is an idol? In my own words I would say that an idol is anything that prevents you from loving Christ with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and all your strength, and anything that gets in the way of loving others as yourself.

I think I just paraphrased the Bible....

For some people food is an idol. For some it's the latest gadget. For others it's their own sense of self worth or autonomy. Some idolize their home or the stuff that's in it. Some idolize relationships with others, including past relationships that stand in the way of present ones. There are people who idolize their children, themselves, pets, health, job, ability to work, power, money, movies, freedom, rock stars, TV shows, crafts, talents, looks, political alignment, even their religion or church activities. The human heart is an idol factory. The Lord knows this, and that is why His very first commandment deals with it. There is not one person on this planet that can obey this law perfectly, but we are supposed to try and confess it when we don't. You know you have a problem with an idol if your pride is hurt or you become indignant at other's behavior toward you or your beloved idol or if you obsess about it. I'm sure you could find one of mine in practically every post on this blog!

Our little family had issues this past weekend with the sin of idolatry. In some cases it was only hurtful to ourselves (the kids obsession with all things Star Wars and Lego) and other cases it was hurtful to others and one instance extremely hurtful to myself, my husband, and my kids. I don't expect perfection in any man on this earth, but I do expect common decency and respect, especially from a man who claims to be a christian. Apparently, for some, that is too much to ask. And that may be my own self worth talking...meekness is not one of my strong suits.

Sometimes the only thing we can do is remember that there is a lesson in everything. Sometimes we can only hug our kids and explain the differences between godliness and sinfulness. Sometimes we just have to squeeze each others hands and say, "I'm so sorry" even if we are not the ones who need to ask forgiveness. Sometimes we have to pray very hard for the person who does and forgive them whether they asked for it or not and pray for the wounded ones, too. Sometimes we have to just love each other anyway. After all, God loved us before He sent us His Son to be our Savior, not after we were saved.

On a brighter note please look at this beautiful blanket, hat, and socks that my SIL Karen knitted for our new little one:

I'm just blown away by her knitting ability. Beautiful!

It was also great to see all of our out of town family members, even though both visits were way too short. Maybe we can make a trek up to DFW after the baby is born and see everybody.

Have a great day!

mere

It was inevitable...

2009-08-15T12:06:00.003-05:00

Sarah Jane seems to have a cold.

I don't know where she picked it up, although I have my suspicions that it MAY have occurred at church last Sunday. We sat in front of a family whose child coughed continuously through the. entire. service. Without covering her mouth. Her mother's only admonition was,"Shhhhhhh...be quiet."

Believe me, it was not the noise that was bothering us, but the fact that this girl was old enough to know that if you are coughing you should cover your mouth. What was bothering me was that she should have been AT HOME coughing, not sharing the love with people recovering from cancer, or other illnesses, or expecting brand new babies who don't have any immunities built up to the world yet.

Can you tell that I was ever so slightly annoyed?

The good news is that she is not febrile and has responded nicely to the medicine we've given her, and no one else is sick. It may be that she is reacting to the "high mold" situation we have in Austin right now. She is happy and in a good mood, and not coughing, though she is a little "croaky". And I being the giant hypocrite that I am, will still take her this afternoon to my cousin's baby shower, because there will be family members from out of town there who will really want to see her and probably won't get another chance this weekend. And then we will all go to my inlaw's house and feast on bar-b-cue to celebrate Paw Paw's decision to retire. Maybe there will be something in the food that will set me off and we'll have a baby tomorrow...but then we'll have to quarantine the little princess and she will not like that at all! Sigh.....

Have a great day!

mere

An update...

2009-08-12T10:42:00.002-05:00

No baby yet, but I am getting close.

I got up last night to help Sarah Jane to the potty, and to use it myself sometime in the three o'clock hour I think. When I got back in bed I proceeded to have LOTS of contractions. Between contractions the baby writhed and kicked like crazy, so relaxing and going back to sleep wasn't easy. I can't see the clock from my side of the bed, so I have no idea how far apart they were or how long they lasted, but they didn't really seem like the real thing...hence my not waking up DH or anyone else. I went back to sleep and dreamed that I gave birth to a colt.

Did I tell you this kid can kick? I swear it feels like hooves and long gangly legs!

The contractions have stopped. I take heart though, in knowing that this practice, this "drill" so to speak, is just preparation for the real thing. It's good knowing that.

Have a great day!

mere

Finished Projects

2009-08-06T10:20:00.005-05:00

Here are a few finished projects:

Obviously, this is a diaper. I made it from a really cute flannel receiving blanket that I received at my little shower. That dark brown is ink that was stamped on top of the lighter fabric, resulting in an almost rubbery feeling blanket. I didn't think I would use it to wrap the baby in, but I didn't want to not use it, so it's now a diaper.

The pocket opening is in front, so I can adjust the absorbency.

I took the cute embroidery from the blanket and appliqued it on the back. It will end up being covered with a soaker, but I thought it was cute anyway.

And here is Miss Priss in her new skirt. And dirty shirt.

She was tired, so she lay down on the super filthy mat. Oh well, she'll wash.

Petting Ollie while he eats grass.

Action shot!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today I am officially "TERM". I doubt I will pop this early, but who knows? If beansprout decides to make an early appearance you won't hear me complaining! Well, at least not until I'm in transition....;-)

I talked with my cousin A. who is due two weeks after me with her first. She's understandably nervous. As far as whether or not to opt for pain killing measures she's keeping her options open. I think that's wise. I think a lot of first timers put a lot of expectations on themselves about how they will handle the pain. There is no way to predict how your body will handle it. You may be throwing up and shaking and fainting at three or four centimeters, and wondering how the hell you are going to make it through this alive, much less to nine centimeters! Don't feel guilty if at that point you are screaming for an epidural. Consider it a learning experience that has prepared you for the next time you do this, have an epidural and try to enjoy the rest of the experience. You are about to start the hardest job you will ever have in your life...parenting a child.

I don't think most women who give birth for the first time are really prepared for how much it hurts. Childbirth instructors who talk about the "discomfort" of birth really need to get real. It isn't discomfort...it's pure, raw, agony. I try to honestly tell first timers this without scaring them to death...be prepared; holding an ice cube in your hand for one minute does not even begin to come close to what you will feel during transition (this is what my childbirth instructor had us do). Perhaps watching the last few scenes of "Braveheart" would be a better preparation! I'd say also that husbands need special preparation...It has to be very hard to watch your darling wife suffer in that way. Especially since at least 50% of the reason she's in that predicament is the husband's fault! I think it all becomes very clear to men in a very real and graphic way in the delivery room, that childbirth classes don't really address. Men want to fix things. They know their wife is in pain, and they want to make it stop. If she takes the drugs, it takes away the pain and some of their guilty feelings. Home births are probably very different, but I have no experience with that.

All of this being said though, I've had three natural births so far, and from what I have gleaned thus from those experiences, it IS true that if you relax through the contractions they don't hurt as much and once you get to start pushing the "discomfort" is no longer so bad. My husband understands his role perfectly and understands my personal feelings about the drugs. He is a model labor coach. My labors are actually pretty fast, and before my water breaks (which has always occurred in controlled circumstances at the hospital), not really that painful. Once my water breaks I have about thirty minutes before I have a baby in my arms. During that time I will transform from a normally chilled out, calm woman into a bellowing wildebeast. So for me, knowing when I am in labor is pretty crucial. I think probably my biggest fear about this one is that I will not realize I'm in labor until my water breaks with me alone at home with all four kids...that would not be fun in any way, shape, or form!

So, anyway, these are my thoughts today as I begin my thirty-eighth week. We are pretty much ready, so whenever Beansprout chooses shows up will be fine.

Have a great day!

mere

Catching up...

2009-08-01T22:31:00.002-05:00

I am here. Still pregnant. I am at that stage where I feel like I will be pregnant and huge forever and it's just not funny any more. The novelty has worn off and I am a huge grump. Maternity clothes hardly fit me anymore. My two youngest children do not seem to understand that mommy's tummy is very sensitive right now and they constantly bump into me with their hard little noggin's.

I hope my family will forgive me someday!

Yesterday was Benjamin's b-day and he is now six years old. It's hard to believe because he is so small he looks like a five year old. He was so excited when we went and picked out his cake, and then went over to Maw maw and Paw paw's house to make hamburgers and hot dogs and eat the cake. My MIL had huge piles of clothes in her living room, that her sister and niece brought over. One of her nieces suddenly died this past spring, apparently from a fall from a ladder, and they had been going through her belongings. I did not know her...had only met her once in my life, but she was a sweet person and I think she would be glad knowing that others were going to benefit from her collection. I picked out quite a few things to wear post baby, that will allow for nursing, and will go with other things I have, and my DH also found a few mens shirts in the pile as well.

Thursday we went over to my dear friend Cristin's house where we swam and played in the sprinkler, and played with Lego's. Well, that's what the kids did...Cristin and I sat and gabbed and laughed and ate. She surprised us with a balloon for Benjamin and cupcakes for the kids so he basically had two birthday celebrations...He was one happy little dude! Cristin's daughter and her cousin adopted Sarah Jane and they did stamp art on paper taped to the kitchen floor. When it was time to eat the cupcakes Sarah kept saying that she wanted a purple cupcake, and Caitlyn explained that there were three girls and three purple cupcakes so the girls would all get the purple ones. She sat between the big girls and happily ate her treat and they doted on her and wiped her face, and all was right in the world. Jake and Sam played with Cristin's son and had a great time and Benjamin either played with his balloons, or the train set and was happy as could be.

Then we came home, the kids pinged on all the sugar, they fought over the balloon, and I had to hide it in the garage so they would take a nap.

In other news:

My husband's truck died. It was a beater. It was the tranmission. He couldn't fix it for less than what he paid for it, so he sold it to someone who can fix it. Now we are back to being a one car family. Joy.

Well that's all for now.

Have a great day!

mere

33 weeks, 5 days

2009-07-14T09:57:00.002-05:00

I am hot. I am tired. My back hurts. I have about a million things to get done before beansprout arrives.

Saturday my sweet mother-in-love hosted a small luncheon/shower for me at a local Tex Mex place. It's been a bumper crop of babies in my husband's family lately; ours will be the third born this year, and she has done this for all of the expectant mommies. It was pretty much just family, including my mom and my cousin A. who is expecting her first baby two weeks after me. There were presents, and I felt totally spoiled. Cousin A's shower is in mid August and I am torn...I want to go, but at the same time I kind of hope I will be unable to go because I've already delivered! I think it's likely that I will go...my babies don't tend to come early.

Well, I know this is a boring post. I have to go fold laundry now, then we will be off to the library, and I may do some sewing this afternoon if I have time. I've got about five patterns cut out and ready to go, it's just a matter of doing it.

Have a great day!

mere

I was looking for inspiration...

2009-06-22T20:15:00.003-05:00

Instead I found this:
Oh! MY EYES!!! MY EYES!!!
Seriously, the fabric looks like a bad accident at the condiment factory!

And this.
It's on sale for $79.00...I wonder why?
Must be her first baby, because she hasn't learned the lesson about heels and an altered center of gravity. She'll learn.

This.
My second son aptly stated that it looked like curtains. I agree.

This.
They couldn't even match the plaid!
Now I will say that it looks comfy...But what kind of bra would one wear with this? And what about escalators? It's too short!

And this....
The creme de la creme of sausage casing!
Too bad it's not a snake print cause then she'd look like a well fed boa constrictor!

All of these were found here.

Have a great day!

mere

I have outdone myself

2009-06-20T20:14:00.003-05:00

The new dress:

I am so, so happy with the way this turned out. The original straps were not nearly as nice, too short, and made the dress too hard to get on. These straps were a vast improvement. Once in it, she did not want to take it off.

Have a great day!

mere

Do it yourself

2009-06-20T14:28:00.002-05:00

This morning we discovered a new TV show called "Make:" . It's running all day on the Create channel, and frankly I am just blown away with the cool ideas and inventions that they highlight and show you how to make. The older boys are just so inspired and excited about possibly building some of these creations.

Ever thought about taking pictures from a birds eye view but didn't know how? Ever thought a bike/lawnmower would be cool? Ever dreamed of firing a burrito out of a cannon? Ever wanted a golf cart made from a common grocery cart? Do you get excited thinking about building your very own wind turbine to help out with that electric bill? Annoyed with a TV in a public place and wish you could just zap it and turn it off inconspicuously? You can learn how to all of these things and much more by visiting this website.

Have fun!

mere

30 weeks

2009-06-18T09:53:00.003-05:00

How am I feeling?

Full of baby.

I could go into a long list of maladies all related to my gravid state. I will only relate to you that I am tired, I have sciatica, and my trick hip is probably going to need therapy soon. Other than that I am doing well, the baby is moving all. the. time. I can now feel various "knobs" gliding under the skin of my swollen belly. "I think that's a knee..." I say, or "Ouch! That was an elbow!" Obviously, he is growing.

In ten short weeks (or a little less, I would be really happy to make the trip to the hospital at 38 weeks or so) we'll be a family of seven. I realize how fast time goes by, and I realize how much I still have to do. I am excited to finally get to meet this little guy, and I know that I am richly blessed. Who woulda thunk it...me, the mother of five children! It still blows my mind.

On a completely different note entirely, we have discovered that our cat is a music lover. I've noticed that anytime we play a youtube video he likes to get close to the speakers. The other day he was in the older boys room under the bed, and came out and made "cat biscuits" and purred when this song came on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMRn2JcSrtg

Now is it just me, or does she sound ever so slightly like she's caterwauling at certain points during this song? Ollie is neutered and an indoor cat, so I doubt it really registers with him, but it makes me curious.

The boys also reported that when Switch Foot came on he put his ears back. So the cat prefers hip hop over rock. Hmmm.

He also did not care for this, which I think is a shame. I'll bet Black Jack the polydactyl cat who lives across the street thinks it rocks. I'm pretty sure he and his brother Max have increased the population of polydactyl cats in our neighborhood, if you know what I mean.

Ollie also likes classical music, so that is in his favor. He seems to really like Brahms. There is a purring quality to Brahms, so maybe that's it.

I made another dress for S.J. but I can't post pics of it yet, because I have to fix the straps on it. If they turn out the way I envision, I will have outdone myself with this one. I'll tell you all about it when I post the pics.

Have a great day!

mere

The princess in her new frock...

2009-06-02T13:18:00.004-05:00

So, here is my latest creation.

S.J. has been growing, which there necessitates mommy making some new dresses.

I started this last summer, with the crocheted top. It was white, but some home made walnut dye took care of that. I set it aside for a later purpose.

Then, not long ago my mother gave me some fabric that had been in my grandmothers stash. It's cotton (I think) but it feels like linen. It matched the crocheted top perfectly.

I did not use a pattern for this dress. The skirt part is basically a tube, with a casing for elastic. I gather the front of the skirt, and attached the crocheted "bib", and then added a band of fabric to the front, which then wraps around to line the edges of the "bib" and then form the straps.

It was ridiculously easy to make. If you don't crochet, you could easliy use a trapazoidal piece of fabric for the top. I think the possibilities are pretty much endless.

An action shot!

The back.

I have two more dresses all cut out and ready to be sewn up, which is my goal for this month. I'll post pictures of those, too.

Have a great day!

mere

Busy.

2009-05-22T19:49:00.003-05:00

I've been ramping up my supply of home made fitted "pocket" diapers. The two on the left are both made with an opening in the front (behind the hook and loop closure) to increase the absorbancy with extra padding. The top right diaper is just a simple fitted diaper made from a trifold flat diaper, and in the right bottom corner is a new crocheted soaker. All it needs is a red drawstring and it will be all done!

For more info on the soaker see this. I love wool soakers!

Have a great day!

mere

15 weeks left to go

2009-05-12T16:13:00.003-05:00

Man! I just realized that I only have about 15 weeks left to go with this little bun in my oven.

Oh my!

I am getting steadily bigger. His kicks are getting steadily stronger. Both the older boys were able to get visual confirmation yesterday that there is indeed a living being in my belly, and that mommy isn't just fat. This child rolls around all the time, and especially hates the seatbelt in the car. He'll have to get used to various restraint systems after he's born.

I am not at the waddling stage yet. If I sit on the floor I have to have help to get up.

S.J. points out every baby she sees. I think she is tired of waiting for her little brother. She's going to be a good little helper, and Jake is going to be learning a thing or two about holding and diapering babies. He's old enough now to be more useful in that realm.

Many babies are coming into the world in our family. My husband is the baby of the family and all his siblings had kids early so they are all now in their early childbearing years. My niece M. just had a son in January, and my niece A. is due with her second son in July. You know you are a geriatric mother-to-be when you are pregnant at the same time as your flower girl!

Also, my cousin A. is due with her first child two weeks after I am due. So we are inundated with little ones coming from every direction!

I hope everyone out there had a lovely Mother's Day!

Have a great day!

mere

Amen, amen, and amen again!

2009-05-04T15:22:00.003-05:00

Here is an excellent sermon that we heard in person yesterday. I wanted to stand up and cheer! You should be able to hear The Kingdom and the Church by downloading the mp3.

Here is Pastor Cassidy's blog, where you will find sermon notes.

May you be blessed by it as I was!

Have a great day!

mere

It's been a hundred days...

2009-04-29T11:33:00.002-05:00

...and I have decided that I am not going to talk about politics anymore.

It's depressing.

When I started this blog I never intended for it to be a soap box. I have my opinions, you have your opinions, and they may differ. No, I really just wanted a showcase for craft stuff that I was doing at the time, and a way for people to keep up with me.

That was pretty much it.

People who know me IRL know that I speak my mind, and often have a hard time keeping my mouth shut when I should just smile and nod. Maybe I will re-name this blog to "Smiling and Nodding: Biting my tongue till it bleeds..."

I will continue to write about the kids, food, the cat, sewing, the weather, funny stuff, etc. I hope it will make you smile, rather than add to any feelings of hopelessness you (I) might be experiencing with all the news of the economy, piracy, Scare Force One buzzing New York, Swine Flu, torture, and the possibility of suddenly being labled a right wing extremist simply for having traditional values.

Don't worry...I won't be writing any poetry about unicorns and rainbows or generally blowing sunshine when the whole world is crumbling! I'm not that good. Normalcy is all I'm shooting for.

Have a great day!
mere

The REAL Ultrasound

2009-04-12T19:56:00.002-05:00

Friday we had our ultrasound.

Everything was right where it was supposed to be. There appeared to be the proper number of fingers and toes, weight was just right and we are exactly on target for our due date.

And apparently, as the sonographer said, we are "Boy Makers."

Yep, it's a BOY!!!

Isn't he cute?! If I do say so myself....;-)

Have a great day!

mere

An Opportunity to Educate Yourself

2009-04-04T10:19:00.017-05:00

HT to Meliss.

Have a great day!

mere

The Ultrasound

2009-04-01T08:41:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, we had the exciting Ultrasound!

Most importantly, everything looks very normal with our baby. This is good, good, good news!

And we found out we are having another BOY!!!

We've decided on a name. Titus Obadiah. We'll call him Titus, after the county I was born in.

That's the exciting news!

Have a great day!

mere

Added later:

APRIL FOOLS!!!!
We haven't had the ultra sound.
We don't know the gender yet.
Titus Obadiah is not our name choice for a boy.

Sorry if you really believed it...but don't worry the real Ultra Sound is scheduled and I will post all about it very soon! Be sure to check back in!

Exciting times in the 'hood

2009-03-30T07:56:00.003-05:00

It's bulk collection week here in our 'hood. We now get to see which of our neighbors are:

a) Incredibly wasteful. I wonder if some of my neighbors ever see the mailers we get from various agencies asking to collect "usable household goods" for various needy groups. They come to your house...and pick it up! All you have to do is leave it outside on your porch for them to come and get. Yet I have seen more perfectly usable stuff, just sitting there on the curbs just waiting to go to the dump. Sad.

b) Pack rats like us. We now see the stuff that people have been storing in their garages (junk rooms, etc.) for who knows how long, waiting for a use for those items which really just need to go to the dump.

Currently on our curb there is an old physio ball that is leaky, stained and filthy, the hated vertical blinds, a retractable clothesline that someone gave us that was rusted shut and totally useless, the bottom of an old blender whose pitcher was broken, and an old car seat that was falling apart and had all kinds of gross stuff on it (Moms, you know what I'm talking about) and other things.

Most notable and largest in our pile was our old mattress, that we slept on for 13 years. Four babies were conceived on that mattress. Four babies were breastfed on that mattress. Four babies peed on that mattress, spat up on that mattress, and yes, even pooped on that mattress. Sometimes even the thickest mattress pad is not enough!

It had been sitting up on its side for about a year right next to the litter box (belonging to a cat who sometimes has bad aim) in the garage. Filthy is not even an apt word for how disgusting it was. Not to mention that I awoke with a backache every morning the last two years we slept on it because of the severe dip in the middle. It was so dirty that it probably could have crawled out to the curb all by itself if we'd thought to ask it! Sorry for the nasty visual, but I'm just tryin' to keep it real here, folks.

It's a well known fact that during bulk collection the "curb scavengers" come at night with their trucks and trailers. Well, I should say that I know this is true because we use to live next door to a person who did this. Try selling a house with a neighbor who collects other people's junk and piles it all the way up to the ceiling of his carport....but I digress. The curb scavengers come and do their own collection, usually the night before the bulk collection starts. Then they either sell it or use it, I guess. Not really sure. My old neighbor use to have a lot of garage sales.

After dark last night my DH took out the regular garbage and came in. "The mattress is gone." he said. "What!?!" I shrieked. "Somebody took our mattress. It's gone."

It's true. Someone came and claimed our old mattress last night. I'm truly hoping that maybe someone has a Great Dane that needs a new bed. Or a pet pot belly pig. Maybe they're just learning to play drums and needed something to absorb the sound. It seriously grosses me out to think that someone is going to be sleeping on it. Ewwwwwwwwwww!

And so with that thought, I leave you.

I hope you have a great day!

mere

Sometimes you feel like a nut...

2009-03-16T22:21:00.003-05:00

Today the kids and I (more like I, since I was surrounded by little savages dancing around me who were pretending to "help") made homemade candy bars.

Oh. my. word.

If you love chocolate or know people who love chocolate or just love humanity in general, go make these right now. Drop everything and do it.

I had an epiphany of sorts today when I tried the first bite. After the rush of chocolate induced endorphins settled down I said, "I will never eat a Mounds bar again."

Why?

Because I love chocolate, but only if it's good chocolate. I totally and completely admit here that I am a food snob. That's one of the reasons that I prepare almost all of our meals from scratch. Mine is better. If I can't eat good food I would rather not eat. This is very true of chocolate.

This has not always been the case. I used to consume mass quantities of candy posing as chocolate, even though it was mostly sugar, flavoring, preservatives, extenders, vegetable oil, parafin, and whatever else the producer of said confection felt like putting in there that was not actually food and a teeny tiny bit of chocolate flavoring. I never felt satisfied and always ate more trying to satisfy that craving. Eating all those quantities of stuff posing as chocolate and eating all those other bad things years ago, put a lot of stress on my body that I've recently paid for. Now a days I pay a lot more attention to what goes into my body and into my family members' bodies.

So, one day I was over at Nourishing Gourmet and I saw these, and thought they looked interesting. But the other day I was having a serious chocolate craving and a craving for not just a piece of chocolate but for something that would really satisfy and that had the added bonus of actually being good for me and beansprout. Then I remebered Kimi's recipe, got the stuff and made them today.

Want the list of ingredients? Organic cocoa powder, raw honey, organic virgin coconut oil, dried unsweetened shredded coconut, almonds, vanilla extract, and almond extract. That's it.

Want the ingredient list for Almond Joy? For comparisons sake here it is:

Corn Syrup, Milk Chocolate, (Sugar; Cocoa Butter; Chocolate; Milk; Lactose; Milk Fat; Nonfat Milk; and Soy Lecithin and PGPR, Emulsifiers); Coconut; Sugar; Almonds; Contains 2% or less of: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, (Cottonseed and Soybean Oil); Whey (Milk): Cocoa; Salt; Natural and Artificial Flavor; Chocolate; Hydrolyzed Milk Protein; Soy Lecithin; Carmel Color; Sodium Metabisulfite; and Sulfur Dioxide.

Um...I don't know about you but I frankly don't know what half of that those ingredients are but I somehow don't think they are food!

So I made the homemade Mounds/Almond Joy bars today (I say both because Mounds uses dark chocolate and these turned out very dark) and I was surprised. They were scrumptious, waaaaay better than the store bought junk, and they were satisfying. A couple of bites dealt with the craving, and since I made twelve, we have lots left over. I shared them with the kids and they all loved them, and my husband loved them, too. Some of the ingredients can be costly, but considering that these bars are actually food and are actually good for you, I don't mind it one bit.

If you make them thank Kimi and let me know what you think!

Have a great day!

mere

Still not complaining

2009-03-13T13:29:00.002-05:00

Today is another snuggle down on the couch reading while sipping hot chocolate or tea day.
We actually heard thunder a little while ago, a sound that has been in our memories, but not a reality for many months. The house is warm and snug, and later the lovely smell of chicken pot pie will fill the air, the soothing sound of dripping drops and and gentle rain coming from the outside.

It's been cold but not freezing, so the trees and grass and flowers continue their reach for the sky, their leaves an almost neon green, fresh and washed free from the dust that had settled. The birds aren't quite sure what to think and haven't been singing so energetically the last couple of days. Outside, I spied a bedraggled squirrel, her tail not the fluffy bush but rather resembling instead a hairy rat tail. She was trying to hide this indignity, but I'm sure she's also glad for the rain.

Have a great day!

mere

Brrrrr...and other random things

2009-03-11T21:57:00.007-05:00

Today we had a treat: RAIN! The rain came with a front, so the temperatures were in the forties for most of the day. I am so happy that it rained I have vowed not to whine about the temperatures. I will say that I will be glad when the temps here are more normalized so that I can put away some of the long sleeved clothes. There are just too many clothes in this house!

In about five weeks we will have our "anatomical screen" ultra sound, the one that will hopefully reveal the gender of this baby. Of course, the MOST important thing will be seeing that our new little one is healthy, but I am hoping also that we get a nice clear picture of everything else. I save everything, so I have lots of little clothes and about half of them will be purged the week following that appointment. I'll also start constructing more little diapers and crocheting more little soakers, since the moths found all but two pairs of the ones I'd already made (yes, I cried). I'm waiting because the inside will be a regular trifold diaper, but the outside will be fabric with either dump trucks or flowers or some other gender specific theme.

S.J. is starting to wrap her little mind around the idea of us having a baby in the family. Yesterday evening we were at a friends house and she asked if she could go see the baby, who was sitting in her mama's lap. She went over and said hi and gently patted the baby's head. Very cute. She keeps wanting to see my tummy, which is rather rounder than it was, and says very knowingly, "There's a baby in your tummy." Benjamin also keeps insisting that he has a baby in his tummy, too. We always correct him, but he insists anyway.

We're starting to plan for the 2009-2010 school year. We'll keep homeschooling, with the older two boys picking up a few more classes from ODA. They have loved their classes there this past year, and we have too. That will take some of the pressure off of me as well, and I'm sure it will be a great help, what with a newborn and all.

Well, it's late and I'm tired. Good night!

mere

Looking Up

2009-03-04T08:33:00.003-06:00

Okay. No more doom and gloom. I'm sorry for the heavy posts and so I think I will try to put a few smiles on faces out there instead of furrowed brows.

Things are going very well here, in spite of all the D&G. The pregnancy is going very well and beansprout is starting to make his/her presence known with the occasional flutter or nudge. I am a lot less sick, and a lot more hungry. I'm not really a big eater so it's hard for me to keep up, but keep up I must!

Last week the company wo employs my DH had a huge lay off, in which they cut 35% of their global work force. Many people are now out of work, but happily he is not one of them, Praise God! I do feel for many people who were cut though and I just pray that they can find work soon.

My efforts to beautify our humble home have paid off. I've been focusing on the ugly stained grout in the bathrooms and both bathrooms look so much better. I also decided quite suddenly on Saturday that we were going to get rid of the vertical blinds ( the hideous, hateful, useless vertical blinds) and replace them with actual curtains and a curtain rod. Behold:

Now at night, our backyard neighbors-o'-the-floodlights can no longer see in through the peek-a-boo holes in the blinds and will have to use their imaginations as to what we are doing. Also, it is much cooler in the afternoon, when I can draw the curtains and the muted light shining through gives a rosy glow to the room...much more pleasant! I hope this summer we will see the benefit in our smaller cooling costs. I'll wager that these curtains will end up paying for themselves! I think the fabric is very cheerful and it goes very well with the rest of the room.

I hope you all have a great day!

mere

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T13:57:00.002-06:00

Have a great day!

mere

Convicted

2009-02-19T09:45:00.004-06:00

This is a compelling slide show. I found it a few years ago, and sobbed. The images are sobering and frankly horrifying. My eyes have been opened.

When I start hearing in my head that little voice that says "You deserve better. Your friends all have such nice homes, and drive better cars, and wear nicer clothes....", I come back to this slide show and repent. I say to that voice, "Get thee behind me Satan!" because that is exactly who is talking. I don't deserve better, and no one else does either.

Is our country about to endure a time of judgement? I don't know. I wonder if more people watched it (and understood it), would we be in the mess we're in today? Too often, we listen to that little voice instead of being content and opening our hearts and hands to those in need. Too often we've complacently allowed the government to do what we should be doing ourselves or doing through our churches. How blessed have we been by our Creator that we live in this beautiful country, and now we have sold our birthright as we sit back and allow others to take away our personal freedoms because we don't want to exercise personal responsibility.

Lord God, have mercy upon us.

mere

Link Love

2009-02-16T18:25:00.003-06:00

An interesting article from The Freeman.

Another one.

One from FEE In Brief.

A must read post from Jess. She just puts it out there better than anyone.

A plus good double plus good video found on COTG. Voluntary taxes? Seriously? This kind of stuff is why I have very little faith in government.

Just plain frightening. Can we say the "N" word here?...That is nepotism.

These are not really fun articles to read, and some are just downright depressing so I give you Jewels as an antidote. I cannot express in words how blessed I have been by her blog, but I feel so hopeful and peaceful whenever I visit there and I hope you do, too. No politics here at all. Just love.

Have a great day!
mere

we....are....ALIVE!!!!

2009-02-15T18:11:00.002-06:00

Yes, we are all still kicking and all of us are much improved. The main thing that we are all dealing with is tiredness. Yesterday both Jake and Sam took-GASP!-naps. Of course this was supposedly because I forced them, but today during quiet time Sam fell asleep on the couch for about two hours. He was the one who had strep, so I think his little body just needs R-E-S-T. Every now and then Benjamin will just put himself to bed. Smart boy.

But I have to say this stuff is tres horrible. You think you're well, and then you wake up with a headache that goes down to the roots of your molars that lasts for a couple more days. I thought I had just a bad cold, but now we know that I had the flu and spread it to my whole dear family. Well, that's what we think because pretty much everyone we know has it or strep or both in their families. DH has had it off and on for a couple of weeks, and this is a man who never, ever, gets sick. Sarah Jane has been spared the worst of it because our pediatrician recommended Tamiflu, since she had just contracted it. She still got a round of antibiotics though to kill out her very ripe ear infection.

So that's whats going on over here. We were all well enough to attend church this morning, so everyone is officially on the mend.

Have a great day!
mere

Poor Babies...

2009-02-10T18:59:00.003-06:00

One ear infection.

Check.

One sinus infection.

Check.

One case of strep throat.

Check.

Four confirmed cases of the flu. (There might be two more...)

Check.

Our house is officially quarantined. Leave the goodies on the porch and run after you ring the bell! (You don't really have to bring goodies, but seriously, I don't think any of us need contact with society for a good long while.)

Have a great day!
mere

The Next Fronteir

2009-02-03T11:25:00.004-06:00

My house.

What can I say? I am not a decorator. And I've come to the realization that I really need to focus a little more on making this place we've lived for the last four and a half years a home, rather than a crashing pad.

True confession: I am a slob.

I am almost forty and I cannot seem to keep my house clean.

I did Flylady for awhile. Then all the touchy-feely e-mails started to really get to me. And the huge amount of e-mails. I think the idea of setting up a routine so that it becomes second nature is excellent, but I think it's something I can do for myself.

So I figure, I've got about six months (Beansprout is due in August) to get myself in gear, get some routines going and start brightening and cheering the place up a bit, because right now my house looks like three frat boys live here who spent the "maid money" on beer and pizza. I'm talking animal house. It drives my very sweet and patient husband crazy. It drives me crazy. And it's teaching the children some very bad lessons. They just don't see the clutter, never pick up after after themselves and leave half-finished projects all over the place. Just like me.

I am afraid that my future daughters in law will curse my name. That my girl child will not have any clue as to how to beautify her home, even if it is less than ideal. I'm afraid that when it's time to move again, I'll be pulling my hair out trying to make the house presentable, while simultaneously sorting through clutter that I don't want or need. Nope. I want peace.

It's funny. I can sit down and whip out these projects (jewelry, sewing, etc.), but making a bed seems so tiresome! So, I am resolved to weed this laziness out and get busy. I think I may post pictures just to motivate myself, so bear with me in this little endeavor, and if you'd like to cheer me on please do by all means!

Here I go!

Have a great day!
mere

Sick again!

2009-01-28T18:29:00.004-06:00

Well, I am sick again! UGH! I have a runny nose and a cough, the coughing makes me gag, and since my gag reflex is on hyper drive right now...it hasn't been a fun couple of days. Hot lemon and honey tea seems to help a lot along with lots of rest.

Sunday, we had another birthday. My son Sam (other wise known as Hickey Lips) is now eight. He was so excited to get all his birthday calls from relatives who love him almost as much as we do.

On Saturday night we ate takeout from one of his favorite restaurants, Firebowl. Delicious! We usually don't eat out or shop on the Lord's Day (which is why we didn't have take out on Sunday), but we did make a lemon pound cake and after a dinner of tortilla soup we sang and had cake and blew out candles. We all had so much fun, laughing and just being together.

Well, I had pictures to upload...but the photo widget is not working tonight, so as soon as it starts working again I will post some pictures of the birthday boy.

*Pictures added below

Have a great day!
mere

What She Said

2009-01-20T15:42:00.001-06:00

Well said, Judy, well said.

And a very gracious prayer for our new POTUS.

Have a great day!
mere

Belated Birthday Post and Other Big News

2009-01-19T21:53:00.006-06:00

S.J. is three now. All week last week she said, "Sat-a-day is my birt-day!" This shot is SOOTC. I did not plan the "halo" effect, but I think it fits. She is not perfect by any means but she is very, very special. Sweet baby girl...we love you so much! This is what happens when you put a cup over your mouth and create a vacuum for an extended period of time. He shall be henceforth known as "Hickey lips". The purple ring was even darker when he went to bed...I can't wait to see what he looks like in the morning! (Can you tell he is our resident clown?) Four little monkeys and one struggling cat on the couch. The boys are all sporting their new do's courtesy of the family barber (me). My eldest said his was "crappy". Apparently, since he is almost eleven he wrongly believes he can get away with saying rude things like that. Just wait until your next haircut buddy!

Benjamin loves to play outside in our backyard which has become a miniature dust bowl. Look at that filthy little face!

The regal Oliver Underfoot, looking much more composed than in the above photo.

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT BELOW:

And here we have the newest member of our family, which we will call Beansprout. Yes, it's true! We are looking at a late August baby, which means late pregnancy in a Texas summer. It's now even more imperative (to me) than ever that we have some rain, LOTS and LOTS of good, sweet, rain this spring, because that will partially determine the temperatures this summer. I will hopefully be able to stay away from Dreyer's frozen fruit bars this year, instead of eating at least two every day, like I did the summer I was pregnant with Benjamin (and subsequently gaining an extra ten pounds!).

We are very excited! When I told the kids they all said "Cool!". I'm so glad they see it that way. Every child is a blessing. They know that.

I'm feeling okay, but a little queasy...kind of a "carsick" feeling all day long. Experts say this is a good sign. Uh-huh. I'll just keep telling myself that for the next twelve weeks or so.

Well, I'm out of things to say and there's a Lara bar calling my name, so I've gotta go!

Have a great day!

mere

Golly, what will they think of next?!

2009-01-09T19:44:00.005-06:00

Gosh. Wow. I just can't believe how wonderful our government is! I'm SO glad we have these people taking care of us and looking out for our best interests!

Just think! After February 10th of this year I won't ever have to worry about lead and pthalates in children's toys, books, and clothing, ever, ever again. Because after that date, it will be illegal to sell any of these products unless they have been tested for the presence of lead and pthalates. Whoopee! Woohoo for government intervention and regulation!

Oh, but wait...

Okay. In all seriousness have you seen this? Apparently there has been quite a tizzy out there among folks who use thrift stores and clothing resellers. They've been worried that because of the testing issue, small thrift stores won't be able to sell their gently used items. Each and every item sold would have to be tested before being sold. But that isn't the case...it's only new items. Now, personally, I want to avoid lead and pthalates. I try not to buy anything that has those chemicals in them, but how can a consumer know for sure?

This is where Congress stepped in last year and passed this new law. But they apparently didn't consider all the people in this country, the stay at home moms who knit and sew cute kids clothing and sell them them on the internet...Just go visit Etsy and see all the items that will have to be pulled and basically treated as toxic waste because the artisans and crafters making them can't afford to have them tested in order to sell them legally.

This law will not hurt The Gap, or any other big manufacturer of clothing. Instead it will help them, because we will not be able to legally buy from small sellers. It also won't hurt Walmart unless it's their house brand, because the burden of proof will be on those they buy from.

What's the penalty for selling something that hasn't been tested? For selling one item that hasn't been tested? Five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. It will be considered a felony.

This just makes me seethe. There will now be no way for me to be able to sell anything I've made without the proper testing. And it begs the question, How will they enforce this law? Does that mean that women who are crouched over their sewing machines in their own homes constructing homemade diapers to sell on the internet will have to live in fear of a SWAT team bursting through door at any moment? Don't think that can't happen!

It also begs the question, Why aren't they just stopping the importation of goods into the U.S. that are tainted with this stuff? Lead has been banned here for a long time. Can't we just start encouraging factories here to start suppliying us with goods that are lead and pthalate free? Oh, but wait, most of those folks went out of business because all the work went overseas....

If you want to read more about this and want to try to take action go here. There apparently is a petition that can be signed and I plan to sign it myself. We have to keep ourselves informed!

mere

An Ugly Trunk Offering

2009-01-09T11:48:00.003-06:00

Remember this little piece?

Well, I am offering it for sale. Apparently, I am not the only one that has found significance in the word heavy little word "if"...Amy Carmichael pondered it as well. Follow this link.

Rudyard Kipling also wrote an inspiring poem entitled "If". It's a good read for boys.

If you think you'd like to have it, contact me in the comments...I will get back to you and we can then discuss price, shipping, etc.

Have a great day!

mere

The Penelope Project

2008-12-31T21:51:00.006-06:00

Howdy!
I hope that everyone out there had a wonderful Christmas. We had a great one and now that it's over I'd like to share pictures of Penelope, the doll that I made for S.J. for Christmas.

I actually started Penelope about three years ago when I was still pregnant with S.J.. I knew we were having a girl, and one day I started thinking about making a doll. But it couldn't be any old rag doll, and because I can't do anything the simple way I decided to construct an armiture (skeleton) out of a wire clothes hanger. I cut the hanger apart and made a spine, a pelvis, a neck, and collar bones. Then I constructed jointed legs and arms. The feet are made out of wooden pop-scicle sticks, that are taped to the wire "tibias". After this was all put together, I wrapped the wire in medical gauze, and then painstakingly started hand sewing legs, torso, and arms. When I got to the head and left arm I stopped. The head looked like an alien, and I did not want to traumatize my little girl, so I set it aside to be finished later, had my baby and completely forgot about it. At the beginning of December, I was digging through my craft stuff, and found this forgotten W.I.P.
I removed the intact arm and started over completely with the arms. Now they matched. Then I started working on the head, and through a variety of stitches, was able to reshape the face a bit. Not so "alien" looking anymore:

A view of her backside: So, then I started thinking about her eyes. I didn't want to just paint eyes on. Too simple. So, I found some beads in my stash and sewed them on. From here on out, Penelope watched me as I worked on her. I kept on working on her face and managed to shape a nose.

You can see that I had recovered her original white muslin body with an ivory colored unbleached muslin "skin". I shaped up her front a bit more and gave her a navel. Notice in the picture below how poseable she is. This is because of the armiture. I don't think a plain old rag doll would do that.

Back side again. Mostly hand stitched. The black dot on the back of the head is the stitched anchor for her eye balls.

Another front view:

This is a close up of the face right after sewing the eye beads on. Later I went back and stitched around the beads to "embed" the beads into the face, so she wouldn't be so bug-eyed. This picture was also before the ivory muslin skin was applied.

Left profile:

Right profile:

Front, right before applying the facial "skin".

So here she is with lips, embroidered on her new facial skin. She still looks a bit like a burn victim, but there is definite improvement. Before putting her face on, I sewed on top eyelids, then cut eye openings and folded in the bottom eyelids.

A blurry shot, but you can see how the fabric stretched over the nose and cheek bones.

Now, I realize that this doll is not perfect. Her head is a bit lopsided, but you know, most people are too. People are not bilaterally symetrical. If you want symetry go get a plastic, mass produced, made in China Barbie Doll. (By the way I had many Barbies, that are packed away safely in my closet. I couldn't bear it if they were ruined. But we probably won't be buying any Barbie dolls for S.J., because I really don't like the mass production, hype, images, etc.)

So, here she is with hair, and I apologize for the very blurry image. The hair took about a week, no joke. It started on a stretched piece of muslin on an embroidery hoop, done in true OCD fashion one strand at a time. When I thought this was enough I cut the "scalp" out of the fabric and sewed it on. Oh woe was I! I had to then start sewing on more red head toned embroidery floss, strand by strand, so that she wouldn't just have hair on the very top of her head. She's still mostly bald in the back, but the hair was getting so thick and heavy it was pulling head back. So, I stopped. The baldness can be creatively hidden, right?

So, here she is, all done, with ears, and eyebrows embroidered on, and dressed in her finery of green paisley. I think she's lovely and she was a great learning project. If I ever make another one, I know what I'll do to improve the process. It was most gratifying to watch my little girl hug this doll, Penelope, who was named by my husband. I can't wait to make more little outfits for her and through this teach S.J. how to sew.

Enjoy!

Have a great day and a very Happy New Year!

mere

Houston, The Tree is Up...

2008-12-19T19:04:00.002-06:00

And my children are in orbit!

Although I had a splitting headache, we finally put up the tree last night. Apparently it wasn't "just a virus" but a full fledged sinus infection. I started antibiotics last night and felt much better this morning. The headache is now pretty much gone, the cough is almost gone, and best of all I don't feel like death warmed over. That, in itself, is a great Christmas present!

I will be very busy over the next few days so I'm saying Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you have a very blessed day with all your kith and kin.

Have great day!

mere

Under the Weather

2008-12-16T11:22:00.002-06:00

Well. Apparently standing in the doorway in my PJ's filming the snow wasn't such a great idea, especially since I already had a little tickle growing in my throat. It allowed a truly demonic virus to take hold of my respiratory system and as of this morning has moved into my ears. My ears! This has never happened to me before, and it is truly the weirdest sensation, not to mention uncomfortable. It feels like some freaky fairy came in the night and stuffed my left ear full of cotton. Yesterday the pressure was so great in my sinuses that my teeth hurt, and my left eye felt like it was being pushed out of the socket.

I have seen the doctor. He assured me it is a virus and wrote various prescriptions to relieve symptoms. I am trying to be patient and do everything I can to rest, and take of myself. This morning my youngest son turned up with a fever as well, so we may see more of this stuff before it is done. I am so glad I have a freezer full of nourishing chicken stock!

Our tree is not up yet. I have not done one lick of shopping. But whether or not any of that happens, Christmas will still come and it will still be a day to celebrate. If you feel led to pray for us, please do!

Have a great day and stay well!
mere

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

2008-12-09T23:13:00.004-06:00

The current view of my deck.

The current view from my front porch.

The current view on the radar...THERE'S MORE TO COME!!!!!!

I know that all of you up north probably are not really impressed with this, but I have never ever seen snow this early in December. It's happened here, but not in my lifetime. I really cannot even believe it!

At about 11:00 I went into the boys room to wake them up so that they could see it. Who knows if it will be here tomorrow? They would never have forgiven me if I hadn't alerted them...They've seen snow maybe three times in their whole lives!

I'm not even going to think about what the roads are going to be like tomorrow...

YAY! IT'S SNOWING!!!!!

mere

Tomorrow is my birthday.

2008-12-09T09:30:00.004-06:00

Yes. It's true.

I've been thinking about it a lot this year, and I have a few things to get off my chest.

I got upset last week when my oldest child wrote in pencil on tomorrow's date on my calendar that "MOMMY IS (ain't none of yo' beeswax)!!!!" with a little picture of a birthday cake. He did it in pencil, so I made him erase it and told him not to write on MY calendar anymore, and also not to mention that day again.

As I was having my hissy fit I realized that I was doing exactly what I did not and do not want my children to do...make a big deal about it. It was a very histrionic award winning performance, to tell you the truth. I felt pretty ashamed of the lesson I had just taught him.

As a rule we try very hard not to get carried away with birthdays. My husband generally prefers very little acknowledgement of his, and we honor this. Usually we apply the same rule to everybody: The person who is celebrating the birthday gets to pick what we have for dinner, and we have a cake/pie/dessert of his or her choice. This rule ensures that we can always fairly repeat the same celebration for everyone involved. In other words, no one gets their feelings hurt or feels neglected because one sibling had a party and the other one didn't, etc.

But I started thinking: If my friends and family want to celebrate my birthday I should be glad! What a blessing that he wanted to write it in on my calendar! I don't think it was just because he is hoping for Chinese takeout and a fruit tart, but because he loves me and wants to celebrate my birth! And I know that there are lots of people out there who feel the same way...they are glad I was born. It isn't really up to me to dictate what other people do for me to celebrate or show me they care, and to do so is self-centered, selfish, ungrateful, and thoughtless. And if someone happens to forget my birthday (which is VERY common with a December birthday) it's self-centered, selfish, ungrateful, and thoughtless for me to have my feelings hurts. I should be thankful that I am not the center of the universe and thankful for those reminders. AND thankful that the forgetfulness might be due to the fact that the reason for forgetfulness is the preparation for the celebration of the birthday of our savior Jesus. I don't mind being trumped by Jesus!

Now, because I have been a drama queen about my birthday in the past, my poor husband, bless his heart, is confused. He does not get why I am all of a sudden acting like this. It's very strange, yes, but I have just had a change of heart and have decided to be gracious about it. Apparently old dogs can learn new tricks!

Have a great day!
mere

As the Turkey Thaws...

2008-11-26T09:40:00.002-06:00

The eighteen pound turkey is thawing at my In-laws home. The cranberries sit in my refrigerator waiting to be turned into sauce. My eldest son is constantly reminding me of this fact, for it is our tradition that we make it together. I chose this particular condiment to make with him long ago, because it is so blessedly simple to make and I really can't handle having an "audience" in the kitchen. Call me a control freak, but the kitchen is my DOMAIN. The special nutritional alchemy that I perform there is a special thing and I firmly believe that "too many cooks spoil the pot". Especially when four of the cooks are ten and under.

Later today I will attempt to make a diabetic friendly apple pie. No, that's not an oxy-moron. There is such a thing and I am armed with recipes. I am sure that my pie crust will be laughable in its appearance as always, but will taste good.

Tomorrow I go at seven to start the turkey. I've made turkeys before, but never for a large crowd. I do it exactly the same way as my roasted chickens, which are scrumptious, so I am not too worried. The stuffing is already made, someone else is bringing the mashed potatoes, and the required green bean casserole, and I might also make a pumpkin pie if I have time.

We've decided that we will pass on the parades. Frankly, they are lame and rife with so many things the kids just don't need to see. My kids don't get the floats, and I can't stand the Broadway numbers. And the commercials...UGH. I think we'll just listen to some nice music on the classical station after I get home from starting the turkey and relax. After we eat tomorrow we will visit my folks who live across town and have a little more dessert and sing "Happy Birthday" to my uncle.

I hope everyone who reads this blog has a very Happy Thanksgiving!

mere

Inexplicable

2008-11-24T08:08:00.002-06:00

Sometimes I'm just at a loss for words.

I saw this advertised in the Christms edition of the latest Bed, Bath, and Beyond sale booklet, and well... Is this REALLY something that one should give another person for a gift?! And pray tell, what would you then expect from that person next year? Egads!

It just struck me as very, very, funny. Because, really, presuming that the giftee actually tried to use it, would he actually do a good job? I seriously, seriously doubt it! Here is a demo. Oh. My. Word.

The only person I can think of who might be grateful for such a gift is a woman who, for whatever reason, cannot bend well enough at the waist to do an adaquate job of shaving her own legs...but then this contraption is clearly labled as the "MANGROOMER" and so it would almost imply that her legs were as hairy as a mans...so, it's still an insulting gift!

If I were the betting type I'd be betting this will be the number one re-gifted item for next year OR will be seen at several white elephant parties.

I hope this made you giggle! Happy Monday!

Have a great day!
mere

Disaster Averted!

2008-11-19T21:41:00.001-06:00

The toilet is fixed!

Thanks DH, you rock!

Good Times...

2008-11-19T10:58:00.002-06:00

This is what Homeschooling is all about for me. Children drenched in great literature, totally absorbed in a story, just soaking up all the love of learning and learning to love each other.

Speaking of drenched, absorbing things: I present the leaky toilet.

This would be the master bathroom toilet. The one that my three boys with bad aim do not, as a rule, use (they are allowed only if the other bathroom is occupied...I suppose I could send them outside...I jest). Ahem. Apparently the wax seal between the toilet and the floor is bad, and water has seeped out from under the toilet. Ah yes, good times...

This started last night at about 10:47 pm, when I was getting ready to go to bed. We duct taped it shut so that if I had to get up in the middle of the night I would be reminded to go down the hall. I suppose I could have just left a wet towel in the doorway to step on...what a jolt that would have been!

I am so thankful that DH is a "handy" man when it comes to plumbing issues. I am also thankful that he has a long weekend coming up. I'm really thankful we are not having guests for Thanksgiving, in case this situation is not rectified this weekend (I'm pretty sure it will be). I'm super thankful that we don't live in a one bathroom house!

My husband and I make a good team when it comes to fixing things, so this should at least be an interesting weekend.

Have a great day!

mere

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2008-11-18T14:12:00.002-06:00

Well, in my head it is. We have not one decoration up yet, and we won't until December is actually here, but my head is brimming with ideas.

Is yours?

Sew Mama Sew has some really neat ideas for handmade gifts. Click that link and it will take you right there.

I haven't heard anymore about the craft show. I am assuming that it won't actually happen. I won't be participating in it anyway if it does, because I just don't have the time to get everything made. Oh, well.

SJ's head is healing nicely, and we've been given the green light to start trying to remove the Derma Bond, but she still yells "DON"T TOUCH MY GLUE!", everytime I try. The hair is still glued together, but is no longer stuck to her forehead. I may just have to cut it.

Sunday afternoon we were over at my inlaws house so that my MIL and I could plan Thanksgiving. I'm cooking the turkey over there, and we'll be feasting at their house. Paw Paw was in his office with SJ and he statrted laughing and came in saying, "Well, she told me!" Apparently he had burped and she looked at him and said, " 'SCUSE YOU!" We all laughed. She does this to her brothers, too. A natural mother, she is.

I haven't any more time to write. It's been a nice day for me...I hope it has been for you, too.

Have a great day!
mere

Randomness

2008-11-10T08:04:00.006-06:00

So, a couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I was making beef stock.

It turned out very well, and yielded about four quarts. The bones and leftover bits of meat went to Ginger, my in-laws sweet, little schnauzer. Ollie does not eat leftover anything.

This is a chicken pot pie, made with homemade chicken stock (not beef). This was a homemade crust, rather than store bought. It got rave reviews from all who ate it. There were no leftovers. It makes me hungry just looking at it!

Here's a critter.

Another critter.

Another view. The boys caught bugs and fed them to her. I did not watch.

Cuteness.

The boo-boo. This happened Saturday when we were getting ready to go to the farmers market. We didn't see exactly what happened. I was in the bathroom getting ready, DH was in the living room on the computer, and the three youngest kids were in the little kids room, laughing hysterically. The two boys left the room, running into the kitchen. We heard SJ leave the room, apparently running and laughing and then a thud and a piercing scream. I heard DH say, "Go find your mother!" ,assuming it was just a bump, needing some love and a kiss to make it better. She walked into the bathroom and I took one look and yelled, "Honey! We are going to the E.R.!"

She had blood all over her forehead. There was a deep, inch long cut on her forehead, beyond my capacity to treat. We think she tripped over her own feet as she was chasing her brothers out of her room and hit the sharp corner of the doorway into the living room. They were all breaking the cardinal rule of "NO RUNNING IN THE HOUSE!!!" Now the boys (at least) have a much better idea of why walking is a better choice!

Blessedly, she did not have to endure stitches because the edges of the cut were clean enough for Dermabond, other wise known as super glue. She was so demure when were at the hospital, and everytime someone came in to talk to us, not a peep did she make...until they came in with the tray. THEN everyone got to see the scrapper who can kick and scream and struggle. I think they were a little surprised, but finally with everyone holding her down, they got the cut cleaned and closed up. This reminds me, does anyone know how to get super glue out of hair? Like I said, she struggled.

Then when everything was over she took both our hands and literally skipped down the hall as we left. Totally unphased.

I have to check the wound for signs of infection, which she does not want me to do. She says, "Don't touch my GLUE!" It makes me laugh.

Here she is with Benjamin. Please ignore the spaghetti sauce on his shirt. He really wanted to have his picture taken.

Today I am hoping for a nice, quiet, normal day!

Have a great day!

mere

On my knees...

2008-11-04T22:09:00.007-06:00

Psalm 40
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is the man
who makes the LORD his trust,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

5 Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require.

7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come—
it is written about me in the scroll.

8 I desire to do your will, O my God;
your law is within my heart."

9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly;
I do not seal my lips,
as you know, O LORD.

10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart;
I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.
I do not conceal your love and your truth
from the great assembly.

11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD;
may your love and your truth always protect me.

12 For troubles without number surround me;
my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see.
They are more than the hairs of my head,
and my heart fails within me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

14 May all who seek to take my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
be appalled at their own shame.

16 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"The LORD be exalted!"

17 Yet I am poor and needy;
may the Lord think of me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O my God, do not delay.

mere

Well, Hello!

2008-10-30T10:01:00.006-05:00

It's been a while since I last posted. Not much has been happening, and a lot at the same time. I'll try to bring you up to speed...But first, this is why you should never let your sticker happy child take a nap with a page of stickers:

And then these sweet shots. We'd snuggled down for a little nap in my bed. I dozed while breathing in the smell of her hair, feeling her rythmic breathing. It had been a long time since we'd gotten to do that. Aaah, my sweet baby girl. Sleeping beauty.

Waking up in a happy mood, ready to get on with the day.

She's growing too fast. We had to go get her some new shoes, some blue Mary Janes. Here's a cute line up...
Earlier this month we had a little bit of an accident. I was swinging her in her swing...the red one I've pictured her in so often here. She likes to swing high and always begs to go higher, so I gave a good hard push, when all of a sudden she was flying through the air!

She hit the ground, still in the swing, quite a ways away. The S-hook had come loose from one of the ropes and the chain that went over the limb the swing hung on. I screamed, she cried, my husband ran out, upset that his baby girl was hurt. We checked her out, and at first decided that all was well, but later she was guarding her right arm, and wimpering anytime she put weight on it. So, a trip to the new children's hospital ER (which is very nice) was warranted.

She had a fractured clavicle. Of all my children to suffer a broken bone, I never thought it would be Sarah Jane! I am so very, very thankful it wasn't any worse!

It's a good thing she's our little "bawlin' heifer calf" as we call her, because of her love of all things dairy. The bone is knitting itself together very nicely, we found out yesterday at a follow up appointment with the orthopedist, in spite of the fact that she completely refused to wear the sling (I'd put it on her and she would have it off in 2 seconds) they provided for her.

Just so you know, I moved the swing to a lower spot in the tree where it is imposible to swing high. She shows less interest in it now, not because of the accident, but because she can't swing high.

In other news, I may be participating in a craft show that may happen at a friend's house. MAY is the operative word here. It's all still up in the air, but I think I will go ahead and make up a few things anyway. If I can't sell them somehow, I can gift them to someone. I have LOADS of ideas, and I have to reduce my fabric stash anyway.

Today I am making beef stock. I've made chicken stock several times, so I decided to try beef stock. I'm using the recipe in this book. I'll let you know how it goes...

Well, that's all for now. Time to go help the older boys with their lessons. I hope you have a lovely day.

mere

Like I said...

2008-10-20T09:48:00.000-05:00

He is the most patient cat in the world.

Have a great day!

mere

EEEEE!!!!

2008-10-17T22:49:00.004-05:00

I've been sitting here perusing the Amy Butler site and drooling and hyperventilating (and I must admit getting a little teary eyed...sorry, I do that when extremely happy) over her GORGEOUS fabric and when I decided to find a store that carries her fabric, I found that there is a store carrying this fabric within WALKING DISTANCE of my home!!!

Have you any idea how excited I am over this? Seriously-go check out the link and tell me you would not be completely jazzed to make this discovery! With fabric like this to choose from, I may never buy another article of clothing for myself or SJ again!

Okay. I am calm now. Sorry for the over use of exclamation points and uppercase type. All is well. Breathing deeply and normally.

Have a great day!
mere

More Lovely Rain

2008-10-15T18:40:00.005-05:00

Most of the day it poured. In one little pause we had some sunlight and the older two boys wanted to go out. They found several large snails, which we haven't seen in some time. They've been hunkered down in their shells, trying to conserve their moisture, but now they're out and looking for food.

After the snail round-up, they turned their attention to the mud, which resulted in mid afternoon showers. As you can see, we have ample mud, which proved to be much more temptaion than either one could handle.
Later we had more downpours and going outside was totally out of the question. Time to work on a paper and read a few books.
Now that she has grown more trustworthy with books and now seems to realize that crayons are only for paper, she has free reign to look at just about anything. Mouse Tales, Dinosaurs, Richard Scarry, or Differential Equations, it's all good.
Ollie enjoyed a new box. He looks kind of like a pineapple doesn't he?

That was our day. I hope it was a good one for you as well!

mere

It is RAINING!!!

2008-10-14T16:24:00.003-05:00

In the afternoon, while the two littles are down for their naps, I often rest my eyes, too. I was awakened by an almost unfamiliar sound now...a clap of thunder. I thought maybe I'd dreamt it, and then I heard the soft whoosh of rain, little drops pitter-pattering off the roof. I think I may have even heard a soft sigh from all the parched plants outside, their dry shriveled little forms feeling a little relief at last from what has been one of the driest years in history. Thank God for this rain!

The forecasters say it will rain again tomorrow and that the high should be around 75'. Ahhhh. Lord willing they are right.

This kind of weather puts me in the mood for stews, so we are having curry with beef, over brown rice with a salad on the side.

Here's a new pinafore, but it's not for SJ.:

The back. It's reversible.

As soon as I find the pattern it's from I will post it, although now I just take an existing pinafore and cut around it...it's easier than dealing with that tissue used to make patterns. Don't you hate it when you see something on line and then you can't find it again?

Here's SJ modeling a new skirt made from scraps and a recycled pair of her brothers blue jeans. Pack-rattiness has it's advantages.

It's a little long, so I made just save it for next spring...Then again I then it's really cute long.

I must go wash some rice now.

Have a great day!

mere

Monday, Monday

2008-10-13T08:50:00.005-05:00

Today is a low key day for us, since my youngest son is home from school. It's Columbus day and teacher conference day, and since I had my conference last week we'll be home all day crisping some almonds and pecans, making homemade chicken stock, and snuggling on the couch reading, talking and watching movies. I may pull out my sewing machine, for I am feeling a very strong urge to sew. I may need to hold off on that though and tend to the laundry that needs folding, rather making more. It's overcast today. I am hoping it will rain, because we badly need it. If it doesn't rain I may take the kids for a walk.

Saturday we went to the farmers market, and saw our favorite "meat guy". He sells grassfed beef that he and his wife raise. Then we got a huge chicken which I roasted yesterday. Tonight the leftover will go into a chicken pot pie. We'll see how my crust turns out.

We laughed as we passed one booth at the Farmers Market, which sells more than just produce. There are many vendors who make and sell jewelry, clothing, soap, candles, pottery, baked goods, kombucha, photographs and dog treats. This vendor was selling "Hot, fresh, poems." There she sat, typing on an old typewriter. I admired her vision, but I didn't stop, nor did anyone else that I could see. I wonder if we'll see her next week.

Here's some pictures:

Sam

Yummy baked goods...chocalate raspberry scones, delicious!
Okra and eggplants. I adore okra. Eggplant...not so much. Leaves more for everybody else!My favorite find at the market was a bargain bag of locally grown apples, that were supposedly "seconds" and only good for apple sauce. Not so my friend...most of the apples were perfectly fine for eating, with the deft removal of a tiny bad spot. A five pound bag for four dollars. Yes!

Have you gone over to Dy's blog? She has her pictures up. My pictures were not so good but I'll post them here anyway, and then you can go over to her blog and see her better pictures.

Can you see how badly we need the rain? My eldest just came in and said that it's sprinkling. Please pray that we will actually get some rain, and that it would be a measureable amount.

Well, that's all for today. I hope you have a wonderful day, whatever your plans may be.

Have a great day!

mere

So much fun!

2008-10-10T16:05:00.003-05:00

On Sunday I finally got to meet my good friend Dy, her husband, kids and her husband's mother. This was sort of a spur of the moment trip for them, but I would say that they all came through it with smiles on their faces and happy hearts. I am so, so glad they were able to come, although their visit was way, way, too short!

Dy is just as delightful in real life, as she is in the blogosphere and on the phone, and her children are totally precious (and very polite). "Zorak" (her husbands blog name) was very personable and just as nice as he could be, and "Granny" was also lovely.

Hopefully, we will be able to get together again, soon! And now that I have seen that Emily is just the same size as Sarah Jane, I suspect I'll be sewing a few more matching outfits. Really...they look like fraternal twins or close cousins.

More happy news: I now have camera/computer capabilities again so I will be able to post pictures again! YAY!!!!!

I hope this week has been a good one for all of you. I hope you all are not freaking out about the economy. It may get rough and hard for a bit, but I truly believe it will settle down. Consider this an opportunity for prayer.

Have a great day!
mere

No offense..

2008-10-02T12:23:00.003-05:00

...to all my former classmates, but I am so glad I am skipping this years reunion!

I got a call from someone yesterday that I have wanted to see in real life for a long time and she and her family are coming to my neck of the woods THIS WEEKEND!!!!

To say that I am excited about this is the understatement of the year. Seriously. Think Snoopy dance happy.

Now I have got to get my house clean!

Can you guess who it may be? I'll be kissing some babies this weekend!

Have a great day!

mere

More clever kid quips

2008-09-16T13:35:00.001-05:00

Sam: "Hey Jake, do you remember what happened yesterday at the grocery store when I took that apple off that pile of apples on the bin?"

Jake: "Yeah! It was an apple-anche!"

Have a great day!

mere

It's been twenty years...

2008-09-15T08:39:00.002-05:00

Since my senior year of high school which means the reunion is approaching. I didn't go to my ten year reunion because I had just had my first son, was no longer providing income,and did not have the money to pay for the events except for the outdoor family picnic in the middle of (gasp) August. I wasn't really in touch with anyone anymore and, well, I had other things to do, like tend to my little nursling and lose that baby weight.

Ten years later I am more in a frame of mind to attend, but again I'm not going for a number of reasons. I haven't spoken to anyone I went to high school with in years, except the random person I may have happen to see whilst standing in line at the grocery store or in the pediatricians office, (which happens with surprising frequency since I still live in the same city where I grew up) but I have to say I am curious. Curious about what people look like now, who they married, how many kids they have, what they went on to do with themselves. Curious to know what they would say about me...would they be surprised that I married? Had four kids? Decided to homeschool (this might be shocking to a few)?

In the end it doesn't really matter what I think of them or what they think of the decisions I made, because I am happier now than I ever was when I was eighteen. I'm betting that's true of just about everyone that will be there. All the same I hope they have a blast!

Have a great day!
mere

One of these days...

2008-09-01T15:48:00.002-05:00

I'm going to find the USB cable that came with my camera so that I can upload pictures.

I've been sewing again.

It feels good!

We've also started school, and it's going much better so far than last year. We have both the older boys each in at least one class at an a la carte style school here in my town, and my third boy is back at school full time. I have my feet planted in two worlds...one in the local public school and the other firmly immersed in the homeschooling world. The program my third son is in is wonderful and I love all the teachers. They have a hard job, but they make it look easy. God bless them!

And little S.J. runs around looking cute, playing with her babies and putting them down to sleep with their blankies. It is just so gratifying to see this after years of hearing crashes and beeps and thuds from her brothers.

Anyway, I'm here, and plan on blogging more, so keep on checking in!

Have a great day!
mere

Irony

2008-08-11T19:37:00.002-05:00

I find it interesting that, as we watch the Olympics, we are bombarded by advertising for food products that probably none of these athletes should be eating or drinking.

Big Macs don't fuel good athletes. Unless you are a Sumo Wrestler.

Just a thought.

mere

Happy Belated Birthday Mr. Berry!

2008-08-06T09:07:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was Wendell Berry's birthday.

Here is one of his poems. I think it is one of the best things I have ever read.

"Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary, some in the wrong direction."

Yes, Mr. Berry. Exactly.

Please go find out more about this fascinating man.

Have a great day!

mere

ACK!!!

2008-07-28T07:47:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning, I strolled lazily into the living room and went over to the computer to turn it on, before pouring the required cups of coffee for DH and myself.

I pushed the button.

Nothing happened.

Like any good American female, I pushed the button again...and again...and again. Nothing. Then I called DH.

He pushed the shiny button several times too, and there was no response.

The computer was dead.

He recalled the night before, after I had gone to bed, that when he turned the computer off, he sat back down on the couch, and heard a couple of loud "pops" and noticed a burning smell. The cat was alarmed and was staring at the ceiling fan, so DH turned it off and the lamp. The smell went away, the computer was off, so he thought it must have been the lamp.

My immediate thought was: "Gasp!!! My pictures!!!"

Friday, I was just saying we needed to transfer our pics to discs to be able to save them in a case such as this. But as we were busy on Friday I never got to it, and well, here we are.

But all is not lost. We've got some very impressive people in the family who know a bit about computers...actually building them for a lucrative little hobby. I'm using one of those nice little machines right now, and with a little help we'll be able to extract the pertinent info off of our old hard drive and get our pictures back, which I will immediately back up on discs. Apparently, the power supply on the old computer is plum worn out, but everything else should be intact, so we can salvage some of the good parts off the old computer and add them on to the new computer of awesomeness. YAY!!!

I'm so thankful for family, and the good help they provide, along with all the love. Good stuff!

Have a great day!

mere

Finally, another blog post!

2008-07-24T09:15:00.006-05:00

Well, the BIG wedding happened this past weekend, and the ceremony was beautiful. I would love to say that our trip went off without a hitch, but I can't.

Friday we were supposed to leave our home at 11:00 am. This would have ensured that we would have reached the hotel by our 3:00pm check in time, allowing us to settle in and make it to the rehearsal at 5:00.

At 8:15 am. Sarah Jane wandered into our bathroom as I was getting out of the shower. I gasped, "Look at her toe!" It was swollen to about twice its normal size, purple and oozing pus from a little red wound with two puncture marks in it. The top of her foot was bright red and swollen, too. It looked like a spider bite.

I don't take chances with spider bites. I've seen the damage a Brown Recluse can do, and so has my husband, who used to do wound care as a physical therapy aide in a local hospital. I immediately called the doctor, who did not have an appointment until 11:00 am. They said they would call us if anything opened up before our appointment. Nothing opened up, so we went and saw the doctor at about 11:10 am, who said it was definitely a bite, but he didn't know what from. By this time, there were more blisters in the creases of her toe, where it joins onto the foot. He didn't think it was a recluse because it had rapidly progressed...usually a recluse bite does a lot of damage under the skin before it's noticed. So, he prescribed a topical antibiotic, and an oral antibiotic to ward off any secondary infections.

We dropped off our Rx's at the local pharmacy, who told us they would have it ready in thirty minutes. Then we hit Chick-fil-a, got some grub, took it home to eat, and DH went back out at about 12:30 to get the Rx. I sent everyone to the potty. At this point we thought that if we could leave by 1:30 we'd still get there on time for the rehearsal.

DH was gone for a looooong time. I called my aunt and told her what was going on, and she was totally sympathetic. Then DH called, fuming. The pharmacy didn't have the right oral suspension, had not bothered to call us, and while he waited, had called four other pharmacies only to find they were all out as well. It was about 1:35 pm. I sent everyone to the potty again, and paced the floor.

DH came home. I got on the internet to get the number to the really cool locally owned compounding pharmacy, and called. I told them what we needed and they told me that, while they didn't have the 500 ml suspension, they did have the 250ml suspension and we could just double the dose. DH went, filled out the necessary forms, while they filled the Rx. DH said that he asked the pharmacist why they could do that while the other chain pharmacy couldn't, and he replied that he "likes to think outside of the box."

After all was said and done, and everyone had been sent to the potty about five times, the car was loaded, Sarah was dosed, we left at 3:35 pm. Yep. The rehearsal was in Dallas at 5:00 pm, three and a half hours away. You can do the math. We stopped once for a pitstop, and we just made it to the rehearsal dinner, at 7:00. We showed Sarah's purplish toe, which was already starting to look better, to all who wanted to see, and all agreed that we made the right call to take her in. She took no notice of the toe, except when we rubbed the creamy stuff on it, which is "yucky gwoss!" in her oppinion.

After the rehearsal we checked into the hotel, got all the sleeping arrangements set up, and hit the hay.

The next day at the church I took Sarah into the sanctuary and we went up and down the aisle several times. Then we took lots of pictures with the bridesmaids, Caitlin, and Sarah Jane. Finally it was decided that Caroline, the Maid of Honor, would hold Sarah's hand and walk her down the aisle, which worked perfectly. She was darling, the bride was GORGEOUS, the wedding was beautiful, and other than a couple of other little hitches, which I won't mention, everything worked perfectly and Caitlin and Matthew are married, and in the end that was the most important thing that happened.
The reception was a blast. We got back to the hotel about 10:45 and collasped. The next day we took off to Fort Worth to visit more family on my husband's side of the family, and then drove home on Monday morning. All in all, it was a fun trip!

Have a great day!

mere

The most BORING blog EVER!!!!

2008-07-07T15:24:00.002-05:00

I'm talking of my own blog of course.

I, like every other mother in the universe, have been very busy.

We've been going to the library a lot. We've discovered Harry Potter. I have now read ALL of the books, and Oh my heavens!, J.K. Rowling can write! If you have not treated yourself to these books, you are seriously missing out.

I also read The Thirteenth Tale. I did not care for it.

I finally found a dress. It is gorgeous, comfortable, and it was half off. I won't look dowdy or frumpy, AND I will be able to wear it again. This past weekend, S.J. and I went to Dallas for my cousin's shower and we got to go shoe shopping with "the girls" (mother, aunt and cousin) which is a vastly different experience from shopping with "the boys". I found beautiful, comfortable shoes. So, now I just have to outfit all the menfolk in my brood. Help me Rhonda!

The shower was so fun. S.J. endeared herself to all present, although I think more than a few people are now convinced she will either sommersault, hop, or both, down the aisle. I'm hoping she will take the job seriously, and surprise everyone.

So, nothing really exciting happening for anyone other than myself and those I love. I will post again sometime after the wedding, with pics from the Big Event.

Have a great day!

mere