For the Joy of It

Children's Book Monday

2009-11-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

I have noticed lately that I do not read as many pictures books to the younger set as I did to the now "older" set. A lot of it is a lack of time. I miss the days when play-doh was the highpoint of the day for the kids and nap time was mine. (Wait, nap time is still the high point for me. It's just my nap I look forward to now not theirs!) In an attempt to be more intentional I will be asking the "older"(this is a loosely defined term-judged mainly by one's ability to reach the clothesline) kids what are/were their favorite stories. Then, I am going to start with reading those stories to the younger folk that scamper around here and somehow manage way too much media time while I wade through things such as fractions, run-on sentences and Chinese with the older set. The Boy chose A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman.

Of course I planned a mini-interview with him about his book choice.

MOM: What do remember thinking/feeling about this book when you were younger?

THE BOY : I had a little yellow bear that I would hold when dad would read the book to me. (insert sheepish grin) I guess I thought it was my bear's story.

EXITS STAGE LEFT

MOM: Huh?!?!? Did he really just share that with me?!?!?! Very cool.

Interview Over

Random Thoughts

2008-07-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hi! L1 here. I just had some random thoughts I wanted to blog. We had VBS (this is really late, it was a month ago:) and it was my first year helping! I had a lot of fun and I got to help in the class I wanted.I did first grade and my riding teeacher and her sister taught.Here is a picture of me and one of the little girls in our class.

We went and stayed with these guys for eight days when dad was in Ireland. Two of their cousins were there for part of the time so we had thirteen kids and three adults. It was really noisy and hectic but SO much fun! We went swimming and bowling and had a movie night (went to bed at 1:56 in the morning!) we had two water fights and much playing of horses outside. And me, P3, and the oldest girl -A2- made a horse game with questions. I did NOT want to leave!
I taught my girl to do this.

It is an excellant stretch for her back, and gives her something to do because she got a sore-naturally-right where my legs -or saddle- rub when I'm riding, so that has to be postponed until it heals. She can go twice as high now but I don't have a picture of that yet. The other day me and P3 stayed home while all the other kids went to Mee-Maw's house and made these dresses.

I made P3's and she made mine, then mom let us use her make-up (it makes us look scary) and we did a photo shoot in our room.

Afterwards mom said, "Wow! You guys are headed for the runway!" I said NO WAY. That is one of the LAST things on my list to do with my life! The top three are:
1. Live with P3 and A2 on a 350 acre horse farm and have a mustang sanctuary and adopt 10-18 kids
2. Be a missionary in Afganastan and adopt some of the homeless children there. (Only I'd have to get married for that :b)
3. Live on a ranch and rescue abused/neglected horses and adopt 4-7 kids
Yeah, so whatever happens, I want to adopt a bunch of kids. But I would like to adopt older kids, because nobody wants older kids, or siblings, so they don't get seperated. Well, that's pretty much it! I'll post again soon!

On the Loose in Dublin

2008-07-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

We hit the ground running - literally - as we ran with our luggage to make sure we all go on one bus. Space was not the issue so much as time. But, once settled we were able to enjoy traffic in Ireland's largest city atop a double-decker bus on the wrong side of the street!

We arrived at Abbey Presbyterian Church on Parnell Square in downtown Dublin and got a rundown on the week. Abbey Church is hosting an "Arts Festival." During the early afternoon hours the historic church will be open to public viewing.

In the evenings there will be the Xpresso Cafe, a coffee house setting in the church's basement with art and photography on display and live music. Our job during the day will be to do some advertisement by way of "busking" in some of Dublin's pedestrian-only downtown streets (Grafton and Henry streets). On Thursday some of us will play some more classical selections in the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art (two doors down from Abbey Church.

This museum boasts Ireland's biggest collection of modern painters including Renoir, Monet, and Degas.

Twirly Skirts and Being Two

2008-06-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

The weather has turned hot. My little girls were in need of something cooler. Sew, Mama, Sew blog to the rescue. If you sew ,check out this amazing resource.The girls had received some shirred tops in a hand-me-down bag and fell in love with them. The problem being, there were only two tops and one was really too big for the littles. So with great fear and trepidation, this mama put elastic thread in her bobbin and shirred away. I found myself pleasantly surprised. It worked! The shirring that is. The first top I tried to make for C6 barely went over her head. Hoping it will fit this other girl I know. If you try this tutorial please cut TWO rectangles on the fold. TWO! OK you have been warned.And the twirly skirts??? I adore them and knew the girls would put them to good use.

That is after I convinced C6 that truly this would be fun.She is 2 & a half, quickly approaching three. It is such a hard age. I do not believe in the terrible twos. There is nothing "terrible" about her.(or any two year old) I have complete and utter sympathy for them. They are unable to communicate clearly with those around them. Trapped in their minds are feelings, thoughts , stories and ideas. They desperately want to take part in everything around them. Everything is new, exciting and begging to be touched, tasted and explored. They are told many times a day "no," they aren't big enough or simply left out of what appears to be all the "fun". (I am thinking of C6's fascination of "helping" the older girls clean out the litter box.) I do not think that means we chuck loving discipline and guidance out the window. That does not mean I make excuses for everything she does. It's just my attempt to see the world through her eyes. I find when I do that I have great sympathy for her. I am a thirty-one year old woman and at times, think maybe throwing myself down on the ground and having a good cry would not be such a bad idea. How much harder for someone who has only been living this life for two years?! Praying today to see the world through my children's eyes.

To Introduce Myself

2008-06-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hello! My name is L1 and my mom asked me to post on her blog about me and horses and stuff. So, here I am! Some of my favorite things to do are: be around horses, be with my friends and family, write, draw, take pictures, and play on the computer.howrse is my favorite website to play on. It is all free (except special stuff) but I advise you to not get an account unless your parents are willing to let you spend large amounts of time on the computer everyday. It is VERY addicting. I have two pets, a cat, Maken, he is VERY sweet but a little on the tubby side. And there is Sugar, she is a very big blessing to have, as she is a horse! OK, here's the story, my riding teacher had to get rid of her horses and she asked if we would like on of them (they said they would give her to us) of course my parents said yes so I have her now. She is a 25y/old QH and she is pretty much bomb-proof and was trained to do pretty much anything. Here is a picture of her and P3 having a tea party:)

My favorite color is... well, I don't really have a favorite color! I like all of them! and my favorite fruit is bannana. (Did you know that nuts are considered fruits? I don't really count them as fruit though!) My best friend is K4 and she lives about 20 min. away from our house (that's really a blessing, I don't know what I'd do if she lived any farther away!) and I get to see her a bunch. Here's a picture of her and one of our kittens when they were younger.

My favorite comic (that's NOT in the newspaper)is Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Waterson. It is about a six-year-old boy with a wild imagination and his tiger, Hobbes. They're really funny, here's part of one, it's one of my favorites.

Well, that's pretty much it! I will post again soon, and thanks for reading my post!

Yup, That's Me! Totally Clueless!

2008-06-10T19:41:00.000-07:00

The babe-in-belly my hubbie is pointing to in this photo rides a horse , calls her girlfriend on the phone and fills copious amounts of paper with her very own words.I was totally clueless as a new mom and yet, willing to do anything for that wee babe. I can recall rubbing the baby shampoo into my eyes to test if it was really tear-free. (It's not, definitely milder but not tear-free)There were so many choices-cloth or disposable diapers,shots or no shots, plastic toys or wood toys, could she survive without me while I took a much needed sanity break?!?!?!? Then we added The Boy to the mix and threw in four more kids for good measure. I thought I had a lot of choices before.Humph! Somewhere, in the process of them raising me, the choices changed. They are still hard but very different. Yes, I try to give them all a balanced diet but birthday cake for breakfast killed no one. Toys aren't such an issue with the youngest, I just try to keep her from sniffing the Sharpies too much. I think now about choosing to stop what I am doing and have a conversation or plowing ahead with my agenda. I choose yes to as many messes as I can. I apologize promptly after the meltdown that follows from one too many messes. I pray for the courage,when they are older, to apologize for the wounds I have made. I want to know them and I want them to know me. These are just the random thoughts that ran through my mind this evening, as I sat listening to a small group of couples, on the verge of parenthood. My eyes wandering over swollen bellies, chuckling as one dad's eyes glazed over, listening to a very important discussion of how often a newborn eats. I whispered to myself, "Alot and they want all of you." They do not stop at sweet mama milk. It is a violent,all consuming love. Tonight, I will watch my children sleeping and thank the Lord that He knew what I needed. I will thank Him for the privilege of walking along with this crazy brood of mine. I will ask for wisdom,as there is much I have to learn. I am still clueless.

Children's Book Monday

2008-06-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

This zany story of a mother of seven who works very hard to please all her children's taste buds hits very close to home! We all laugh at the unusual things her children take a liking to and the interesting ways mom trys to fulfill there wishes. The illustrations are maybe even more charming than the story. You can take a peek here. The state of their house will be endearing to any book loving family and especially to those who have more than 2.5 kiddos!

Week of Spring :: Tuesday

2008-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

Week of Spring :: Monday

2008-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

Playing along with SouleMama this week.

Quietly easing back into this space

2008-05-04T22:15:00.000-07:00

Week One-Joining in with a Bang!, originally uploaded by jasmatb.

Head over to Six One Way to view other lovely images from mamas lives.

Just One More Thing

2008-01-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Baby Erin!!!

Now resuming shuffling.

Until Further Notice . . .

2008-01-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

All blogging, shop opening and schemes will be suspended. I have to do a little life reshuffling. Thanks!

888 Challenge

2008-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

I have no issue fitting books into my life but I do feel like I am often unintentional with what I choose to read. I discovered this nifty challenge over at BloggingMolly. The making of this list, forced me to really look at all the books we own. I came up short in the poetry category. I am taking suggestions!

8 Rereads

1/Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
2/Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
3/Anne of Green Gables by L.M.Montgomery
4/Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
5/To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
6/A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
7/Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
8/When Life & Beliefs Collide by Carolyn Custis James

8 Missionary Life

1/Once Bitten by Anne J Townsend
2/Letters Never Sent by Ruth Van Reken
3/Let the Nations Be Glad by John Piper
4/Raising Resilient MKS
5/A Chance to Die by E.Elliot
6/ No Graven Image by E.Elliot
7/Ministries of Mercy by Timothy Keller
8/In the Face of Surrender by Richard Wurmbrand

8 Autobiography

1/Reading Lolita in Tehran
2/ Gifted Hands: The Story of Ben Carson
3/Traveling Mercies:Some Thoughts On Faith by Anne Lamott
4/An American Childhood by Annie Dillard
5/The Letters of J.R.R.Tolkien
6/This is My God:The Jewish Way of Life by Herman Wouk
7/Escape by Caolyn Jessop
8/Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat

8 Classics

1/Hitty the 1st Hundred Years
2/Pilgrim's Progress
3/Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy
4/ Giants in the Earth by Rolvaag
5/Rebbecca by Daphne du Maurier
6/Anna & the King of Siam
7/Kim by Rudyard Kipling
8/Around the World in Eighty Days by Jule Verne

8 Poetry

1/The Father by Sharon Olds
2/Polishing the Petoskey Stone by Luci Shaw
3/George Herbert
4/Annie Dillard
5/The Weather of the Heart by Madeline L'Engle
6/
7/
8/

8 Personal Growth

1/Irresistible Revolution
2/Heaven by Randy Alcorn
3/Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
4/Susanna by Arnold Dallimore
5/Pursuit of God by A.W.Tozer
6/Evangelism Explosion by Kennedy
7/All God's Children & Blue Suede Shoes by Myers
8/Heirs of the Covenant by Susan Hunt

8 Books Girls in My Jr.High Sunday School Class are Reading

1/
2/
3/
4/
5/
6/
7/
8/

8 Madeline L'Engle

1/A Circle of Quiet
2/The Summer of the Great Grandmother
3/The Irrational Season
4/Two-Part Invention
5/Bright Evening Star
6/The Weather of the Heart
7/The Small Rain
8/A Severed Wasp

Randomness and a Link for Lisa

2008-01-08T23:54:00.000-08:00

~Yesterday,the kids and I ordered THE BIKE. H4 was disappointed when she realized she wouldn't get to see the man's face when he received his gift! We will be turning our thoughts locally this time around. There are some very amazing places around town. Please, take a moment and see if maybe there is something you could do.
~The Barney Rubble camera died. Pictures around here will be sparse for awhile. I have been praying(coveting, scheming, whining) for one of these babies.
~I have added one more goal for the year. I 'll post the list tomorrow.
~ This is an interesting story. I liked it.Hey, computer guy (you know which one you are) is that really true what they say about computers???

One More Goal

2008-01-03T22:40:00.000-08:00

I do have one more teeny, tiny goal I really want to get off the ground this year. I (with guest appearances from my mom) will be opening a small shop in the huge world of online sales. We deeply desire to continue with our Conspiracy Plan . The sales from my humble shop will go towards our efforts on that front. The picture below is part of my paper layout for a banner that will be in the shop on January 14th.

I will be giving you glimpses of what is to come. There will be aprons and art smocks of course but also a few new things. I am very excited about these banners. They have been floating around in my head for years. I am enjoying bringing them to life.

A Brief Comment on Comments

2008-01-03T22:20:00.000-08:00

Blogger does not show me your email addresses. I have tried very hard to be faithful in acquiring every one's email and replying BUT . . . I am not very good at it. I LOVE your comments though and being me, I always have a comment for your comment. I have decided to reply within the comments section. If you would like a personal reply to a question just shoot me a plain ole' email. It seems so sad to even admit I can't personally keep track of the 5 or so people who comment here. What will happen if I become famous and reach 50 or 60 comments?!?!? Te-he. Seriously, I love your comments. They are a brief moment of contact with the outside world of adults.Hey, remember, I stay at home with six kids!!!

BOOKS READ 2007

2008-01-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson
The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard
Saving Fish From Drowning by Amy Tan
Mary Modern by Camille DeAngelis
Total Abandon by Gary Witherall
Christ the Lord Out of Egypt by Anne Rice
The Adventures of Odysseus by Hugh Lupton & Daniel Morden
The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr
Who loves you like this by Edith Bruck
Dominion by Randy Alcorn
Safely Home by Randy Alcorn
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl by Anne McCaffrey & Margaret Ball
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire by Rafe Esquith
The Kite Runner by Haled Hosseini
When the Darkness Will Not Lift by John Piper
The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Empire by Orson Scott Card
Next by Michael Crichton
Ask Supernanny by Jo Frost
The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity by Sally Clarkson
Enriching the Brain:How to Maximize EVERY Learner's Potential by Eric Jensen
Dangerous Journey by Oliver Hunkin
Alphabet Dreams by Susan Fletcher
A Violent Grace by Michael Card
Till We Have Faces by C.S.Lewis
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury
A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue by Wendy Shalit

A New Year

2008-01-02T09:53:00.000-08:00

We welcomed the New Year with an evening spent in the company of close friends. There was warm soup, coffee, a fire and s'mores. A total of 18 children were in attendance (divided not so evenly between four sets of parents)!!! Everyone (in our clan) made it 'til midnight. That was a big first. The next day we bummed around and had some more s'mores. That's the upside of having forgotten to bring our share on New Year's Eve!

We discussed New Year's resolutions. The Boy described them as "things you DON'T do!" Te-he! How true that often ends up being. Most of the gang did not have too many plans laid out,yet. L1 continues in her quest to accumulate a large sum of money to purchase a horse. The Boy and P3 are going to try for reading the whole Bible. The Boy tried this past year and almost made it but not quite! My sweet man's goal is to be a man worthy of my kindness and affection. (He is for real! The guy breaks my heart.)

I have a few, small personal goals. I want to learn to knit socks. I found someone in real-life who knits! She is going to help me make sense of using four needles to knit. I think it looks terribly scary. I have also been tweaking our homeschooling adventure. I want to aim for reading out loud at least two hours a day. That may be my most ambitious endeavour this year! We don't want our Advent Conspiracy to end and have decided to continue it year round. The beginning of anything, whether a pristine blank journal, a box of newly sharpened pencils or the smell of an unread book, is exciting. I am looking forward to this new year and the adventures that lie in wait.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-16T21:05:00.000-08:00

I have plans to snuggle in this week, as the weather has finally turned cold enough to use blankets, and work our way through the holiday book basket. I am going to be taking an internet break to do some of my own personal reading and reflecting. I will be back in this little spot on the 31st! May the Lord bless each of you!

Read-Alouds

2007-12-14T23:35:00.000-08:00

Miss Molly I knew you would ask!!! What are we reading? We are reading books from Sonlight Year 5. We are not necessarily a Sonlight "family". When we lived outside the USA, it was such a blessing to get everything in one box. Now that we are here, I enjoy picking and choosing and following the kids interests more. But Year 5 I knew we had to do. I want all the kids around 10ish-12ish to read through the books put togetehr in this very special year. Year 5 is not so much a study of a history of a place but the study of people groups. We are at the very beginning of Year 5 (yes, I know that technically we are halfway through the school year. Don't ask!). I think with all the tangents and further exploration we are doing it could take us three years to finish this. We are reading the classic The Island of the Blue Dolphins. I loved this book as a young girl. I thought it would be adventurous, romantic and a little scary to be left all alone on an island. It has been such a delight to watch my children's reactions to this personal favorite.

We are also reading Torches of Joy, which I alluded to here. It is the story of John and Helen Dekker, missionaries to Papua New Guinea.

We are using the book 100 Gateway Cities of the 10/40 Window, as a prayer guide. It has been fascinating plotting the different cities on our map and fun to do further research on the Internet.What did homeschoolers do before Google? And we recently threw in Mosque by David Macauly. I love this man's books. I also do a mini-read aloud with the littles. We snuggle under the covers on my bed and are (believe it or not Miss Molly) reading through Milly-Molly-Mandy!

Well, there you have it. I am off to bed now, as it is late, because I spent too much time fooling around with that header!!!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!!!

2007-12-11T23:30:00.000-08:00

She is twelve. I may not be able to finish this post due to an electrical malfunction of my keyboard. I am not sure how well it can stand up to the amount of tears that might be shed on it. My baby girl L1 turned twelve today. I surprised her with a special trip out to lunch with her bestest friend. After lunch she spent the afternoon at her gal pal's house and then came home and spent an insane amount of time playing Howrse. She was thoroughly pleased with her day. What can I say about her? She is a mixture of sweetness, delight and a dash of tomboyness and a sharp tongue. Her first love in life at the moment (and I suspect will continue for quite some time) is horses.

She spends hours visiting our neighborhood wild mustang Adam. They have become rather close. He will come running for the fence when he sees her approaching. She has also been blessed with riding lessons. This past month she has begun jumping. L1 loves it. Her only thought is of going higher and faster. I admit to not watching most of the time.

When she can't get near a horse, she spends her time building elaborate jumps for the family dog. That dumb dog will not sit for me but will run any crazy course L1 dreams up.

My crazy girl, I love you. I love the way you make me laugh, your encouraging words and the joy you bring to my every day. Oh, I pray we will be friends one day. The best of friends. And the ironing out of you becoming you,drives us closer, not farther,apart! Happy birthday!

Back to "Normal" Chaos

2007-12-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

The chaos of the craft fair is over. All our bits and bobs are sitting patiently on a wee table to find new homes. We are getting back to normal business around here, which means back to read-alouds!

Read-alouds are every one's favorite part of our home school adventure. The sad thing is, they are the first to get bumped when the schedule gets tight. Everyone continues squeezing in their own personal reading and the littles (what I call my non-fluent readers) always manage to find someone to read to them. It is settling down and ALL of us sharing the same story that goes. This weekend I providentially came across an audio download titled "A Less Hurried Approach to Homeschooling" by the Bluedorns.

It has some extremely practical points on the nitty-gritty of how to do read-alouds with a bunch of kids. I found it inspriing and encouraging. Please, no one create an image in their head with children snuggled beside me,others at my feet, listening quietly with rapt attention. It has never happened. Everyone is allowed to do pretty much what they want as long as they remain quiet doing it.

There are lots of interruptions, questions about the story, which I welcome and then questions about what is for lunch, which I do not welcome! The littles will often play with my hair, draw, puzzles or play quietly with small toys. The older kids draw, crochet or work on some other handiwork project. When we are in a pinch for time and still want to get read-alouds done, the kids will fold laundry while I read. Today, we made play-doh. (It doubled as math!!)

Everyone settled down with their still warm play-doh and I curled up in the rocking chair for a rather pleasant read-aloud time.It is nice to resume familiar routines.

Sneak Peek

2007-12-04T19:25:00.000-08:00

**lil' bibs**

**lil' totes**

Bella

2007-12-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, my mom and I went to the theatre to view the movie Bella. It was a sensory feast. I was captured with the colors and sounds of New York. They spoke quite a bit of Spanish throughout the movie, this tickled me. I want to take my sister to see it and ask her if she recognizes any of the places. I am curious to know whether she thinks it gave an accurate glimpse into New York City life. The story line is brilliant.They captured the feelings and reactions of a young woman who has discovered an unplanned pregnancy with great clarity. I found tears welling up in my eyes as I remembered the process of finding out I was pregnant with L1. The sadness of life plans averted and changed, not willingly by the participants of life but by an unforeseen hand, struck a deep cord within me. Those changed plans may seem a disaster at first but this movie ends with hope. The sweet hope of a Love bigger than ourselves . I feel as if I am babbling on now. I am not a movie critic and most of the time not a very good writer. My words can not do this movie, this small bit of beauty and hope, any justice. Please, go and see it for yourself.

**I tried to embed the trailer but it did not work. Please, head over here and watch it. I will conquer this whole embedding thing. I will!!!***

Birthday Goodness!

2007-12-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

I would love you to meet Annie. She was the final birthday gift I received this year. I am over-the-moon thrilled to have her live in my house. Sadly, my house is not as cute as her acorn abode.I am eagerly looking forward to learning more about her and have enjoyed imagining what adventures lie ahead of her. I have also enjoyed the thought of being able to gloat and say," Well, yes, I have an original Annie. One of the first ones ever created!" Te-he! NOW, that does sound like fun,huh? Oh, dear sweet friend, keep creating!!!

Our Conspiracy Plan

2007-11-28T23:30:00.000-08:00

I have mentioned briefly before my struggle with the holidays. I want to slow down once the holidays begin to come around. My desire is to savor this time with family and friends. I want to reflect on the gifts given to me. I have a yearning to simplify, dwell on those things beyond the everyday and give out of the gratitude that wells up in my heart. Every year, no matter how hard I try to beat back the onslaught of important "have-tos", "shoulds", and "expecteds", I get caught up in the crazy frenzy and miss what I so deeply desire. This year will be different. We are going to be very intentional in the giving of our time and resources. We will also be intentional about our receiving,too! The kiddos and I have often pored over this catalog. As we were making the most important birthday list we make all year, ideas for gifts from it kept coming up. After exploring this movement that is taking place, studying Year 5 from Sonlight this year and our deep desire to give, we came up with our plan. All the handmade goodies Mom makes we could sell and then use that money to buy the gifts we want to give to Jesus this year. I will be setting up a table at the Pinewood Christian Academy's Annual Craft & Book Fair (THIS RUNS DEC.10TH -15TH). We will take 50% of the sales made there to purchase our gifts. I had also wanted to set up an online store, that would be open the entire month of December and have 80% of the sales made there to go towards purchasing more gifts. BUT . . . my list was larger than my capability capacity this year. So, if you are local (or will be in the area) stop by and have a look-see at our humble offerings. The kids have a new bike(just like kids,huh?) in mind first,one daughter can not imagine anyone going without a fresh drink, and a piglet would be pure fun after reading about how important they are to some cultures. I will be posting some sneak peeks at the beginning of next week. There is a lot of whispering going on around here! I think more plans are being made.

Want to Join Us?

2007-11-27T23:59:00.000-08:00

Yikes! Someone kindly pointed out to me that when you linked through to the video I had, it also took you to some inappropriate stuff. Sorry about that. I am still trying to figure out this whole video embedding thing. So here is a link to the user's page who made the videos for the Advent Conspiracy. There is nothing scary on his page but when you click through the videos on his site, you will be in You Tube land. Please, be wise and view You Tube with great discretion!Once again, sorry about that.

ADVENT CONSPIRACY

The Making of Lists

2007-11-26T22:42:00.000-08:00

Howdy, one and all! I am finally resurfacing after a lovely break with J and the kids. There is much to share but right now this girl is going to crawl under the sheets and pass out. Today was the first day back to "school" for us (ummm in awhile!) and it was rough. I have two birthday posts to write. I hadn't realized how much the kiddos enjoyed them, until two somebodies, pointed out to me I haven't written theirs,yet. I also have one final birthday goodie to share. Man, my birthday rocked this year!!! The kids and I have joined a conspiracy, there will be a shop opening up to aid the effort and I have to write some more posts about my amazing (single)sister, who found a job here by us and is not moving away to some dreadful place where it snows. I also really need to update my books read list. Do any of y'all actually look at that? I like it. It is very tangible proof I have accomplished something!!!! Be back in this space tomorrow.

Here a Birthday, There a Birthday . . .

2007-11-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

. . .Everywhere a Birthday!!! Well, at least that is how it feels around here in the fall. I celebrated my birthday at the beginning of this month. My small group had cake for me. J invited the folks over for an impromptu dinner (made by him!). I got to spend time with my sister and my "bosom" friend. All in all, it was rather lovely. I also received this book, as a gift.

I have wanted to get my hands on it ever since it came out. I just was never able to rationalize purchasing another craft book. I have been trying very hard to discipline myself and only buy what I need. I have some serious stash I need to use up around here. Know what I mean? I even went so far as to spend an evening reading the entire book, cover to cover, at the local mega-bookstore. The desire for it was not dampened. I only accomplished fanning the flames higher. So, since receiving this beauty, it has been a constant companion. I am working up quite a list. I think I will be revising it though. I truly need no list, just one of everything ,please! Beginner or experienced seamstress, put this one on your Christmas/Birthday/JustBeenAWonderfulPerson list!

DONA International

2007-11-12T21:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, with great trepidation, I took the first step toward becoming a doula. I attended a 16-hour workshop in Kissimmee, with my "bosom" friend. I loved every minute of it. I love babies, and birth, and the amazing strong women who give themselves over to it. Doula comes from a Greek word which means servant. A doula serves a woman at one of the most intimate times of their lives. I am going to be able to have that privilege!!! I love the energy at births. I love watching not just a baby being born but a family. I have a long road ahead of me,many steps left in the certification process. I have my own self-doubts to wrestle to the ground. I have to figure out what I am going to do with six kiddos, while I run off to serve these ladies! I want this bad, though. Really bad and I know this is my calling. Really and truly, I enter a certain groove. A comfortable spot of knowing who I am and what I can do. I will keep you guys updated on my progress. I have quite a bit of reading to do. I am glad the weather has turned. There is a lot of coffee in my future.

Introducing Jane/June

2007-10-31T12:28:00.001-07:00

I would like to take a moment to introduce you to Jane and June.

This is June. We find her, on a fine fall day (November 1st to be exact) reviewing her holiday list. June has finished all she has planned -cookies are baked & in the freezer,all presents are purchased & wrapped, Thanksgiving menu planned, Christmas cards addressed, stamped & signed!!! Yes, June is a marvel. She even had time to whip up a festive apron. Now what shall we do for New Year's???

I would like to introduce you to Jane. Poor, poor Jane, she thought it would be festive to home dye her hair red & green. As you can see it did not turn out so well. On the 23rd of December, around midnight, she realized her scheme of making matching pj's for the kiddos was not going to happen. In despair, she tossed the scissors and is retreating to her room with a cup of joe and chocolate until mid-January.

This Topsy-turvy doll is my entry for the 2007 Holiday Softie Awards. (Please, stop by and browse through all the amazing entries) I am not a big holiday gal. There are multiple reasons for this,of which none I am going to go into. Too much navel-gazing for me, thank you very much! This little gal was great therapy. Everyone in my house has decided I need to place her on the table and use her as a way to give everyone a heads up as to my state of being! I am thinking maybe it is not such a bad idea!

The thing is though, now I am getting a little weirded out about having her up there for the "world" to see. Does anyone else get this knots in their stomach feeling when showing your work to other folks?

Argh!!!

2007-10-29T21:08:00.000-07:00

Just what was I thinking? Sigh . . .

Ta-Da!!!

2007-10-26T21:34:00.000-07:00

The boy's room is complete. (Well,mostly.Tomorrow we move everything back in and he still needs some curtains and new bedding but the really big stuff is done!)He knew exactly what he wanted on his walls. We found the inspiration over at blik.WARNING:: You could drop some serious dough over there!

My dad and I made the stencils and then The Boy and I painted them on. The Boy also knew he wanted to use chalkboard paint to make a chalkboard above where his desk will be.

The floor was the tricky part. It used to be a shaggy, rental brown, floor to floor carpet.I loathe carpet. Besides all the germs and dirt that get trapped under it, keeping it nice looking with six kids, two dogs ,six cats and a rat is impossible. We have recently tiled the rest of the house but I needed to be able to do this project on my own. I was concerned about my skills in that area. There was the stick on tile option. Which I thought at first I would go with but it ended up being cost prohibitive and I really wanted something indestructible. We chose to paint the cement floor.

First we cleaned it really well with a solvent I am sure will be found to cause cancer! Then we simply painted a design on with regular ole' paint. We actually used the leftovers from several different projects. Then we sealed it with a wet-look cement sealer. This process took about a week due to high humidity levels around here. It took the paint forever to dry. The girl's room was pretty crowded for awhile. The Boy requested a special logo for his floor and J was glad to help out with this part of the project. All in all, I am very pleased and more importantly so is The Boy. Next up, the girls room but I truly need a couple of weeks without the chaos home improvement causes around here.

Flow (and gushing)

2007-10-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

***************************************
This post has sparked a lot of thinking on my part today. Before I go any farther, please pop over here and read it. I will wait. OK, did you really read it? I mean it . . .That amazing gal Stefani can say it far better than me any day. After you are done reading this post go back over there and read this and this and this. Those are just some of my favorite. I am sure you will find your own. Add her to your blog roll. She is a wonderful writer, photographer and is sure to bring a smile, of one variety or another ,to your face. Alright so you read it and I can go on. I am fascinated by the way the human brain works. The slew of kiddos around here has me devouring most everything I can on brain development.After bumping into this post I realized that the things that are considered "optimal" for brain growth are the very things that produce "flow". There is a vast amount of information out there on this subject. I could write a whole book. (Well, if I had some spare time) So I am just going to highlight a few key points and let you tnihk on it awhile.

Things that enhance brain development:

:: An attentional mind-set to the task at hand.This makes me think of the studied look my children assume when they get in the flow.

::Low to moderate stress. Flow is hard to achieve in the hustle & bustle of rushing to & fro. I often need to remind myself that too many "good" activities cause stress,too.

::Coherent,meaningful tasks. It is important to remember what an adult considers meaningful & coherent will be very different than what a child considers meaningful & coherent.Children find great meaning in the process of an activity.Adults tend to be very outcome oriented.

::Repetition of task. If you have children, I really do not need to comment on this.

::Sufficient time. I find this the hardest. I constantly feel like I am hacking away at our schedule to create more time for my children to just exist and find their own way.

That was just a teeny, tiny tip of the iceberg. If this has produced in you a desire to learn more check out books written by Jane M. Healy, PH.D or Eric Jensen.

*a certain someone's birthday is coming soon*

Scrappy Kitties (and little pouches,too!)

2007-10-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have been very blessed this past year to teach the Jr.High girl's Sunday School class at my church. It is an amazing bunch of young ladies and I am enjoying their fresh perspective on things. We have been memorizing scripture together. This month we are working on Psalm 121. I wanted to provide them with an incentive and I knew candy bars were not going to cut it for this group of chic gals.(King-size candy bars are a standard youth group prize.) Both of these projects came from Denyse Schmidt's book. They were infinitely easier than that other project.

The zippered purses were easy to whip up,just like Denyse said. The pink is a vinyl, the other colors leather, that I picked up thrifting. I went a little wacky with the designs. Denyse just sticks to the zigzag in her project but it is very open to creating your own look.

The kitties were inspired by her Steve cat. Little blue Chloe is a reinvented wool blanket.

Boris and Chloe are both sporting bits & bobs from my vintage notion stash. I am having difficulty parting with theses two cuties!

If you have not checked out Denyse's book, please do.The book is divided into three sections. The first section is a comprehensive tool,techniques and basic sewing skills section. The second section contains twenty projects (like the cats & purses) and the third section contains ten quilts. I want to try my hand at all of them!

Yep, She Fell Off the Fence

2007-10-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

I had carefully plotted out our course for the day. Everything was running smoothly. Most everyone had finished school and we were heading into lunch ahead of schedule,then they came running.

"The girls fell mommy! And N3 can not get up!"

Quickly I jogged out to the backyard and found N3 laying on the ground.H4 had also fallen but thankfully only received some "road rash". I think she might have been spared worse by falling on her sister! N3's arm was twisted funny under her, crying,out of breath, I carried her inside. It hurt to put ice on her arm and it was beginning to swell a little. J would be home in 30 minutes, so we waited on Daddy to see what he thought. He confirmed my suspicions that it was possibly broken. Off to the doctor we went. (After dropping the rest of the kiddos off with a friend. I heart my friends!)An x-ray showed it was a fracture and she would need a cast the next day. Our first.

Interesting statements N3 has made:

::"Yeah, no school for three weeks!"

::"Yeah, no baths for three weeks!"

::" Mom, I don't have anything that goes with red for church."

::" Instead of kung-fu, I can perform cast-fu!" (said while waving cast in a violent manner)

It has not slowed her down at all, though!

What a Day!

2007-10-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

Oh, why do I even bother to make lists? I never make it past the getting dressed part:) More tomorrow. This mama is going to get some coffee.

Life Goes On

2007-10-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

I feel apprehensive about the posting I made last week about my Dad. I could not bring myself to write another word keeping that information inside me,tra-la-la skipping along like nothing happened. I feel like I blurted it out really fast, with my eyes shut tight and then on to happier thoughts, though. That is not what it is like. It is hard to live with someone ,so close to you, that isn't always there for you the way you think they should be.

It's hard to love, honour and give when you so desperately want to demand your rights. I find it next to impossible to balance this new role I have been thrust into and all the usual life stuff with six kids and the poor,bottom-of-the list husband. (Somewhere in there should be the animals but you can neglect them for awhile, as long as you ignore their messes!)

I hate having to confront my selfishness. I enjoy things my way and at my leisure. BUT ya' know what? It's OK. God has called me to love. That love is not just for people in Africa, China or a country in some special window. That love is also meant for those around me, those closest to me. He knows it is impossible for me to love, with this fleshly heart. That is why, the creator of this amazing universe has said He will use me to do the impossible because all things are possible with Him. I still clean up messes.

I still enjoy sweet smiles, hugs and songs from A5. I get up in the morning excited to see God do the impossible in me. I have chosen to daily walk in that expectation. Life will never be normal. Normal is a setting on my dryer. BUT life can be full of an incomprehensible joy found only in Him. I am fighting for it! How about you?

WIP

2007-10-11T22:06:00.000-07:00

One of the nice advantages of being THE Boy is you get your own room!

The First Quilt

2007-10-10T20:23:00.000-07:00

Saying that H4 is not a morning person is a major understatement. She comes by it honestly,though. Neither her dad or I wake up quickly. Every morning she lugs out her twin size,duvet covered, down comforter and crawls up on the couch.The problem with the routine was that the comforter got dragged across my floors. We sweep them but there is a reason when asked ,"What color tiles are you looking for, ma'am?" I replied quickly'"Dirt"! All this dragging about was causing the comforter to be washed more frequently than I would have liked. I thought to myself, what she really needed was a lap quilt. My next thought was . . ."I bet I could make one."

After having done some of the smaller projects from Denyse Schmidt's book I decided to tackle a quilt.I picked "Flock of Triangles" for my first project. I was drawn to this particular one because of the use of orange fabric in the photo. (No, not because I read all the directions from begining to end and thought I had the skills to make the quilt!!)I wanted the quilt to speak a little of who, at this moment, H4 is. My dear friend friend summed up H4 once perfectly,"She is a party waiting to happen!". H4 is that and more. She may be slow to wake up but once she gets going-WATCH OUT! My little imp does everything with gusto and often sweeps this mama up in her pint sized whirlwinds.

After having made the quilt, I wish I had started with squares! This was one hard quilt. No matter how I cut or sewed, I could not get points on my triangles. There are a few that managed to emerge but trust me, they were an accident. It was not because of any skill I posses in this area. I loved the process of selecting colors, love the bumpy texture it came out with and LOVE the smile on H4's face when she tells folks about the quilt I made for her. I am just so not lovin' those triangles.

N3 sat down with me the other day to discuss the colors for her quilt.

HER "Mom, I would like light blues and purples. OK?"

ME "Sure sweetie. You can pick any color you want but mama is cutting the fabric into squares.OK?"

Happy Birthday!!!

2007-10-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

Amidst the wild ride last week was,we celebrated life. Sweet N3 has reached the very old and wise age of nine. At our house we usually have two birthday celebrations. One is with family and then one with friends. This year N3 had a sleepover. She had a gaggle of girls here for a Webkinz party.

There was a water balloon relay, a custom designed pin-the-cold-pack-on-the-pig-Dr.Quack's-assistant game and a raw egg on a spoon race.(I have no idea what to call these games. Sorry for the rambling descriptions.) N3 requested a Plumpy cake, which actually was not as terrifying to make as I thought it would be.

Her party went off without a hitch thanks to some very dear ladies who stepped in to help J manage the crowd. Thanks ladies!!!

My girl has quite a bit of spunk and a zany sense of humor. She is a creative spirit and like her mother, can not stp until the idea is out of her head and on the table being photographed.`

::Penny Pockets, created & photographed by N3

::Learning the fine art of breadmaking

::Playing Project Runway

::Her favorite spot

::Never without a pair of these

Off to plan the next birthday! Counting down-17 days!!!

Fighting for Joy

2007-10-04T04:37:00.000-07:00

My father is bipolar. I was grocery shopping with the younger girls on Thursday (the 27th) when my mom called and asked if I had seen/talked to my dad that day. As soon as she asked, I knew, he was gone, again. He has disappeared before and turns up within 24 hours. This time he was gone for almost three days. We received a phone call from him on Saturday (the 29th) asking for our help. He had hitchhiked to Mount Sterling, Kentucky! My sister, mom and I drove through the night to pick him up. He is safely painting The Boy's room as I type. It has not been easy growing up with an erratic father. There were periods in my life when I would hold my breath every time the phone rang, fearing the news that may be at the other end of the line. I alternate between anger, grief and just a very deep desire for it all to end and to go home. Home ,where he would be whole and our relationship could be,too. Until then I am fighting hard for joy. I want to live this life well. I have been listening to John Piper's words on the fight and soaking up great comfort, while simultaneously being convicted over at this quiet corner in blog land. Last week we just pushed through. I tried to keep everything as normal as possible. This week we are slowing down and taking a deep breath. For me, this includes a lot of coffee and fabric scraps. The kids will be outdoors enjoying the return of our sunny Florida days. I apologize in advance to any dear friends who are hearing about this for the first time here. Thank you for your grace!

My Daughter-the Photographer

2007-09-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

L1's favorite subjects are animals and her baby sister.

***Please, note the green grass and the babies' "fall" outfit***

Green with Envy

2007-09-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone is busy noting the signs of fall and assessing their fall wardrobes. We on the other hand are still wearing shorts and running the air. I do not believe Florida has fall. We have summer, a milder summer-season-thing and then BAM-it is winter. I long to wear tights, corduroy and hand knit sweaters. Sigh . . .in the midst of finishing up the odd projects from my table I needed some more thread. While at the store I discovered these beautiful bamboo knitting needles. I felt silly even looking at them. The last thing I needed was a new project/skill to learn AND it is not like I have a running list of all these warm-woollies the family needs. I could not resist though. They were smooth and there was all this yummy yarn to go with them.I selected some cotton yarn, thinking of a pattern I had seen in the amazing book Kids Knitting. The directions are clear and the drawings are perfect. If you want to learn to knit, check out this book! I think the wash mitts would make great puppets,too.

I warn you though that knitting is addictive. I am constantly holding up one finger and asking,"One more row,OK?". It is super portable and so far (the wash mitt not being too terribly difficult of a pattern) putting down mid project has been fairly easy. Now that I have finished up all my "15 minute" projects,(and picked up something new) I am going to focus all my attention on a bigger project that has been waiting in the wings.

Lazy Days

2007-09-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

Life is chugging along smoothly. I tend to be taken surprise by change. I realized this weekend that so much of my mini-meltdown was getting back into the gear of school, my mom returning to work (days off no longer regular) and all these birthdays! We have been working in the garden preparing the ground for our fall planting. I really want to try strawberries this year. I have offered a quarter per bucket of weeds. Now if only the strawberries would grow as well as the weeds!

::L1 earning some money

Awhile back, there was a storm brewing over at Stefani's. It triggered one here,too. It brewed up some serious thoughts about some things I had allowed to creep into our lives. I often think how we spend our time is just as important as how we spend our money. We have been cutting away some activities and slowly trying to make somethings a part of our everyday routine. Not all of us are as pleased as others.

::The Boy suffering from media withdrawal

The Littles (what I call the younger set of girls) have been busy working at their restaurant while the oldest girl and I dig in the garden.

::Carrot Peel Stew

::Dirt Cake (I love knowing that H 4 took this picture because she always gets the camera strap in the shot!!)

And hands down our favorite way to pass time is to watch C6 tote her bubble machine all around the yard.

Just for Joy

2007-09-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

Psalm 148
Praise the Name of the LORD
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD!

Enjoying My Kids

2007-09-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

Friday I packed everyone up in the van (minus hubbie, who stayed home to have a day alone,they need them too sometimes) and headed off to Gainesville. We met up with my sister (single,cute,available)at the Florida Museum of Natural History. We explored everything from giant sharks to bat caves. There was no schedule, no plan-just us and the favorite aunt (brilliant,creative,funny).The highlight of our visit to the museum was the butterfly rain forest.

I truly could have spent all day here. If you are anywhere near you must check it out!!! All of the photos of the butterflies were taken by L1. She could have spent all day there,too.

The staff (including the security guards!) were friendly and very willing to share information with us. This particular gentleman from the butterfly rain forest impressed H4 with his ability to talk to the butterflies.

One of the butterflies wanted to come home with us!!! As you can see in the picture that I have C6's arm in a vice grip because she so very badly wanted to touch that butterfly. All the while L1 one was shrieking and telling us to hold still so she could get a picture. The truly amazing part is that this butterfly actually attempted to sample the flowers on my shirt. We learned that butterflies can see in ultraviolet and are attracted to certain flowers based on patterns revealed by ultraviolet light (see this page for a "mouse-over" demonstration).

Then she (I am assuming gender because we were informed that this type of butterfly's common name is Priscilla)slowly began to crawl up my neck. It was very ticklish. I wanted to shriek at this point.

Famished and in need of a recharge, my sister (talented,solo,joyful)took us to lunch at an awesome New York style pizza parlor. All the kiddos were duly impressed with the size of the slices and the paper plates they were given to decorate.There was conversation about what everyone was learning in school and a certain someone's birthday party.

As always, wherever my sister (bachelorette, smart, very smart!) is there ensues much silliness.

The peaceful ride home (except for the meltdown of C6 who could not understand why she had to stay in that blasted car seat) included leftover pizza and naps for most everyone. Thanks kids, truly you are blessings to this mama.

**warning** This blog contains subliminal messages***

15 Minutes

2007-09-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

Yep, that is all it took to remove the basting and add some top stitching to this outfit. It has sat on the sewing table for weeks! Oh, bother:)This outfit was commissioned by P3. I made one exactly like it for a pal of hers. They love to match and call each other before evening programs on Sundays to compare notes. Anyone recognize the top? I need to find a wholesale supplier for elastic! I lengthened the top a bit as both girls have long torsos. I used Simplicity 4206. I love these sweet and simple patterns.

Frightening

2007-09-18T09:41:00.001-07:00

This weekend I organized ALL my works in progress. I have been feeling a bit scattered brain whenever I find my way to the back porch. Instead of bustin' out with the craftin' I end up staring off into space, picking up things and setting them back down.I went through the fabric stash,too. Now my mind is swimming with ideas. This week I am going to tie up the loose ends(most of them probably taking 15 minutes) of my current projects. Some of the projects I will simply be abandoning. They aren't working for me. Then others,I am surprised at how pleased I am with them. Distance/time does make the heart grow fonder! I would strongly encourage anyone new to sewing to wait on the destruction of an item you personally find less than stellar. If you give it a couple days or even a week, you may change your mind about demolition.

OK so this picture is in no way related to anything. Aren't they the cutest???

::Friends in the making!

A Smoother Ride

2007-09-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today started with lots of coffee and time spent zoning out here in front of the computer. I moved very slowly today. I spent a large chunk of time in the Word and we all spent time outside,enjoying the cool weather. I kept thinking all day,how I am growing up,too. I am still learning my own boundaries. I have been a mama for 12 years and married the same number. I find myself at times wriggling around in this mama skin, not sure it quite fits me. I am constantly resizing it, lopping off expectations that weigh me down,adding bits & bobs,until it fits just right. Some days I am more confident with the shears than others. Thanks for your encouraging words!

::Why won't she ever just smile???

I have to be very careful to not compare and to let go! Arghhh, how tightly I clutch to things that do not matter. Five seconds on the other side of eternity, my pile of laundry will not matter! But the here and now can be so pressing. It is the cry of my heart to live an intentional life, mindful of people and not THINGS! An eternal perspective is needed in this mama job. But so hard to balance with all the daily, very real things I "need" to do.

::Mushroom castle

::Face creation

::What a Sweetie

::Hey, how bad a day could it be??? She has clothes on!!!!

::WIP

I am off to watch a super junky movie and do some stitchin'. It is just what the doctor ordered to this healing day.

Just Trying to Get a Grip

2007-09-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

There are days when I am a really swinging, together mom. We rise early and before us lays every imaginable, wonderful thing. I am creative super mom on those days and say "YES" to every mess they wish to create. I do not feel perfect, just riding this nice little happy groove of children, creating, reading, playing and some chores thrown in there,too. I fall asleep exhausted on those days but with a heart full of joy at what I was a part of.Then ,there are days like today. Instead of my nice, smooth groove, I feel like I was dragged across a dry river bed. And somehow managed to snag myself on every piece of debris left behind. I cringe when my children suggest another mess. The day is just a countdown to bedtime. I crawl in bed wondering what went wrong. I usually want to cry but am too tried to manage that emotional feat. Truth be told I feel like a failure. A friend commented on how she would like to focus on how God sees her. I would like today to see myself the way God sees me. What does He see when He looks at this broken mess of a girl? There were harsh words spoken, missed opportunities to show God's grace and precious time that slipped through my fingers today. I know the answer is not for me to pull up my boot straps and try harder tomorrow. I will seek His face, forgiveness and pray it is a smoother ride.

Birthday Season Has Begun

2007-09-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

Borko birthday season begins with a triple birthday in August. My mom and C6 share a birthday and my sister's takes place a week before. We had the whole gang over for a birthday bash. There was food, cake and laughing. My mom loves coconut cake and had been eyeing this one over at Martha Stewart. We did the best we could to compete.

It was super yummy and vanished quickly. J's parents came over and celebrated later on in the week with a smaller cake!

C6 turned two AND there is not another baby coming. It has been a lot harder on this mama than I ever expected. I am trying to embrace the feelings and cry when I want or just sit and enjoy her when I know I "should" be doing something else. At first I tried to deny/suppress the grieving feelings. Things like:

"Give me a break Eva you do have SIX kids!!! What's your problem?"

"What are you some kind of baby nut!!! Won't it be great to not have a diaper bag?"

"You will have lots of grand babies to hold. Just wait."

"You can always work in the nursery!."

had been running through my head. I have never made it to a two year old birthday without a baby on the way. And this whole process of letting go bites.

::Before the curls came in

::My brown eyed girl

::Cool baby,cool

::Not so easy being two

::"Horsie!!!"

Sigh . . . Now I'll be gearing up for P3's birthday this month, with ones following in October, November and December. We get January off before The Boy's birthday in February! Going to search for more cute cakes!

I Went in for an Iron . . .

2007-09-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

And as we were locating a cart, the cheerful worker handed us a paper bag and said (the magic words),"Fill it up with any books you want and it's only FIVE dollars!" There was no thinking about it. I snatched that bag up and began giving instructions to the girls with me to start looking. After we had piled an enormous amount of books in the cart, we sat down and sorted through them. P3(girl's beginning initial + birth order) became very concerned that ALL the books were going to fit in that one paper bag. Never fear, super-book-packer to the rescue. We carefully packed and repacked the books (can we count this for math in some way?)until they ALL fit. We located standard favorites, such as Hank the Cowdog, Madlibs (unused,YAHOO!), Amelia Bedelia and quite a bit more. I found a real gem.

It is not in pristine condition but it really doesn't matter because I would never sell it. I love old children's' books. There is something very special about the stories.I can't quite put my finger on what it is though.

They are simpler than the stories told today but the language is not dumbed down. The children are children. They play games, imagine things and get into all kinds of crazy situations that would never be allowed in modern books. They also all teach something but are less pushy about it. It seems that a lesson is shared quite by accident.

Unlike the story we read from the library tonight. The children in the book went to the beach, then they put on sunscreen, they only went into the water after they had paired up. One of the friends went too far and almost got hurt . . . blah,blah,blah,blah! There was no story, just a long list of rules about going to the beach with cute pictures. It made me shudder. It also makes me shudder to find the true treasures discarded. Many of them come with discard stamps from the public libraries. Arghhhh . . . what are they thinking???

Well, it is my personal duty to collect as many as I can for my children and grandchildren. Hey, who knows maybe I will open my own private children's library one day! What is your favorite oldie but goodie?

My Life!!!

2007-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

I love this post. I have come back to read it many times, just to know I am not alone. Check it out. You will laugh and maybe, even cry!

August Highlights

2007-09-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

August was a crazy, busy month for us. I have been away from this little spot due to a combination of a router-computer-thingie problem and and all the stuff we packed into this past month! Life is slowly tilting rightwards to (our version) normal. I wanted to take some time this week to let ya' in on some of the doings around here. The lack of computer time shot my productivity through the roof. I finished several WIP.

The Boy is not much of a model, so this was the best(only)shot I got of him in his new pants.

I made him another pair in tan and a coordinating set of shorts.

I am always suggesting he try a print or at least another color. But no!!! The Boy's wardrobe consists of dark colors and lots of pants/shorts with elastic waists. It is nice to have one child keep things simple. I have some girls that are very picky about style and colors and one who is insanely concerned about comfort! So really, I am not complaining about The Boy. There is one color he has taken a particular liking to lately . . .

He's moving up. In the end though, his favorite color will be black again:)

Swimming Lessons

2007-07-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been in a major cooking rut. OK, maybe the truth is something closer to a life rut!My nose barely above water, as I tread for the longest time. Not really getting anywhere but wore out and cranky. My days off,just being me, a lovely visit with a dear friend, an encouraging conversation with an emerging kindred spirit, realization of the awesome community of women surrounding me and a boost in the arm (yesterday) that these kids are my calling . . . these things have me swimming again. I am not going for the full out around the world swim but I am going to try and make it across the lake. When I am down , in a rut, the first thing to go is cooking. My dear J doesn't mind so much but a few of the older children have a hard time eating frozen foods. I fear the younger ones will come to think of me cooking as a special treat! Today I was feeling mighty fine and decided to test the waters in the kitchen. I pulled out two of my favorite cookbooks and started in with some help from my kitchen side kick. She resembles the Red Hen quite a bit, in that she is really into tasting everything and not so into the helping part. Lots of people love the Moosewood cookbooks for all their yummy vegetarian recipes. In our house we do have a couple favorite entrees and salads but the most used sections of my Moosewood cookbooks are the deserts! So we whipped up some blueberry muffins. Trust me these count as a desert, my J compares the batter to cookie dough. We also made brownies but I do not have a picture of those. They were eaten right out of the pan. And there is nothing left to take a picture of except contented tummies! It feels grand to be swimming along again. Very grand indeed.

A Day in Pictures

2007-07-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Nine children, ages 1 to 11 yrs, six of whom were six and under!

A joyful song

New artwork to display

Eating and eating and some more eating

Alot of silliness

Disney World syndrome

Snack anyone?

Oh yeah, a little of this.

Why buy toys?

Crafting, of course!

I Am Not Alone Part 2

2007-07-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

This summer God has impressed on me how I am not alone. I have feared being "alone" for as long as I can remember. Some would say I am an extremely extroverted person. I think I am fueled by my desire to belong. This desire led to some pretty unhealthy relationships. (think boys . . .too many boys) As a young mother and then a young bride,(yes, in that order. Not a recommended strategy)I felt very alone. In the beginning, I was sure God had simply abandoned me. I quickly realized He wanted me all to Himself for awhile.

Then I began to pray for a friend. I desperately needed someone authentic. God slowly brought the most amazing women into my life. There was not just one authentic friend but several! This past summer as I have begun to disciple and befriend some younger girls, the Lord has brought home just how sweet the friendships I have are.

I know many ladies struggle with not having that authentic friend. My suggestion to you would be to pray and step out on a limb and be real yourself. On so many levels we cover ourselves up and think everyone else is doing a better job at (insert something you are insecure about here) than you. Oh my!!! What a lie. A really big lie. A really, really ginormous lie! A lot of these thoughts were prompted by a late night conversation with one of the authentic friends in my life. She had been thinking on all this after having heard ,speaker and author Todd Wilson, at a home school conference.She passed on to me a gem of a book. Go now and run out (well, run to the computer) and buy this book!!!! Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe. Even if you are not a homeschooling mom, or not a mom but a women who breathes air on this earth . . . buy it!!!! His gems apply to us all.

Oh, all the pictures? My piles of WIP. I know I am not alone in these!

I Am Not Alone

2007-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

She's making them and so are these folks!

I Am Addicted

2007-07-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

My plan for my mom's day out this week was to visit my lovely (single) sister in Gainesville. I decided I needed a new shirt to wear and while I was at it, why not two? This is the same pattern (from dear Wendy:) that I made before. This time I squared off the neckline a bit, omitted the elastic in the arms and used a knit. I also cut a sharper curve on the seams. I think this helped deal with the prego look.

The color in this photo is very washed out. Argh! The knit is actually a bright, cheery yellow that screams summer. I also included a button in the middle. I am sure my husband is wondering if I made the shirt just to show off the button. I certainly spent enough time picking out just the right one.

And while in Gainesville, I worked on personalizing my second shirt, drank coffee and popped in at my sister's favorite thrift store. And lookie, lookie:

Yahoo! And totally within my limit. My lovely sister has hard a rough go of it this past year. I am proud of her. She is strong and beautiful. I am blessed to have her in my life and I plan to live it up while she is close again. Because you never really know where she will go.

Adopted Cousins

2007-07-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

J(aka hubby) and I have one sibling each. J's brother and sister-in-law have chosen not to have children. My sister would like children but is still waiting for Mr.Right. (We are taking applications! Single, stable males between 25 and 35 with a job they love who won't mind a woman who loves her work, too can email me:) So, we have no cousins. The Lord has blessed us with special friendships. We have some "adopted" cousins who live close by and a few we have to travel a little farther to see. We visited with our cousins in Orlando this past weekend. A blast was had by all! They have 3 boys and 2 girls. The ages are a perfect match up. J and I love their parents dearly and we all agree on what a good time is. So while the grownups talked and talked and talked and talked talked . . .

Cousins swam in the pool:

Girls:

Boys:

Played games:

Old Friendships Refreshed:

And a New One Formed:

Life is hard sometimes and it is so sweet to have friends to share the road!

OK this blog is getting depressing!

2007-07-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

I just looked over the last couple of posts and they make me sound a tad bit like Eeyore. Actually, I am a making-lemonade-out-of-lemons kinda' girl. The only way to survive this crazy roller coaster ride called motherhood is to laugh-ALOT!This little diddy had me and the kiddos rolling on the floor laughing. Though all of my children thought they could have left the dad out of this song. The reason? "Dad just really likes coffee. You are the one who NEEDS it!" Har-har!

This guy is hysterical. You can check out more videos at YouTube or purchase a CD for your very own at Ralph's World.

What a Week!

2007-07-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely fourth of July, with the hubby being off from work for 5 days. Upon returning, some of the kids promptly came down with a cold. Then three of them showed up crusty eyed one morning. Yep, it's pink eye! Right now we have it contained to three of them and everyone's hands will soon be raw from all the hand washing I am making them do! Be back tomorrow with pictures from our trip, a report on my mom's day out, a new shirt and some new-to-me shoes!!!! I myself, am in the middle of a Servant Tantrum. It looks something like this:

There are cures for this state of being:
*coffee with a friend
*chocolate
*a good old fashioned cry
*a long shower
*a foot massage
*mindless, fun movie
*extra time in the Word with journal writing
*dancing and singing loudly while wearing iPod around house

These are just a few of my favorites. I have already stolen a few moments with my journal while laying down with a sick child tonight. I wrote TWO whole pages!!! I think I will be hitting my husband up for a foot rub and a mindless movie when he gets home.What do you do to tame the Servant Tantrum?

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow . . .

2007-07-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

Today was much better. My mom has the summer off and has offered to watch the kiddos every Tuesday.I had really wanted to go to the beach but it poured rain today. So I went to my favorite bookstore. I love walking through bookstores. I find it very soothing. Then I met my hubby for lunch. It wasn't anything fancy but I did get to sit across from him and eat the whole meal without getting up!!! And we did finish a couple of complete sentences. I stopped off at PetSmart to buy food and other necessary things for all the critters in our household. Introducing them all would require a separate post. There are eight of them. Off to Jo Ann's, where I looked through every page of every pattern catalog they had!! Ya-hoo. Wendy (don't ya' love how we are on a first name basis)has two new patterns out. And all the pattern companies have a few retro patterns. I really like this Butterick pattern. Not sure how practical it is for a day with six kiddos but still . . .a girl can dream. I rounded up my day with a quick stop at the grocery store and the library. I arrived home to kids fed and ready for bed. YOU ROCK, MOM!!!! Well, for the three people who read this blog and need to know, I will be out of town for the next four days. Have a wonderful fourth of July!!!

Look at the Cute Kitten!

2007-07-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely, sweet picture of my oldest daughter's cat. Let's all admire him and think cute thoughts. That way we won't have to discuss:
*no milk for my coffee this morning
*a really yucky stomach bug hanging on
*how many hours of Webkinz my children played
*how many episodes of The Waltons we watched
*the number of times I lost my cool today and ended up sounding very much like my 4 year old
*that my 4 year old NEVER got dressed today
*I lost a VERY important phone number
*all of the laundry is clean and we still can't find a bathing suit someone needs tomorrow
*me blowing up at my husband when he arrived home today
*the chocolate bar I am about to go eat

I Love Wendy

2007-06-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

A new shirt for me!!! Hip,hip hurray!!! I am really digging my new Built By Wendy patterns.I had purchased the book SewU awhile back.I am not new to sewing my own clothing, yet I found some truly wonderful ideas in this book and more than anything it inspired confidence in me. Wendy really encourages you to make it your own. And that is the part about sewing my own clothing I really like.The book includes a pattern for your basic shirt, skirt and pants. I had been eyeing her other patterns, when the local fabric super center had them for 99cents I snapped up a few.The shirt I made at the beginning of the month was from pattern 3835.This new one was made using 3964. The gray knit fabric is from my mom's fabric stash. It is super soft and is quickly making this shirt one of my favorite's to slip on. The contrast is out of a not-so-soft polyester piece I picked up at Goodwill.

But ya' gotta' love that design! The button is from a stash of vintage goodies I found at the Quigely house. This is the first piece of knit clothing I made on my new serger. I am very,very,very,very pleased with how it turned out.

I do feel a little self conscious in it (and the other one) as I think it makes me look a tiny bit pregnant. Not sure if I am just sensitive (Well, I have been pregnant for 54 months out of the last 144 months!).No one has commented on it but then again for reasons already mentioned (see those numbers above) they know better than to ask. The supposed prego appearance is not going to stop me creating some of these comfy shirts. I think they made need a new skirt.

Slice of Life

2007-06-30T00:20:00.000-07:00

A Little Breakfast and a Game ON the TABLE:

Watching with Daddy:
Julian Beever,BitBox

A Little School Work:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

And in the midst of it all a storm has been brewing in my head,while thinking about the fight for joy and having a really good chuckle.

We Survived!!!

2007-06-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Pinewood does VBS in a big way. Everyone dresses up and joins in the fun. This year held both firsts and lasts for us. It was the first time I have done VBS since #4 was a baby (she is now 6.5)The last summer that I worked, I was pregnant with #5 and worked in the classroom as a teacher. #4 wasn't comfortable with being left in the nursery so I toted her around all week,in either the backpack or the sling.It was a very long,exhausting week and I remember we ate out every day for lunch. The following week, at exactly twelve weeks, I started bleeding and did not stop until our little one was gone. We named him Caleb Asher. I think on a very deep, hidden level I blamed myself. Did I think I was Superwoman? Why didn't I send the other kids off to VBS and stay home and rest? Why didn't I eat better that week? Also, there was mixed feelings between my husband and I about the arrival of this new baby. We were thrilled, yes but, at the same time worried how it was all going to work out. There were feelings of guilt,about not wanting the baby at that time,after I lost him. I know now that I did not hurt my little one and the reality is he probably stopped developing at 8 weeks. God has comforted me and given me His grace and peace. So . . .this year I did VBS in a big way. I was the Missions Lady. This is the woman in charge of sharing with the kids about the missions project for the week. This year we collected coins for feeding centers in Costa Rica and cans for the food pantry at church. I named myself Rosita-Fresita-Chiquita-Banana. The kids called me Rosie. Everyday I wore a new, strangely decorated hat.It was truly a week of healing and joy for me. I was surrounded all week by women and men who have helped me grow in my faith. My own personal cloud of witnesses!It was triumphant! To God be the glory!
And it was the last year of VBS for my oldest daughter as a student. Next year she will be a teen helper. I am hoping we can work together. All of her siblings (except THE BOY) are scrambling to have her promise to help in their classrooms. The last night of VBS she went to Dairy Queen with some friends instead of heading home with us. How is it they grow so quickly??? Time slips through my fingers. I swear it was just yesterday,she would never have left my side and was incapable of feeding herself and now . . . now she will be serving snacks to a classroom full of kids. Sigh . . . I think I need some chocolate!

Keeping Up with Those Boys

2007-06-20T18:36:00.000-07:00

This is Maggie! Our newest addtion to the family. We couldn't let Those Boys have two dogs, could we??? Tell ya' the story later!

A Mom Apron

2007-06-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

I had a friend request an apron that had a pocket on it that would hold her phone and day planner. I used the opportunity to try out Denyse Schmidt's Shimmy,Shake and Bake apron. I wanted the pocket larger than hers so I had hubby beef up the enlargement of the pattern. And while I like it . . . it just doesn't quite shimmy or shake like this one. I love the off-centeredness of her designs and I do not feel like it showed up in this pocket. So for those of you who read this and sew and have any clue as to what I am talking about . . .what do you think??? Did I lose the lines in the enlargement of the pattern or is it something else I may have done wrong???? The color choices??? UGH! This is not making me feel hopeful about that quilt I want to some day make.

FYI : no, he really does not always wear his karate uniform. it just turned out that way with these posts.<>

Gifts

2007-06-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

10. Extreme craft night with a fellow fabric nut

11. Horses and the girls who love them.

12. Grace and a friend to praise God with, for it.

13. a growing garden

14. curling up at night next to my sweet hubby and awakening in the morning with two extra bodies (whom we never even noticed coming in)

15. Really smart ladies. (mommylife)

16. Swimming pools and toddlers in goggles

17. A friend who always tells you the truth

18. that friend (see #17) still loving you after you tell her what a fool you made of yourself

19. a young man hungry for the Word

20. the privilege of taking a small part in that young man's spiritual journey

The Neatest Thing I Ever Sewed

2007-06-07T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Boy, at times, has it rough. He has five sisters, no neighborhood boys to play with and a very short fuse. He really struggled with his temper and part of the over all plan to help him was signing him up for karate. We were led to an incredible dojo. As part of The Boy being considered for advanced classes he had to memorize the verses that go along with their doctrine statement. On completion of this he received a patch of the American flag. I was given the honor of sewing it on. As The Boy would say,"Sweet!".

FYI : The brace is not a result of karate class. He just fell of the bed and had a minor broken bone. BOYS!!!

May is Over

2007-06-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

I am glad it is June. A new month, a new shirt and my mom is on vacation for two months. I know life will continue to throw me it's best curve balls but maybe I'll be better prepared for them this month. Last month I spent a lot of time mumbling to myself,"Peace is a Person NOT my swirling circumstances." That is very hard for me to grasp at times. It is something I need to desperately keep before my eyes,though. Living an intentional life with six children (a dog, three cats, two gerbils and a rat and oh, yeah I am married!) can be overwhelming and exhausting. I find myself easily discouraged with the endless arguments, poor school evaluations (just what have we been doing all year???) and dreams I have that are often put on the back burner (or never make it on the stove!). It is comforting to know Christ is mine and I am His. It is more than comforting . . . it is this special relationship that is the very life blood of what keeps me going. His voice speaking peace to me-“Listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to His faithful people” (Ps. 85:8). The "listen carefully" part is what I lack the most often. And I need to find ways to be more creative to hear Him. A long time ago,(Te-he just 5 years ago but it feels like forever) I had four children ages 6yrs-18months and a new blessing on the way. It was rough and to be honest much of it is a blur. My hubby, the stats keeper, isn't home so I am really hoping I did those numbers right! But regardless, the point is there were lots of littles and very little time to myself. I used to place my Bible, open to Psalms, by my water glass and would feed a bit on His peace. Since being now able to sleep through the night and rise and have a quiet time I do not look as hard for ways to slip His word into my day. I have suffered for it and so has my household. This month I purpose to listen again and to listen carefully.

“the Lord of Peace Himself gives [me] His peace at all times, and in every situation” (2 Thess. 2:16). At all times and in every situation . . . I like that. I like that very much!

More Unplanned Break

2007-05-29T11:57:00.000-07:00

1. Finishing the tiling in the house we started LAST year.

2. A dog bite and trip to emergency room.

3. Some kind of computer-hard drive-transfer thing.

4.A really bad cold, wiping mom out for the count.

5. Ummmm . . . 5 girls and THE boy fully recovered from their illnesses!!!!

Let's just scratch the month of May off our lists, shall we?? and start fresh in June.

Mending

2007-05-23T12:09:00.001-07:00

The last three weeks were not a total wash. I was able to work my way through a towering stack of mending. The amazing thing this time around is that everything still fit the rightful owner. Other things, besides clothing, end up in my pile. The dollie belongs to one of the girls and is almost a completely new dollie with all the patchwork it has received. I whipped up a little sleeping bag for her that was requested,along with the mending, by the dollie's owner. The purse is a wonderful vintage find that just needed a dab of hot glue to keep going.

Jeans are always in the pile. A little wonder under and some zig-zag stitching and you have girls requesting patches on their new jeans!:)

The oh, so lovely models. They are such hams!

Unplanned Break from Life

2007-05-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Let's see . . .
*One week of end of the year testing, administrated by yours truly
*One week of a case of walking pneumonia, two cases of bronchitis and three children who sounded like dying seals AND a routine destroying husband who was on vacation and 'gasp' wanted to spend time with me (when I was not attending to aforementioned variations of illness)
*One week of catch up -involving load after load after load of laundry

Finally, coming up for air this week!

GIFTS

2007-04-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

This idea resonates deep within me. There are so many daily graces I take for granted. Will you join with me? If you want to learn more stop over at Holy Experience.

`1. Coffee made by my husband-before anything else is begun for the day

2. A pet rat, named Cornflower, who is actually cute

3. The smell of clothes taken off the line.

4. The baby learning to talk.

5. The baby holding the dog's bone up and commanding her to "seet".

6. Everyone's smiles over that cute baby.

7. Unexpected phone call that turns into just the adult conversation I needed for today.

8. Ducklings

9. Husband walking in the door after a long day.*sigh*

tie one on

2007-04-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

This apron is my entry for March/April's tie one on. The theme this time around was rick-rack. I spied this pattern in a special issue, devoted to aprons, of MaryJanesFarm magazine. A very dear friend allowed me to borrow it and I recently returned it with drool all over it. You can still order this issue and it is what I plan to do next! The apron has a lovely trim of rick-rack around the edges and the pockets. But I think the real show stopper is the faux smocked waistline.

I spent a couple hours curled up in the corner of the couch pulling the squares together. And it was in that position, I had an epiphany. A young lady was over while I was working on it and we had a conversation that went like this:

young lady:What are you making?

not so youny lady:An apron.

young lady:Are you going to sew the waistband on,too?

(waistband is not sewn on til faux smocking is complete)

not so young lady:Well . . .yes. How else would it get there?

young lady(laughing):You buy an apron with it already there.

not so young lady:Yes, but I like sewing. It is something that can not be undone.

AHA!

So much of my life as a mother is just re-doing something that someone else has undone. I am speaking of the temporal things like dishes, laundry, clean/dirty/clean/dirty bodies, meals made,meals eaten and then dishes again . . . list goes on and on. But, I am also speaking of the eternal things. I spend so many hours in conflict resolution I could work for the goverment! Day in and day out, I mend rifts in broken relationships, listen to both sides and help each come to a resolution. I deposit words of praise and encoragement to build them up and gently (or sadly not so gently) point out blindspots and areas were their behavior hurts (others and themselves). I get glimpses of fruit- a quick apology, an unexpected blessing of servant's heart toward a sibiling; but for the most part, I am tilling and sowing. The reaping will come much later. Sewing is instant gratification. There is an end result. It actually becomes a finished task!(well,usually:) Sewing keeps me sane. It keeps my brain from turning into oatmeal. It nourishes me,too. The act of creating something from a bit of string and fiber is soothing .

Yes, sometimes the project does not go the way I want. But, then I can pull out the handy-dandy seam ripper and make it over. I can dig out all those misplaced threads and began again. This time a little slower and a bit more careful. How a I long for a seam ripper to tear out the misplaced words I have spoken. The unkind, thoughtless gestures of a big oaf of a grownup. *Sigh*. . . but always my children (and my husband) shower me with grace. And it is good.

Confessions

2007-04-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

I love shoes . . . ALOT! I know this isn't the crazy,deep, dark seceret that warrants a post titled "Confessions". I know I am a girl and have a genetic excuse for my attraction to cute shoes. All the same, I try to suppress it. I think about all those starving kids in China or just the ones here who will need braces and somehow the shoes seem frivoulus. Very unimportant. I just need one pair of tennis shoes, one pair of yard shoes and one pair of dress shoes. Right??? Sigh . . .but I can not help myself. So, I play a little game with myself. If I buy myself shoes, they can not cost more than ten dollars and must not be new. I know the 'not new' thing will make some people a little squeamish but it doesn't bother me. Now, I do buy my tennis shoes new(because I do alot of walking and all the used ones are,well, really used) and if someone wants to buy me a new, shiny, higher priced shoe as a gift I will graciously bend the rules and accept them. I certainly would never want to offend anyone. This game allows all to be right with the world and allows me to have quite a collection of shoes. These babies were three dollars from the Good Will.

Coffee Pot Cozy

2007-04-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

I love felting sweaters. I love the thrill of the hunt at the thrift stores, for just that right sweater. I love watching it change in the washing machine (though my husband doesn't appreciate the calls about the drain overflowing from felt-debris) and I love explaining to people how to felt sweaters. I always tell them you just do the exact opposite of everything your mother told you to do to care for wool!

So, a girl gets a new coffee pot and what does she have to do? Make a cozy for it,of course! I created this out of an adult black sweater and a child's Gap sweater. The floral design was made out of odds and ends I saved. (ALWAYS, save odds and ends!) I like this pattern because it exposes the spout and handle, as opposed to the cozy covering the whole pot.

You place the pot inside, using the attached band (I made it out of the cuffs from the child's sweater. They remain stretchy.) twist it around the top, like a ponytail holder. And ta-da!!!!You have a warm beverage for that long morning conversation, over coffee cake of course.

This was the perfect little project for sewing up by hand whilst knocked out on the couch. It would make a cute little purse,too. You could just sew the sides up, move that band up and add a little pocket inside. Hmmmmm . . . . I wonder if I have enough left. This is officially my first Whiplash entry. I am submitting it in the project categorey. And you can bet the farm, not my last:

Plans

2007-04-21T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was so excited. I had all three of my projects planned and cut out. I had all the materials arranged in neat little piles on my table. I had a nice, long,relaxing week ahead of me and then . . . I laid down on the couch and only managed to get up last night. Ugh!!!!!!! Sigh . . . I had some kind of sinus/head cold/extreme fatigue thing going on. So, back to the work table I go and it is nice to have everything sitting there waiting for me, all ready to go. Like the little coffee pot? It was our find on this past Thriftin' Tuesday.

WIP

2007-04-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

I have three things cooking in the pot right now.(and no,one of them is not a baby!) I have set some pretty high goals for myself this week and I am jazzed to see if I can do it. Check back later to see what I am able to pull off.

Delightful Weekend

2007-04-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

My husband and I were able to get away overnight this past Friday. It is so important in this intense time of parenting (six kids between the ages of 11yrs down to 20 months, need I say more?) to get away and reconnect. We very rarely, get away longer than overnight, so we have created a series of questions to help us jump right into the heart of issues. We never want to waste a moment of our interrupt-free conversation. The cozy bed and breakfast we stay at really helps.

Usually when my hubbie and I slip away, we find ourselves at Chamblin BookMine.We are attracted by a magnetic force that eminates from the building . . . I guess from the books?!?!? We walked away with a tidy little stack. Fo those who are curious: Draw Real People! by Lee Hammond, Learn to Read Music in 10 Lessons by Terence Ashley, Journey to Jericho by Kaye England, Live Sound Reinforcement :Comprehensive Guide to P.A. & Music Reinforcement Systems & Technology by Scott Hunter Stark and The World of Fashion by Jay and Ellen Diamond. Any guesses on who got what???

We had to drag ourselves away from the treasure trove and race home to make presentable six kiddos for a long-awaited wedding. The Boy was ready to go five minutes after our arrival. He reclined on the couch and read while we dealt with the girls.Sometimes . . . he is just easier. ( Some people give dishes, I give softies:) Trio ready for their new home.

Thrifting Trance

2007-04-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday, the three younger girls and I, take The Boy to karate lessons. A Good Will and a Quigley House thrift store are conveniently located within a five minute drive of his dojo. Some days we just pick up a book or a "new" pair of jeans for someone BUT sometimes it is a very good haul. This past Tuesday was one of those trips.

Though our day for taking pictures was cloudy, my lovely models brighten up the shots. I love Fire King's colored dishes and my hubbie has a certain appreciation for inlay so I had to nab that tray. It is extremely sturdy and I have already served cookies on it!

We have five girls, all of whom are horse crazy. Even the youngest ,at 20months,will point to a horse and cry,"Horsie!!! See!!! See!!!". I scored almost 4 yards of fabric covered in English riding saddles. Included in this stack is a small piece of brown courdory and a brushed, black velvet-like piece.

I hardly ever purchase trim or buttons from "real" stores. This time I truly felt blessed. Those red things on the right are really long, industrial strength zippers. I have no clue what I will do with them. They were in the bag with the rest of the trim.

My only excuse for this purchase is we have five girls and every household with five girls needs a blanket with unicorns and rainbows. I would like to add a back and some handy triangle pockets (like the ones on Denyse Schmidt's beach blanket). I think it would be a perfect keep-in-the-car blanket.

This bundle of sweetness has won over all the ladies at the thrift stores we visit. She greets everyone with an enthusiastic wave and sometimes even a "Hello!". The gals over at the Quigley House thrift store always manage to find chocolate to hand out. Happy thriftin' adventures!

ALMOST DONE

2007-04-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

This little guy is almost done. I have been taking breaks checking out Softies Central for inspiration.

Non-Present

2007-04-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

She requested no presents but I did not plan to be done with this third attempt just in time for the party!The first two had their innards removed and were recycled as my son thought the first was a dinosaur and the second resembled the Loch Ness Monster. I am working on a fourth as a planned present. I constructed it a bit differently but the shape is the same. I have started adding my trademark to my projects. It tickles me to stich those three little letters on.

WASHINTON OAKS GARDENS STATE PARK

2007-04-06T18:51:00.000-07:00

It was a glorious day of exploring and enjoying being with daddy, on his day off, at the beach. I have had a love affair with the beach since I was a young girl. I used to dream that heaven dwelled in the place where the ocean met the sky and as an angry teenager I used to flip my cigarette butts into the ocean, imagining my dreams floating away as helplessly as that butt. And now . . . today . . .I could only marvel at the amazing grace of my King. My six walking,breathing wonders and a best friend(and ummm a bit more) to share it all with. Hug your loved ones around you close, listen to them, marvel at them!

Creating With Children

2007-04-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

I was going through my pictures yesterday and discovered these photos. The kiddos have spent quite a bit of time watching me arrange and move around the yard(to find GOOD light) objects I have wanted to photograph. They also have been the "objects" themselves. I am very much the amateur when it comes to photography. It is just somehting I goof around with. It is not a skill,unlike sewing, that I have even remotely considered intentionally passing on. But here we have someone purposefully looking for GOOD light and dressing up their favorite objects for a photo session. The background on the first horse delights me!!! Which brings me to my first point I would like to make about creating with children . . .the most important thing you can do is create in front of them. They are always watching. ALWAYS!

KIMONO LOVE

2007-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

I found this sweet pattern at Martha Stewart. I made these lined, as I could not stand the unfinished edges everywhere. They are heavier this way and I do not think they will be worn much longer as summer has arrived. (There is no spring here!) Now that I have my new toy,(not my transaction,only pic could find,someone got a VERY good deal) I will be experimenting with some lighter fabrics and some knits.Of course, I made a few adjustments to the pattern. I also added lace trim and used more bias tape than was called for:) I love bias tape. I made a smaller set for a new friend with matching pants but missed getting pictures of them. I want to make the longer version for the younger girls,soon.

WE WON!!!

2007-02-19T14:00:00.001-08:00

We came in seventh place out of 45 entries. This contest came with a prize. I will receive a free copy of Megamom's book The Mommy Survival Guide. I will post a little review about it, after I have a chance to read it. I am having a hard time posting as it is always a toss up during my free time . . .post or sew. . . post or sew . . . and since I do not own Zoo Tycoon, sewing usually wins out. I am working on this whole balance thing. I hope you will "see" more of me!

Apron Photo Contest

2007-01-11T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is the photo we sent in for The Apron Photo Contest. The wee chef on the right is wearing a paper apron (and hat) she received as party favors at a recent birthday party. The second wee chef in pink is wearing a smock my mom made for her. I love it because the ties are in the back(she needs my help to take it off) and it covers most of her body. This wee chef enjoys watching Rachel Ray at Grandma's house. She will often bake "fresh French loaves" for me! The next,um not so wee chef, is me. I am sporting my Edwardian apron. Let me count the ways I love thee, 1) I mastered homemade bias tape during this sewing project 2) It covers all of me! Really protecting my clothes 3) I instantly find myself speaking softer once I don it 4) I can wear my pj's under it and still answer the door! Next in the lineup is our faithful floor sweeper. Juliet (the dog) is enduring wearing one of the smocks my mom made. The dog handler and pancake chef wonder, is wearing a gardening apron my mom made me. I think the pancake chef likes to

wear it because it is her mom's and I almost cry everytime I see her in it. (She really has grown way too fast!) We really love aprons around here. They are super functional and super-de-dooper FUN!

LIONS & TIGERS & BEARS, OH MY!

2007-01-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

No, I am not quoting the lovely Judy. The "Oh,my!" quote is something I often use when very thrilled with something. And that something is, the realization that now that I have a blog . . .I can join in all the fun and games. One contest I am very excited about is Whiplash. I have learned so very much from this site and I think their contests will challenge me to continue thinking outside the box. The other one I am eagerly looking forward to won't be too outside the box for me but will be great fun. What am I going to do with all those aprons? And the last but in no way the least, Megamom has a game I am joining in. Why don't you join me? And if you hear of anymore crafty challenges send me a note.

Please, Don't Laugh!!!

2007-01-04T20:34:00.000-08:00

Pretty,please??? I am sharing a drawing I did today and one done a couple days earlier. I love drawing. I always have. Art was my favorite subject in elementary school and I wanted to be just like Mrs. Dickinson. Well, drawing got pushed asisde and it has not been something I have thought about for a very long time. My oldest Sweetpea is quite passionate about drawing. She began with these hotdog shaped horses and after spending some time with this book she achieved the lovely horse you see pictured below. I have commented to her many times that I would like to be able to draw as well as she does. My plucky girl keeps encouraging me to just practice, practice,practice. So I dragged out a book I had purchased to use for home education and have been practicing. I am pleased especially with that little orange cutie on the right. What do you have a desire to learn?