mommafo

Dear Blog...

2012-01-15T21:45:00.001-05:00

My poor page has been so neglected! As I've been told, don't sit and stare at a blank page; start writing, even if it's garbage. That probably happens more often than not.

I've been doing a lot of reading, fiction, sci-fi, romance novels. I keep thinking that I would like to be a writer. Not necessarily to strike it rich or to "be famous," just because the more I read, the more exciting it is. These entire worlds exist inside someone's head. People, plots, relationships, sometimes things that aren't even real. That's so cool. I haven't really tried yet, but I've heard the first step to writing is reading a lot. Now THAT I can do.

I've also been thinking about my goals and purpose in life. I feel like I've been stuck in an in-between phase. For those that work outside the house; does your job give you purpose? Do you feel like it is a part of your identity? As myself and many people around me have gone through being unemployed, I've noticed that losing your job almost steals a part of you. It takes away that identity that you had, "Hi, I'm an administrative assistant," or "My husband is a mechanic." For some people, they can work in the home watching their kids or in other home-based endeavors. That's awesome, and I've always thought that was what I could do best. I love being home with my kids, and I love the relaxed (PJ's!) atmosphere that working at home provides. But most of all, I miss interaction. I go to the grocery store, library, craft store, and I will often times see the same check-out clerks at their places of work. I am always a little bit jealous of these people. I couldn't tell you their names, but I've talked to them more than I do my own "real life" friends. I love the community and quick access that social media has provided, but it's also isolated us so much.

I've found that I don't sit still very well unless I am multi-tasking. It's hard for me to sit and talk to my daughter or play a game with my son without getting up and starting some laundry, picking up toys, or checking out Facebook. If it's time to sit and watch a movie, I try to have something to knit or crochet so I feel like I'm getting something done. My newfound habit is listening to audiobooks while I knit or crochet. This is fun for me, although they take SO much longer than actually reading, but I'm getting so much more absolutely necessary knitting done! In my head I tell myself that it's just therapeutic... but I'm starting to wonder if I'm slowly going crazy.

Updog

2011-11-08T13:28:00.004-05:00

Hiya! I've been keeping busy, making hats and scarves mostly. I've had the usual requests for animal hats, but this year I'm having fun trying new things and experimenting. :) I thought I'd share some of what I've been up to. (Since I can't leave the Eggies review on the top of my blog FOREVER.)

(Images courtesy of Hagmann Photography; Greenwood, IN)

(Twins! Doesn't get better than this, folks)

(Minions from Despicable Me)

(Awwwwwww!)

My next project? Getting a central location for pictures of everything I've made. Facebook is CLOSE, but not totally complete. :)

If you're in the market for crochet goodies, you know where to get me. ;)

My review of Eggies, As Seen on TV

2011-08-22T14:17:00.000-04:00

Have you ever purchased anything that was "As Seen on TV?" I have, of course, I'm a sucker, and a lot of the time I go after it just because of it's ridiculousness. I own a Snuggie. I got a hose attachment wand thingy to wash my car. My husband teases me about it. Never once have I been "wow-ed" or even slightly happy with my purchase.

The other day, probably two months ago, my dad came over and asked me if I had seen the commercial for Eggies. Now as a family with Netflix, we rarely see commercials. So I look it up on the internet, and this is what I'm greeted with:

Did you die laughing while watching this? My favorite part is the look on the face of the woman peeling the eggs. "This is the worst task I have ever performed in my life!" Honey, somehow I doubt that. I think the part that sold me was the idea of flat hard boiled eggs. How fun! My girls love eating hard boiled eggs, and this could make it fun for them. Think about the possibilities! I can sprinkle cheese into my hard boiled egg. Crazy. $10? I'm in.

Now, not only do you get 6 Eggies for $10 (plus $7.99 shipping and handling) this company is going to GIVE you another 6 Eggies FOR FREE!!! (Actually, they are going to force you to accept another 6 Eggies and pay another $7.99 for them to come shipped to you in the same box. There is no way on the website to refuse the second set of Eggies.) So you're paying approx. $26 for a dozen Eggies. When you place your order on the website, you enter your credit card information, address etc., and expect to be taken to a confirmation page so you can soak in the guilt of spending almost $30 on crap. Not today! You are taken to no less than six "Are you sure???" pages, offering you another set of Eggies for an additional charge, if you decline, you're taken to another page. If you're really wanting a second set-- HOLD OUT! One of the pages actually offers a (third? fourth?) set of Eggies for half price! (Plus the S&amp;H charge) No thank you, click. THEN-- a surprise! If you act now, you can upgrade your Eggies to DELUXE sets! This includes your 2 sets of 6 Eggies, 2 egg slicers, 2 yolk separators, 2 larger sized Eggies, and 2 huge sized Eggies. (For two eggs? Scrambled eggs? I forget.) Well they got me there. I could use an egg slicer. So I click "yes." No confirmation page there! They still bring you to another page to be sure you don't want to add anything else. Finally, you're confirmed and informed that you will have your Eggies in 6-12 weeks. Go take a nap, that was exhausting.

Tick tock, maybe 6 weeks or so later I receive my box of Eggies. I separate the second kit for my sister, because I really don't want all these pieces all to myself. Upon opening the plastic bag each Eggie is in, I see that each is made up of four pieces. A base, a top, a ring to seal the two together, and a lid. These pieces awkwardly fit together; the top and bottom snapping together, and the lid and ring screwing into place. Okay, ready to make eggs? No, not yet. You must wash your 24 pieces of Eggies. Wash wash wash. Now let's make eggs! Nope! These "non-stick" suckers must be coated with oil or shortening. No prob, let's just squirt each one with Pam, right? Wrong. You must spray a paper towel or napkin and then wipe the inside of the Eggie. A little messy, but I deal with it. Water's boiling, I'm ready to go. Assemble your Eggies, top on bottom, ring over top, screw on. Now you crack the egg and hope to God that it fits/lands inside the small hole on top. A few of mine went right in, but at least 3 out of my 6 had larger yolks that didn't want to fit through, so they plugged the hole and left me with egg whites all over my counter. Poke poke poke, now screw the lids on. Whew! At this point I'm a tad grumpy and do not take a picture of my messy counter.

Plunk, the screw-on lid has a little hole on top, allowing me to easily put them into the pot of boiling water. Lucky me, since half of my Eggies are covered in egg whites, my water and Eggies have a fun coating of egg-white. It's weird stuff after it's cooked. So I watch them cook, check the cooking time chart that is included with the Eggies, when I realize that one of my Eggies has flipped upside down! Man overboard! I dash for a spoon to help return the capsized Eggie to it's upright and locked position when BOOM. The little guy pops open. I assume from some kind of weird pressure not being released, but now I've got an exploded Eggie to fish out of the pot. I take it out of the water and tried washing it out in the sink, but there are tiny crevices in the top part of the Eggie which I can't really get to with my fingers or washrag. I'm hoping the dishwasher will get it. Return to eggs, almost done!

Yay, take the Eggies out of the pan. Instructions say to let cool for a few minutes, but honestly I probably only waited a minute. Don't do that. Don't open them until they're cool to the touch! I opened them once I could tolerate the heat, and after I popped the top off I was greeted by hot water sitting on top of my hard boiled egg, now all over my hand. Ouch! Yeah, I was asking for that one, but I wasn't expecting water inside the Eggie! So my 5 eggs are popped out of their homes and cooling on a plate. Now I've got 24 pieces of awkward plastic to get EGG off of. I am NOT looking forward to this! I can't even imagine how to keep these things still in my dishwasher.

Summary: Not impressed. Save your money. Eggshells are disposable, easy to crack, and are biodegradable. Not to mention you're not buying anything extra! I've never really minded peeling hard boiled eggs; in fact, my kids LOVE to do it for me. Yeah, having a flat hard boiled egg is kinda funny. But somehow I think these Eggie people are laughing too, and not with me.

Late night

2011-08-15T00:25:00.001-04:00

Dear Friend:

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

As I've mentioned, I miss being your friend. I really miss having that unconditional trust in someone. This weekend I went to my 10 year class reunion and although there were very few people there, I was able to see my two best friends from high school. They were very important people to me during a very difficult time in my life. I struggled with depression throughout high school and despite the typical girl-drama that is expected of that period, these two girls meant the world to me. They were bridesmaids in my soon-after-high school wedding. Silly of me, but I thought I'd be good friends with them for a long time. I could see the three of us starting a band and singing together. As you can see, that didn't happen. For some reason I went to this reunion hoping that these people would feel like I did-- sad that we had lost touch and thrilled at the opportunity to pick up where things left off. I guess they kind of did. There were a few hugs and smiles and compliments, (mostly from me) and I think I had one thing right. Nothing really has changed. I still don't have much in common with them, I still idolize them, and I am still standing on the sidelines wishing I could be a part of their colorful, fun lives.

As I left that reunion, hand in hand with my husband, next to my sister-in-law and her husband, I was so grateful for the life that God HAS given me. The person that He has made me, and the person He intends me to be. I am a wife, a mom, a sister, and a best friend. So many times over the past few months I have wanted to text you and laugh about something with you. I long for that trusting rapport we used to have. But sadly, I know I have got to let go of it all, I have to be thankful for what we used to have and for all the years that God wanted you in my life. I have to say that I am sorry for hurting you. My hurt and insecurity over who and what I have become gave me the claws to hit you where it hurt without a second thought. Jesus never said "kick em while they're down," he said, "Turn the other cheek," and "Love your enemies." If I can't turn the other cheek and love my best friend, even when she hurts me, how can I expect to be treasured as a true best friend?

2011-08-08T08:26:00.004-04:00

After my 10 Year Reunion... And this is still my favorite place to be. :)

Kitsch

2011-08-05T15:27:00.002-04:00

To make up for missing the last few days. *baaa*

D's surgery on Wednesday went well. Cast on for 10-14 days, then pin removal in office. Yikes!

2011-08-02T11:06:00.001-04:00

I've decided to join the "August Break, 2011." (A day late, I know.)

"Okay, here’s the plan for the August Break: you simply share one photo (or more!) per day on your blog – Monday to Friday, or every day. Or whenever you feel moved to share. Using any camera – DSLR, compact, Polaroid, Holga, iPhone (my choice), Instax, film or digital – with or without words – anything goes! – for the whole of August. No pressure – just looking at August through your camera lens as a way to be more present this summer. And to have a little break from the pressures and expectations of regular blogging."

I think this will be good for me. I'm horrible at committing to daily anything, but I think I can do this. :) To join in on the August Break, check out http://www.susannahconway.com/the-august-break-2011/.

Let's do one for yesterday:
My poor punkin broke her pinkie on Saturday. At first we had hoped that it was just jammed or sprained, but it is definitely broken. We saw the Orthopedic doctor yesterday and he recommends knocking her out and straightening the bone, maybe putting in a pin. They scheduled her "surgery," but I am unsure if they will actually be cutting her open or not. I hope not. I am worried for her. Mostly I worry about pain, because the only medicine I can get her to take is chewable Tylenol. I also worry about her feeling icky after waking up from anesthesia. And I also worry about having to bring her back to have the pin removed. I don't tell her that I worry, I joke with her about falling asleep and waking up groggy and not knowing what happened. I tell her it will be like a nap. School starts soon, she worries about being able to color. :(

This drives me crazy!

2011-07-28T15:44:00.000-04:00

I know this person who has all these great ideas, and is usually really enthusiastic about them. She gets me excited about new things and re-energizes me towards past ideas. Lately I have found myself being disappointed in her because after that exhilarating rush of "Let's do this!" she disappears. She starts projects and doesn't finish them. She gets bored. Unmotivated. All bark and no bite.

Do you know someone like that? Doesn't it just drive you crazy??

ARE you someone like that?

I am.

Ugh.

That 'person' up there is me.

Sometimes I feel like I've got so much to do that I don't know where to start. I start lists and then forget about them. Or none of the stuff that needs to be done is 'fun,' so I just don't do it at all. Sometimes just keeping up with the laundry and dishes is all I can muster the desire to do. Some days I'd rather just sew and crochet and knit and create and create and create... I want to make dolls, dresses, sweaters, pillows, quilts, blankets, skirts, shirts, hats, scarves...

Now what? How do I fix this? How do you keep yourself (or your unnamed friend) going? Paced?

Funny Things Kids Say

2011-07-14T14:46:00.000-04:00

Me: "You pee-peed on the floor, that is yucky and bad!"

Josie: "No! You're so weird!"

Daphne: "She called us 'Doofenschmirtz.' That's what I like about Mom."

Katie: "I've never seen anybody sneeze while I was riding in the car. That's one accomplishment for me today!"

Ben: "Jojo! Sit down! Bad!"

Strawberry Pillows!?

2011-06-08T12:43:00.000-04:00

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh! I have to make these. A million of these. AAAH! Too cute!!! Click on the pic to go to PurlBee and see the awesome tutorial for these to-die-for strawberry pillows!

Keys!

2011-06-06T13:03:00.001-04:00

We are always misplacing keys around here. It doesn't help that my hubby is a mechanic and we often have other people's keys as well as keys to our 3 vehicles, trailer, garage, front and back doors, shed, bathroom(???) and barn. We need a functional key-storing/organizing system, and PRONTO! Of course, not just any hook-in-the-wall will satisfy my creative cravings, so.... Off to Etsy I go!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67064133/letter-holder-key-hooks-jar-vase

I love this. The color is bright and cheery, and the thought of being greeted by a jar of flowers every time I come home is very cool. I also love the look of the black hooks against the yellow. However, it doesn't really fit the feeling of our living room/kitchen, so I'm going to keep looking.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75295829/key-rack-green-with-golden-bicycle-wall

Now this is really my style. I love the tree. It's beautiful, casual enough to work with what we've got, especially the color. I really don't know if three hooks is enough for all of our stuff, but the price is great. Definitely in the running.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/70879349/4-silver-fork-hooks-with-mini-handles

These are so cool!!! I love repurposed materials and these have enough quirk to be different, yet not too crazy. I wonder if my husband would go for these...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67380794/thru-block-wooden-coat-rack-7-piece

This is so cool!!! It would go AWESOME in our living room, and it's art as well as functional! It's functionart! Why is this still for sale, you ask? Because I can't afford a $600 handmade coat rack. :(

http://www.etsy.com/listing/62642094/rad-spoon-key-rack-distressed-black

This works! I like how rough it looks.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75107582/handmade-mesquite-twig-multi-hook-coat-n

Check this one out!!! It's actually made from the shop owners' mesquite tree that didn't make it through the rough winter. I love this idea.

I've only just TOUCHED the vast amounts of key hooks on Etsy, and I haven't even searched for "key cabinets" yet. I know other people use bowls, drawers, trays, etc. We need something that can keep our keys out of the kids' reach, and out of my own clutter. How do you store your keys?

Why yes, I am tooting my own horn. awooogah! Do it with me!

2011-05-10T08:20:00.000-04:00

Recently I was asked by my friend Kristine if I wanted to do a guest post on her saving money blog, "Cheap and Proud of It."

My first thought was, "Have you SEEN how neglected my blog has been lately??"

but my response was, "Sure!! I'd be glad to think of something."

My next thought was, "It's gonna be a month before I ever get something together for her about saving money..."

but a couple hours later I struck gold and popped out a post, WITH A PICTURE!

Curiosity piqued? Palms sweaty? Butterflies in your stomach?

Well I admit, it's not THAT exciting, but hooray for a new blog post!

Go check it out at: http://cheapandproudofit.com/hang-dry-towels/

Sharing the Love

2011-04-28T08:37:00.000-04:00

As you can tell, I just haven't had anything to talk about. :) My mind just doesn't feel creatively wordy. (However, I am very proud of that word combination right there! BOOYA!)

I see so much amazing stuff on the internet that literally knocks my socks off. Way off. I should share it! Right? I mean, if I'm a boring lump of denim and tee-shirt I shouldn't make anyone else wait on baited breath for my wit, should I? Why not share some of the things I love? Well. :)

Check out this super-cool blog! Attic24 written by Lucy from the UK. She's a stay-at-home super mom of 3 with a beautiful view from her attic in the 100-year-old Victorian home in the north of England. She has some of the most beautiful, colorful photography and a quirky sense of humor that makes you feel like you're chatting with a best friend. Her blog has tons of her past crafting/crocheting/sewing conquests, along with her own tutorials of how to make some of the same. I spent maybe an hour just reading through, and thinking, "I have to share this with somebody!!!" Here's one of the neat things I'm planning on making, straight from her tutorial:

(image credit: Attic24)

Crochet Jar Jackets

I used to love making little pencil holders out of soup cans, now my mind is flooded with all the things I could add one of these sweet jackets to. Hmmmmmmm....

Check it out!

Attic24

2011-04-08T16:42:00.001-04:00

To everyone who's lost someone they love

Long before it was their time

You feel like the days you had were not enough

when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains

Keeping you back from your life

You believe that there's nothing and there is no one

Who can make it right

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on

They lost all of their faith and love

They've done all they can to make it right again

Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains

You try to give up but you come back again

Just remember that you're not alone in your shame

And your suffering

When you're lonely (when you're lonely)

And it feels like the whole world is falling on you

You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus

Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone

Wiping the tears from her eyes

For the children around the world without a home

Say a prayer tonight

Cry Out to Jesus - Third Day

New Ventures

2011-02-18T15:04:00.000-05:00

If you know me well, you know that I am somewhat attention-defecit and I love learning new things. I have recently started doing a lot more dollmaking and have also picked up knitting. At first I wanted to knit a big cozy blanket with gigantic needles and 5 strands of yarn. As a beginner, this wasn't really the best approach. So $40 worth of yarn later, I decide to knit a shoulder bag/purse. I already had the yarn for this pattern, so away I went. About a day later, I had it finished. I love it.

When I first started knitting, I was afraid of dropping loops off the needles. It felt foreign to me and I wasn't comfortable with them, so I held everything very tightly. My knitting was very tight and the whole experience wasn't much fun. I watched a few videos on loosening up, and I started to get comfortable with it. This time I had issues with the first and last loops being too loose and falling off the needle. But really, all I can say is practice made all the difference. It is a bit different from crochet, but I really am enjoying it. My next project will (hopefully) be a pair of arm warmers. :)

As for dollmaking, you may know that I have made dolls from Bit of Whimsy Dolls patterns. These dolls are sweet and fun to make.

Aren't they adorable? I know I'm missing a few pictures. But I've also found another type of doll that I am DYING to make! My friend Katherine from Stitched Boutique just made one, and it's too precious!

They're Waldorf style dolls, they remind me a little of Cabbage Patch dolls, but they are soft sculptured by all natural materials. Soooo cute!!! I can't wait to make a few. :)

I miss my friend

2011-02-10T22:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a friend that you had to stop being friends with? When I was in middle school, I got caught shoplifting at the mall with my best friend. Her mom said she wasn't allowed to

hang out with me anymore. It crushed me. Well, I was grounded forever, so it's not like there was a lot of hanging out to be done, but we continued to have the same friends and classes together for the rest of school, but we stopped being friends. To this day I wonder how things could have been different had I made different decisions in life.

A few years after high school I met my new best friend through work. She had her first child just a few weeks after mine, so we had a lot in common. We worked together for about 2 years before we both moved on to other jobs, both of us eventually staying at home. (She works from home) Over the past 8+ years, we talked every day online and have been to countless birthday parties for our 7 total children. She ended up with 3 boys, me with 3 girls, then later a boy. :) We are both the youngest of 3, come from divorced parents, and like to complain about the same things. We're both sarcastic, snarky, and sometimes downright hateful. (Within reason-- mostly everything we did was for the sole purpose of getting a laugh)

Things should be great, right? I don't know if our break up was years of irritants building up and then exploding, or just us both being so stubborn and feisty and unwilling to compromise our opinions, and we just got each other on a bad day... But looking back, we'd been growing apart for so long. And I feel like I was holding on to our friendship for the sole reason that she was my best friend.

I keep trying to write out what happened. What we argued about, how I felt... but I can't. You know how when you're a kid, it's totally cool for you to make fun of your brother or sister, but if somebody else does it you punch them in the gut? I think that must be how I am feeling right now. I know how I felt after our last fight; I know the hurtful things I said and the mean things I thought. To simply give you my side of the story feels wrong. It's not fair to her, even though she hates me right now. But honestly, I really miss my friend. I find myself drinking Diet Dr. Pepper and wanting so badly to tell her about the camper that we just bought. We always talked about going camping together.

Sometimes I think I should apologize to her and ask to be friends again. Nothing has changed though--I still feel the way I did when we fought, and she didn't back down from her stance either. Then I was mean, I said something hurtful just because she hurt me, something I knew would cut deep. I'm not proud of it, but I don't think we could ever be close again. Especially after seeing the things that she and her family said about me soon afterwards on Facebook. (How mature is that, really? haha) I know it's best for us to just part ways.

I feel especially stupid for blogging about this, but then again I was looking for something to write about. :) Writing is typically therapeutic to me, it helps me to organize my thoughts and release them. I don't know if I've necessarily gotten anywhere tonight, but I guess we will see.

P.S. I'm not too worried about that friend seeing this, she never really read my blog when we were BFFs, why start now? :P

Kool-Aid Face

2011-01-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

Here's the fun kid that I'm trying to appease today. Nothing makes her happy.

The thing above her lips is from drinking kool-aid out of a water bottle. You know those little packets that you add to bottles of water? Great idea in theory, but they spill. And stain. She thinks she's too cool for a sippy cup.

This little man is keeping me busy as well. He is walking everywhere now, trying to run, fighting with Josie, crying and screaming, tons of fun. She is Miss Bossy Butt, yells at him for everything, hits, and of course he cries every time she fusses at him. It's exhausting and very loud. It's often hard to diffuse, especially without yelling. How do you teach children not to hit or yell? You can't really spank them or yell at them, because that just doesn't make sense. But with all that crazy noise, that's my first instinct. So I'm trying to keep them separated for now; placate the dictator so the villagers can play in peace.

Every picture I take of him is blurry now, unless he stops to "cheese!" He is a very happy, very curious, very active little boy. See that vacuum behind him? He pushed that down the hall this morning, not sure why. Because he can, I'm sure.

I've been dealing with a little bout of depression. I think it's probably pretty common after the holidays. I have had no motivation to blog. The more I've thought about it, the more I've wanted to blog about depression. Wow, now there is a huge subject. That kinda overwhelmed me, delaying the post even further. So I decided for my first post, I should do something easy and familiar--like complaining about the babies! As much as they exhaust me, they envelop me. They are my life lately.

Honey, we're home!

2010-12-02T09:19:00.001-05:00

Ohhh, moving is so fun! That's laced with exhausted, painful sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell. We're praying this is the last move for at least 8 years or so. I've taken the past few days to unpack and straighten up, and although I have a feeling I will never find enough space to put everything away, I have to take a break and pay attention to my business for a few. (I find myself with a goofy grin on my face when I say "my business." Hehe.) Hats need to be made!

On family news, Ben took his first steps yesterday! Daphne was the one to see him first, then Danny and I watched him take about 10 slippery-sock steps across the kitchen. It was adorable and amazing and I actually teared up. After all those months of worrying and wondering if he'd walk in his own, he showed us all just what he'd been preparing for. Just like any proud momma of today, I texted all my family to let them know. Next up, Facebook!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Oops!

2010-11-04T08:47:00.001-04:00

ACK! I've been SO busy these past two weeks! I've been packing, cleaning, helping my mom with school, making a TON of hats, and oh yeah... taking care of my four kids and husband. :) It has been crazy.

Have you seen these cute hats?

The color doesn't show up very well, but you get the point, right?!

You totally want one now, don't you?

Haha, these are just a few of the hats I've been cranking out lately!

Once I get caught up, I have even more ideas! I plan on a soft, fuzzy teddy bear hat, a custom piggy hat is waiting to be made, and so much more. I'm having a blast mixing new yarns and colors and letting my imagination lead the way. (My husband has been such a big help and support.)

In the meantime, I've got to keep up with everything else.

Oh, I wanted to share with you a challenge for the month of November. I don't have a lot of background on WHY I am doing this, but every day of November at 1:00 pm I am praying for a specific friend for 1 minute. I think of this friend often, but I don't spend much time praying for them, which I should. I can't wait to see what God reveals at the end of this month. I challenge you to do this with me, especially if you have a friend or loved one in need.

Anyway, back to hats! I plan on doing another vlog ASAP as well, can't wait to see how I squeeze that in!

S.O.S.

2010-10-18T10:14:00.000-04:00

Send help! Send the Coast Guard! Send the Marines! Send Starbucks and tranquilizers and baby cages!

Monday Mingle - A little late!

2010-10-07T10:16:00.000-04:00

So here's how it happened. Last Monday morning I decided to vlog. I created my video for Monday Mingle, and before posting it I realized that I had answered the questions for the following week! Ack! So I held off, saving it for this week. Then I went off and forgot to post it. Double fail. Enjoy!

Halloween Wreath

2010-10-04T08:46:00.000-04:00

I recently saw a Martha Stewart Living magazine with a really neat idea for a Halloween wreath. I've never had a wreath for Halloween, and I love the fun decorations for this holiday. Since I couldn't find the project on the web yet, I decided to take pictures as I created it and share it with you!
You will need a grapevine wreath, plastic snakes, and black spray paint.

First step- spray everything black. Including your hands. Duh.

Flip everything over, making sure to cover all the wreath and snakes. My snakes didn't take the paint very well, so they took more work to cover and remained a little gummy, even after laying in the sun. (Look how dead our grass is! Very appropriate.)

Once dry, bring them inside for assembly. Your finger will probably be cramping up from spraying the entire can of spray paint, so be sure to do physical therapy as needed.

Using the adhesive of your choice, adhere the snakes to the blackened wreath. I used hot glue, which I dislike because of the awkward hot-glue-stringies that result. I found that its easiest to put the glue onto a big branch instead of the snake, then hold the snake into place for a few seconds.

See that stringy crap? Agh.

I used two packages of snakes, minus a couple, so around 12-13 snakes are on this wreath. It's rather creepy, right?

Go put it on your door. I'm not sure if I would have liked it better with glossy paint.... I keep thinking I might! You could always spray it with a sealer too.
The wreath cost me about $2, the snakes $2, and the paint we had on-hand. All in all this is a very cheap and fun Halloween project.
Anybody have any suggestions on something to cover the personalized knocker?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Why I Love (but don't use) Reusable Shopping Bags

2010-09-27T12:36:00.000-04:00

1. Good for the environment. I am all for anything that is better for the environment. But I'm also a low-income mother of four kids, which means that my resources are stretched to the max. I can't imagine buying enough of those bags to take care of ALL my groceries.

2. I shop with 2-4 kids. Refer to #1. I can't imagine bringing in my 2 babies, 2 bags, and armful of shopping bags. THEN shopping. I'm starting to hate shopping. LOL

(2.5 Lines are long. Shopping takes forever. I shop with 2-4 kids; they are tired, cranky, and noisy by the time we check out. I cannot (and will not) ask the clerk to take twice as long by using my reusable bags.)

3. They're SOOO cute. My favorite bags are from Sally Beauty Supply. They come out with new designs all the time, and they're still relatively cheap. ($1-$2)

4. They make great project bags. Now I mentioned I don't use these for shopping. However-- I do use them for other purposes. Mostly for my crochet projects. I also use one to carry books to and from the library. Sometimes I'll throw diapers and clothes in there as a makeshift diaper bag. I store yarn in them. My aunt often uses them as gift bags. Now THAT, I can do!

As I mentioned, I don't use these awesome bags for grocery purposes. You should see how many grocery bags I come home with! I am diligent about making sure these bags get recycled, reused, or repurposed. I currently plan to reuse grocery bags by turning them into "yarn" for a crocheted handbag! Can't wait to show you.

Bleep My Kids Say

2010-09-27T09:14:00.004-04:00

M: "I don't want you playing with that marker, Daph."

D: "I'm not playing with it, I'm just writing with it."

Crocheted Poncho

2010-09-23T12:29:00.000-04:00

This past weekend my family went camping. I was trying to prepare for the changing weather, as we've been having hot days and cool nights. I found this adorable crochet pattern for a poncho, and after digging through my yarn stash, decided to make one for Josie.

Lion Brand Yarn - Free Crochet Pattern - Baby Poncho

The yarn suggested is their soft, bulky Homespun by Lion Brand. I used their Winsdor color. It works up pretty quickly, but since it's a thicker yarn, you have to be careful not to split the yarn with your hook.

Lion Brand Yarn - Homespun, Windsor

On my first attempt with the suggested hook size, the neck piece was too small to fit over my 29 month old's head. I moved to a P hook, which is pretty large, and crocheted loosely. (For me, I apparently crochet too tightly) Because of this, I ended up using a little over 1 skein of yarn, as suggested, and came out with a beautiful blue colored poncho.

Now after all my sizing issues, this fits my almost-6 and 8 year old, as well as my 2 year old.

She doesn't like it as much as the older two do, but it's a tad short for the older ones. I plan on making a couple more in this style for my older girls. I also have another style of poncho to make soon. Very excited about that one. It's more of a baby/toddler size.

As always, I love to make different things, and I would love to have the opportunity to make something for YOU or your child! :)

Happy 101st Post!

2010-09-13T23:37:00.002-04:00

I can't believe I passed 100 posts and I didn't even realize it. I feel so dumb! I will do something special SOON, I promise!!!

Well, I've really been itching to post something, anything, but I feel like it should have SUBSTANCE! But I have no substance right now! I haven't really been making anything other than some pumpkin hats, crocheted apple amigurumi. Even that has slowed down to a trickle. (I've got a guest post scheduled for a couple weeks out, yay!)

Danny got a new job, he started today. He has to get up at like 5:30 in the morning so he's going to bed a lot earlier. Which means I end up entertaining Josie until she decides it's bed time. She just went back to our bedroom and fell asleep on the bed next to Danny. Why didn't he let her do that 2 hours ago?? :P So here I am, bored and kinda tired, but it's so early! LOL.. I've been reading this weird book that is a little over my head. It's supposed to be funny, I guess, it's a little more depressing than anything. It's a satire set on the "future" where the US gov't and economy has basically crumbled down to nothing, China and Europe own our asses and everyone worldwide is practically illiterate and lives off of little smartphone type devices. It's interesting, but I feel like I'm pretty damn stupid after reading some of the reviews of the book. I'm like, "They got all THAT from THIS?! What the hell have I been reading??!" :) A little too real to be "funny" at this point, I guess. I will let you know how it turns out when I finish it, IF I finish it. Last night I contemplated calling it a loss and starting a new book, but something kept me going. Perhaps the pretty colors on the cover. You know, since I'm so non-intellectual and all that.

ps-- After some extensive and exhaustive research, I found two posts that were just drafts!! After deleting the impostors, it will be known that the VERY NEXT POST on my blog will be in the triple digits! That's right-- You're looking at post number 99, baby. That's why they call me MOMMA. fo. sho.

Weddings: The Rehearsal

2010-09-04T11:17:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What I Did

2010-08-31T11:45:00.000-04:00

I made accessories! (And forgot to put away the iron!)

If you'll notice, the chair cover is my first attempt at a sewing machine cover. It's double sided, (the blue paisley is on the reverse) and I just didn't like how it sat on my machine. So I threw it over my chair while I decided what to do with it. I kinda like it there. :P I used some leftover fabric and poly-fil to create a tie-on seat cushion to match.

My second attempt at a sewing machine cover. The corners are boxed, and it just sits right on top of the machine comfortably. It's not double sided, but I love this fabric. It's home decor fabric that I bought last year for making tote bags. Never made the bags. :P

My last addition was a thrown-together scrap/thread bag. My original thoughts were to make it weighted on the one side so it could sit in a drawer easily, but after making everything else, I just tacked it to the inside of the top drawer with a single thumbtack. It's not backed with anything, but the fabric is sturdy enough that it doesn't need it. It's right at the perfect level for all the tiny scraps and threads that get snipped off while sewing. I can still easily open either of the drawers it covers.

When company comes over, I'll probably flip the seat cover over, but for now, I love the zebra. :P I had a lot of fun cranking out all these little accessories and was quite proud of the result.

So excited

2010-08-23T23:16:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've been wanting to get on here and share how excited I am about our latest find!

We cleaned out the garage this weekend, and dug out this little desk that our landlady left behind for us. I had dreams of refinishing it and turning it into a cute desk for the girls, but my husband suggested I use it as a sewing desk. I've never really had my own dedicated sewing area, and the more I started thinking about it, the more excited I got!

I'm not a huge fan of the color or the knobs, but that can always be changed as I get the time. I'm thinking about covering the top with a cutting mat or something. I keep getting different ideas. I keep rearranging my drawers too.

We may be moving again soon, so this won't always be the spot, but I plan on keeping this little desk as long as it works for me.

What kind of workspace do you have? I was keeping everything boxed up and setting up on the kitchen table. :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weddings: The Bachelorette Party

2010-08-16T09:54:00.001-04:00

This weekend was Tracy's bachelorette party. We met at her house for snacks & drinks, then went downtown to a bar. There were plenty of inappropriately shaped novelties, including a pee-pee cake, straws, inflatable ring toss, and coordinating head-wear. (I tried to keep the pictures as clean as possible, but I really wanted to include the cake and hat.)

Jill, Kristyna, Megan, Tracy, Brandy (our DD), Me

Jill, Me, Amanda, Tracy, Megan, Donna, Kristyna

The look on my face in this pic cracks me up. And the fact that my shirt grew in size when exposed to heat.

L-R: Jill (bridesmaid), Tracy (bride), Brandy, Kristyna (bridesmaid), Me (bridesmaid), Megan (Matron of honor)

(Me & The bride, Tracy)

The "tool" in question

2010-08-06T11:51:00.000-04:00

This is the piece of steel that my husband was using as a sledgehammer, of sorts.

It is what broke his foot. Should we give him a Darwin award?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

We Need Prayers!

2010-08-05T22:31:00.000-04:00

Imagine you're an artist, and your dominant hand gets smashed in a car door. You've spent your whole life using that hand, and now it's messed up. What are you supposed to do now?

Now, I know our situation isn't that drastic, but my husband is a physical worker. He currently cuts grass and has been an auto mechanic for over 12 years. The other day he was working on his truck and dropped a 30-35 lb piece of steel on his left foot. No, he wasn't wearing work boots. It left a nice mark and started to swell. The next day he went to the Emergency Room and had x-rays taken on his foot. Here's what we've seen:

Can you see the break? Here, let me give you a better angle:

Here the foot is rotated about 45%. See the broken bone in the middle? It's basically laying on top of itself.

(I'm taking pictures of the x-rays, sorry)

The orthopedic surgeon will x-ray it again in about a week. Instead of surgical repair, he is hoping that the bone will stay in the position it is. If it does, it should heal itself and fill in the gaps. If the bone shifts to either side, he will have to have surgery. This will put Danny out of commission for some time. As the breadwinner for our family, this would not be the ideal solution. He needs that foot to work. If I could do what he does, I would do it in a heartbeat so he could rest and heal. It honestly breaks my heart to see my husband limping around and in pain. Please keep Danny in your prayers.

My Top 10 Etsy Tuesday

2010-08-03T09:06:00.002-04:00

So..... I was browsing around Etsy and I'm falling in love with stuff. And someone needs to know that I love these things! LUCKY YOU!

1. Sleepy Panda Mary Janes by emandsprout

Gasp. These are precious, and I can honestly see my little tootsies wearing these.

2. Flutter Butterfly headband by Myhaleygirl

Now, with my cool new hairstyle, this headband would look fantastic. Oh yes.

3. Wee Little Blue Bird by sunshineceramics

Yes, this has already sold. I just love this little bird. The color is gorgeous, and his cute little bird cheeks are adorable. I love hiding little chubby birds all over my house.

4. A Bamboletta Doll

Okay, I'd be happy with the materials to make my own Waldorf-inspired doll, but these ladies are talented. There are a few of these type boutiques popping up as of late and there is something inside me that is DYING to have these dolls for my girls. And maybe one for me. ;)

5. A Big Tree on the Wall

I just know that I need a giant tree on my wall. I think it has something to do with me being a mother. The tree of life, plus I have four little ones whom I lovingly revere as my little birdies. (haha, no really, just not when they can hear me)

6. iPad

I just can't help it. Okay, I'd probably settle for a new laptop, but these are just so... simple. Love it. I know it's not on Etsy..... but I need one to appreciate things better on Etsy. There, that's a good reason, right?

7. Custom paintings of my girls

This is not my daughter, but I love the artist at TheDreamyGiraffe. I would love to someday have pictures painted of my girls. They'd flip. :)

7.5 Pictures of my girls, Continued

I love this artist as well. It may be easier for me to find pictures that resemble them here.

8. Autumn Crochet Pattern Set by AmyGaines

When I was little I used to make turkeys for my Grandma's Thanksgivings dinners. (Lunches, but that doesn't sound as good.) For a while I made quirky placecards, but now as we have a TON of family there every year, there is no way to try to manage the seating. I love making things for my Grandma, and this set looks like something she would love and use every year. Definitely on my wish list.

9. Everything else in AmyGaines' store

I want to make all of this. I would actually love to make all of her knit patterns too, but I don't trust my knitting abilities. SOOOOOOO cute!!!

10. PopTart iPhone Case

I think this is where I would "SQUEEEEEEE!" if I actually said things like that. But I don't. I also don't say, "This is SEW cute!"

Join in the fun with Oh Amanda!'s Top 10 Tuesday!

Weddings: The Bridal Shower

2010-08-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

The best pair of the night-- it included a cute poem about being a hot grandma :)

(This is what I hoped my hair would look like. lol)

Can't Touch This!

2010-07-08T20:17:00.002-04:00

Dance with me!!!

Blogging in my bed

2010-06-16T15:10:00.002-04:00

ps- I almost forgot! I am participating in 'Get your vlog on' Wednesday at http://www.lizziebtv.com/. Feel free to join in the fun!!! :)

Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner

2010-06-16T10:43:00.000-04:00

This is a story about love, forgiveness, and moving on. Growing up. Redemption. Change. Finding yourself. What more could you ask for? We start the book with 3 women; Sylvie and her two daughters, Diane and Lizzie. All strong woman in different stages of life, brought together by the infidelity of Richard; Sylvie's husband. Richard is a New York state senator, and every aspect of the ordeal is broadcast nationally on television. The girls sequester themselves in the family's neglected beach house in Connecticut; relearning what it means to love and accept themselves and each other. They learn that separately they can do many things, but together they can be the family they always needed.
This book is funny, sweet, happy and sad, and at times even a little racy. It held my interest, made me laugh, cry, and smile. This book will be released on July 13th, but you can preorder your copy today.

Quick Update on Natalie

2010-06-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

Update on Natalie from her mother in law, Jo Ellen.

"Just got back from the hospital. Natalie was responsive and was able to blink and smile a little through the respirator. Her uterus is healing well. The doctors seem to think she will probably be able to go home about next Friday. She can have visitors, but she gets excited easily and her heart rate shoots up, so it's best to not talk to her too much. I know everyone's prayers have helped her progress so much. The doctors said there was usually only a 15% survivial rate for what she went through."

Praise God!

Update on Natalie

2010-06-11T12:51:00.001-04:00

I saw Natalie today. She is being kept sedated because she is still on the respirator. I guess she isn't getting enough oxygen on her own. She is still swollen but looks good. They did an MRI last night on her abdomen and there is no more bleeding from her uterus. There is still a blood clot in her arm but she is on a different type of blood thinners to dissolve it. The nurse said that she will probably take another week to regain her strength and functionality. She said that her brain is probably okay. She talked like they are expecting a full recovery, but she is still being watched very carefully. Surviving what she did has been a miracle, and we pray that God continues to heal her and protect her. Her daughter's name is Katelyn and is home with Natalie's mom. Natalie is missing these precious first weeks with her daughter and that breaks my heart. I know she was also planning to breastfeed, and I don't know if this will be possible. Please continue to keep Natalie, her family, the doctors and nurses in your prayers.

Something else I wanted to share; I had been upset about the fact that Natalie was forced to have a c-section. I felt like if they had let her give birth vaginally that she wouldn't have had the embolism in her heart. God knew I was feeling this way, because the nurse addressed this without being asked. She said, "This may have happened whether she had a c-section or not, but thankfully she was where she was when it happened. She has the anesthesiologist, the extra doctors and nurses immediately on hand to save her life. She may have died if she didn't." I felt such a peace after considering this. What happened to her was rare and usually fatal. Her water broke prematurely and she was in the hospital under physician care when this happened. Thank you God for having your hand on Natalie's life.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Vlogging & Driving: Me Pre & Post-Walmart

2010-06-08T17:48:00.001-04:00

Me: Pre- & Post-Walmart

Your prayers, please.

2010-06-07T18:41:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd post an update on my blog for those of you who are praying with me for Natalie.

Natalie had a pretty uneventful pregnancy, and was scheduled for a c-section on June 25th. Her last pregnancy resulted in c-section because the cord was wrapped around Johnathan's neck 3 times and he wasn't breathing. He's fine now, but that gave everyone a scare. Natalie's water broke late Friday night, and she had an an emergency c-section at 3 am. The baby is fine, a little girl named Grace, (I believe) but I haven't gotten to check on the specifics of her yet.

While on the operating table, an embolism caused a blockage in Natalie's heart. She flat-lined, and they were able to get her heart to start beating again. They did an MRI and found lots of blood clots in her lungs. She was then put into a drug-induced coma and her body temperature lowered to slow down her heart rate. She was also put on blood thinners to hopefully dissolve the clots.

Today they tried to wake her up from the coma, but since her kidneys weren't working at full capacity, the medicine is still pretty strong in her system and she wasn't able to wake up. They have taken her off of the blood thinners and she had surgery to place filters in her arms and legs to hopefully prevent any clots from reaching her vital organs. Her kidneys are working better now, still not at 100%, but better, and the swelling is beginning to come down. Her heart rate is up, and her blood pressure is down, which isn't good, but may be a side effect from the blood thinners.

Please pray for Natalie.

Sorry....

2010-06-03T15:41:00.000-04:00

I've been feeling really bad about not blogging lately... I hope you understand. I go to court tomorrow about my bank account and I'm hoping it all goes well. I'm borrowing money to pay them, and I just wish this whole thing would disappear. We use my bank account to pay all our bills, everything. It's been terrible. Sigh. I haven't felt motivated. I'm trying. Hopefully I'll have something good to say soon.

The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin

2010-05-30T17:53:00.001-04:00

If you can't tell from the title, this is a funny book. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk. He is a relatively new author, with this being his first published book, released on February 9th, 2010.

Honestly, I wandered over to the teen literature section of our town library looking for something a little more grown up. When I saw the cartoon cover and funny title, I honestly thought perhaps the author was a little goofy and that this HAD to be a book for little kids. I read the back, a little confused, but for some unknown reason I decided to check out the book and take it home. It's only 256 pages. And I can't keep giggling at the name. Hamburger Halpin. Tee-hee!

The main character of this book is a self-proclaimed "fat deaf kid" named Will Halpin. He is starting his first day at the town's mainstream high school, Carbon High, recently transferring over from the deaf-only school. He is understandably nervous, and we take a walk in the shoes of this sarcastic and witty teenage boy trying to find his place in this world. He struggles through his classes on the sidelines, using lip-reading as his main method of communication-- the school can't afford a translator or fancy captioning systems. Will is used to living life on the sidelines. He wonders what life would be like if people actually saw him, not just the "DEAF CHILD" sign in front of his house.

He is immediately, although at first unwillingly, befriended by Devon Smiley, a fellow outcast. Together the two investigate a mystery-- and don't think the cheesiness of this situation gets past our Will. They liken themselves to oddball Hardy Boys, hunting for clues at their pot-smoking bus driver's fortress in fake beards and phony glasses. HamburgerHalpin and Smileyman save the day in the end; all the while dealing with crushes, bullying, gym class, school lunch and the intestinal upsets that come with it, fighting the language barrier, finding a best friend, and finding yourself.

I've never been a fan of mystery novels, but the comedy and familiar world of hierarchical high school kept me entertained, engaged, and laughing out loud. Or LOL2BIFTLOLIS.

Weddings pt. 2 Dresses

2010-05-25T10:53:00.000-04:00

We have selected a bridesmaid dress for Tracy & Kyle's wedding!

(two of the bridesmaids)

It's pretty simple. Empire waist, spaghetti straps, and tea length. We will be getting the black, and tying a pretty green sash around the waist. Her bridesmaids are a blonde, two brunettes, and a redhead. I think we will look pretty awesome. :) They didn't have my size in the store, so they ordered it. (Hense, no pictures of me.)

Here are the hawt shoes I wanted to get, but they're kinda pricey.

(not my feet)

(my feet)

I may end up getting something LIKE this, or making something like this if I can find it cheaper. Love them. Esp. with the black nail polish. :P

We have also selected the flower girl dress. It's a miniature version of Tracy's gown, and Daphne is so excited about it.

We will probably put Daphne's hair up, or maybe down with a pretty tiara or headband. It doesn't hold a curl (AT ALL) so I'm not gonna bother trying. And we're def. not wearing those shoes. LOL

It's just another Monday Mingle!

2010-05-24T12:52:00.001-04:00

It's just another... Monday Mingle! Yes, I am singing "Manic Monday."

I want my tickly pillow.

2010-05-21T11:05:00.000-04:00

Did you ever have a lovie? A silkie, taggie, blanket, baby, binky, wubby, whatever? That thing you ran to when you fell down and scratched your knee, cried on when your feelings were hurt, or snuggled with when you couldn't sleep? My first child to have a lovey was Daphne. When she was a baby, I made her a pillow. It really wasn't anything fancy; just a pillow form covered with fuzzy fleece. The ends were fringed, because I didn't really sew at this point. Which was a mistake; that fleece made one heck of a mess when I cut it into little strips. Did you know there are different kinds of fleece? Yeah, well, now you know.

This pillow became her lovey. Well, actually it became her "Tickly Pillow." There is no right way to spell it, I looked and "tickly" isn't a word. Neither is "tickley" or "ticklie." To soothe herself, Daphne rubs the fringe pieces on her cheek. It's really kinda sweet. She takes it anywhere she spends the night. It started as a beautiful, light pink pillow. You should see it now. There is gum stuck to it, it's not fluffy or fleecy anymore, it is dingy and worn. I even made her a new pillow a couple years ago- hoping to replace the dirty old Tickly. She likes the new pillow; it sits on her bed, but it is not her Tickly Pillow.

Today I'm depressed. I'm stressed, sad. We're dealing with an old credit card debt, one that has doubled since we originally incurred it, and have continually had problems paying off. When we had money to pay towards it, it wasn't enough, it didn't go through, one thing or another. And honestly, when you're unemployed and broke, keeping your electricity on and rent current is a little more important than paying off an old credit card bill. So here we are. Our bank account was frozen. Honestly, there wasn't a ton in there to start with, but it was part of our rent. And money for gas so my husband could make money cutting grass. And money to pay for part of my daughter's birthday party. Transactions have started to bounce, and we're incurring overdraft charges. I don't know where this money is going to come from, but it's got to come from somewhere. Rent's due soon. We'll figure it out, I know, God will provide; but I'm stressed. Angry.

I want my Tickly Pillow. I grew up with a "blankie," and I have misplaced it over the years. My husband has become my lovey. But right now my husband is working. Doing what odd jobs he can find to keep his family fed and clothed. So I'm here, with my kids, trying to stay strong for them, when all I want to do is curl up and hide. I need a lovey.

Getting My Vlog On

2010-05-19T15:23:00.001-04:00

Link up @ www.lizzieBtv.com

Momentos de afternoonez

2010-05-18T19:01:00.002-04:00

The Monday Miiiiiiiiingle

2010-05-17T21:06:00.001-04:00

I'm bored!!!

2010-05-15T08:08:00.000-04:00

Moms, Girls, Guys-- What do you do when you're bored?! I am SO bored lately. The older two girls always want to play outside. Josie and Ben have to be watched more carefully, so I either have to keep them inside or hold Ben and follow Josie around outside. (Read: Not fun) So I spend a lot of that time inside.

Now, I know my time is best spent CLEANING. And trust me, with 4 kids, I have enough cleaning to keep me busy 24/7. But come on. I'm 27 years old. I do not want to be spending every waking moment of my life cleaning my house. I do play with my kids, but even that ends up with kids fighting for my attention, fighting with each other, fighting with me.... I digress. (What does "digress" mean, anyway? I usually say it when I'm rambling and I need to get back to the point. Is that correct? I need to sound smart here, people.)

So it's 8 am now, I've been up since 7. I'm bored! I've had my coffee, unloaded the dishwasher, picked up a little, (very little) and caught up on Twitter and Facebook. I'm bored! I guess I could be crocheting, or sewing, but mostly at this time of day I'm trying to be vewwy vewwy quiet, since 3/4 of the children are still sleeping. (Plus one husband) My first thought is to get out the sewing machine, but that typically requires fabric, cutting said fabric, and I just don't have the inspiration to sew anything. I do have a veil I need to finish for my future sister-in-law's wedding......

What do you do in those quiet moments alone? What do you do when you have to be entertaining kids?

How I De-Stress

2010-05-12T16:51:00.000-04:00

How do you de-stress? What do you do when you're at your wits' end and ready to blow a gasket?

(Sorry if the volume level is crappy. Lesson #2 as a vlogger newbie: It's loud outside.)

If you'd like to contribute, Get Your Vlog on! (With lizzieBtv)

And then there was Daphne.

2010-05-11T21:46:00.001-04:00

Daphne..... kinda turns into a freak when someone is giving her undivided attention. That is why I try not to look her directly in the eye unless I absolutely have to.

(please know that I love my daughter unconditionally)

Monday

2010-05-10T19:29:00.002-04:00

My friend Linda (@trendytykes) gave me the idea of the MONDAY MINGLE. And she's been vlogging a lot lately and I've had a blast watching her little videos. (Vlog = video blog) I know some people enjoy vlogs and some people don't like them, or can't watch them. I'll try to have a good mix of the two on my blog. I was attempting to write a follow-up to the Weddings pt. 1 post, but for some reason I can't post pictures! I will figure that out and hopefully post it tomorrow. I've been piddle-farting around with that long enough. Get it DONE. Anyway, enjoy my first VLOG and Monday Mingle!

(if you want to join in, click here!)

As Puberty Approacheth

2010-05-05T10:47:00.000-04:00

Wow, I can't begin to tell you how much that "P" word intimidates me. My parents divorced when I was 10, and my sister left home around the same time. Things were a little chaotic at the exact time that I needed guidance in that area. I lived with my Dad and brother, and I was a "late bloomer" compared to my friends. So when the time came, I was lost. My brother and I had bad acne, and so every morning and night we washed our skin with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Seriously! I think back on it now, and no wonder our skin was so oily! I knew the basics from school and from my mom, (pad goes here) but when it came to other things, like bras and underwear, I basically had to ask my Grandma to take me shopping. (Or use hand me downs from my sister, which was interesting.) Oh, that brings back bad memories. I remember one time going underwear shopping with my grandma, and I told her I needed size 6 underwear. She insisted that I needed size 8. So home I went with a package of too-big underwear, granny-panty style, of course. Does wonders for the self-esteem. (I'm not complaining about my Grandma-- she had 5 boys! She didn't really know how to shop for little girls underwear either!)

I will get off my self-pity kick, because that's not what this is about! It's about me, having to be on the OTHER side of the pre-teen care. I'm really glad that my girls have me (and each other) to go to, but my oldest is getting ready to turn 8. She occasionally gets little zits on her face, and she complains about her skin feeling too dry and itchy. I know what I would do for MY skin, but I have no idea if something is going to be too strong or unnecessary. And that just brings up a whole new world of STUFF! Oh, my head is swimming.

I need to be prepared. This is advanced stuff. Any suggested reading material?

Top 10 Reasons Why I love Having Girls

2010-04-27T13:52:00.000-04:00

10. The hair.

I've never really had long hair, and honestly, it's hard for me to learn to do anything with my own hair. It's hard to reach! My two oldest girls have great hair; Katie's is semi-curly and Daphne's is stick straight and silky smooth. (When there's no gum or ketchup in it.) Hers tangles easily and she has a sensitive head, so brushing isn't always fun. Occasionally I get in the mood and attempt to do fun things with their hair. I love side ponytails, pigtails, messy buns, and braids. Katie's curls easily, so it doesn't take very long to give her a head-full of gorgeous curls. Josie has barely any hair and it's pale blond, but she honestly loves for me to "brush" it. :)

9. The clothes.

I was the youngest of 3, and my sister is 5 years older than me. I remember stealing her clothes when I could fit them, but that wasn't very often. (I swear, haha) I got a lot of "hand me downs" from my brother, but I didn't really have much clothes to play with growing up. Now that I've got girls, I love the little outfits they can wear. Girl clothes are bright, fun, sweet, soft, delicate, vibrant, wild, crazy and beautiful. Little girls can get away with so much when it comes to clothes. My oldest has decided she is a tom-boy. So that opens up a whole new realm of clothing!! Love it. I just wish I could afford everything that I want to get them!

8. Gal Pals.

I love that my girls want to hang out with me. I know that this will probably change in the near future, but right now they think I'm pretty cool. I'm not the girliest mom out there, but we do have fun painting nails, cooking, coloring, and playing. I love to window shop online, and my oldest loves doing it with me. We're always ooh-ing and ahh-ing over cute clothes and jewelry online, or in a store.

7. They're Mini-Mommies

I wouldn't have been able to survive the past 2 years without my two older girls. They have helped so much by throwing away diapers, finding the wipes, entertaining babies, wiping snotty noses, checking diapers, finding blankets, and so much more. My oldest daughter can even make a bottle for me. Daphne can make sippies. When I was pregnant they helped so much with Josie and with helping me pick things up. They have that nurturing instinct and I try to take advantage of that as much as possible. :) Now if they could just teach their little sister to use the potty...

8. Reuse!

We have been able to reuse some of the same clothes and shoes for all 3 girls. Having 4 kids is, and will continue to be very expensive. I'm glad that I'm able to get many uses out of coats, jeans, shoes, toys, and other clothes.

7. (Almost) All my friends have girls

Virginia has 3 girls. Lori has 3 girls. My sister has 3 girls. My brother has 3 girls (and 1 boy.) My sister in law has 1 girl. Natalie has 1 (soon to be 2) girls. Megan has 4 girls. It seems like everywhere I turn there are girls, and usually around the same age as mine. That means parties and play dates are full of friends to play with. And did I mention, I get hand-me-downs from my friends, too? Wow, we are so blessed!

6. Been there, done that

I worried about boys. I snuck out. I skipped school. I stole. I lied. I cheated. I lied about stealing, lying and cheating. I even tried drugs. But I had people praying for me, and a church that I loved and loved me. I can honestly say, if it weren't for my Christian upbringing and down-on-his-knees-praying of my family, I wouldn't be where I am today. That said-- I know my mistakes. I know where I messed up, and things I can try to do to help prevent my girls from making those mistakes. I will also know what things to look for. I will know that my girls aren't perfect, and that they will make mistakes. And I will forgive them, and teach them to ask for forgiveness. Most importantly, I will be constantly praying for my kids, because I know prayer works.

5. Built-in Best Friends

I know that my girls will fight. Lord, they already do. But I also know that they will grow up to be best friends. How lucky are they? They always have someone to play with, tell secrets to, and to share with. I know that it won't always work out perfectly, but you understand the general idea. :)

4. They give me hope

As a child, I went through a lot of depression. I felt bad about myself, and I didn't expect much out of myself. I actually wrote in my diary at one point that I didn't expect to live past 20. And if I did, I would be divorced multiple times and my kids would hate me. How crazy is that? I've been married for 8 years so far, I have 4 fantastic, happy children. My girls are beautiful, creative and smart. I helped them become that way. I may not have made all the right choices throughout my life so far, but with God's help, I'm apparently doing something right! Wow :)

3. I learn with them

Katie is in 2nd grade, and Daphne is in Pre-K. They have been dealing with situations for the past couple years that I never had to. They also have fights with friends and questions about life. Every time they come to me, I have to stop and think about what they're asking me and help them figure out the best answer.

2. I am their role model

As much as I didn't ask for it, I am a significant role model in my girls lives. That is a scary thought! It actually forces me to think of them first when I have to make a decision about my life. I have become a better person since having children, knowing that they are looking up to me.

1. They are gifts from God

When I had my first, then second, then third girl, I wondered why God wanted me to have three girls. I didn't have many girl friends when I was younger, and the ones I wanted to be friends with weren't always very nice to me. I guess you can say I didn't like girls very much by the time I got married. By the time I had Ben, I was done asking questions. I see that God has a bigger plan for me, for all of us. He sees the big picture, he sees things that I can't even imagine. He hand-picked my husband especially for me, he created my children and gave them to us. As gifts. As blessings. How special that makes me feel! God loves us so much.

Happy Customers!

2010-04-24T13:19:00.000-04:00

I love seeing people wear something that I made. It gives me such a huge sense of pride. Since I don't really feel right advertising with these pictures, I thought I could just make a collection of these happy hat-wearers! :)

My nieces, Sorsha & Gabrielle. Not hats, but I put the cute owls on. They're playing with the button eyes. Note to self: Button eyes distract from owl cuteness. :P

Another niece! Violet, wearing a dress I made for her. Okay, I'm getting to the hats, I swear!

This is Landrey Grace, daughter of Amy. I met her on Twitter. Isn't she precious?

This is Emma. I used to babysit her and her 2 sisters, Ellie and Elyssa. Emma was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor a year ago. She has been undergoing chemo in hopes of shrinking the tumor. This girl is a fighter! I love their family so much. I hope to get a picture of all 3 girls in their hats some day, but I know how difficult it is to get kids to sit still, let alone wearing hats! :)

This is Maddison. I used to go to church camp with her mommy, Lana!

My niece, Violet, again. :) (See above dress)

Ava wearing a hat and poncho made by me!

Daphne modeling a hat and custom scarf I made for a customer a couple years ago. I love the scarf!

My niece, Megan is in the background, wearing a blue hat I made for her. :) Perhaps not a happy hat-wearer, but I swear, she did like it!

This is Kaci, my cousin's precious little girl. Love love LOVE her! :)

I'm off to look for some more pictures. :) I have a million of MY girls wearing hats, but I can't wait to add to my happy hat-wearers collection!!!

What's in your bag?

2010-04-23T10:09:00.002-04:00

I saw a fun post over at StacyJulian.com. Dump out your purse, take a pic, and tell what your junk says about you. I'm starting to think that as a diaper bag toting momma, I should probably be dumping THAT out, but since I go to the store/gas station/etc. with just my purse, I will use that. :) (Okay okay, I'm probably cheating.) She also included a non-makeup pic. (Who am I kidding, almost every pic is a non-makeup pic for me.) So here we go!

Okay, I apologize now for my pic. Do I always look that mean? GEEEEZ. No wonder why my kids are scared of me. Well, they SHOULD be. I'm scary looking!

Now as I stated earlier, I also carry a diaper bag. My glasses may or may not be in there. I need them at the grocery store or where driving somewhere new, I have a rough time reading signs far away. Nothing too drastic, but I thought I should mention that. :) I don't like the way I look in them so I don't wear them much. Don't ask me why I care, I don't know.

First thing you may notice is my 3 tubes of Soft Lips. I love this stuff. I don't use it all the time, but for a while I couldn't find it so when I did I stashed them all in my purse. Then Walmart had them on clearance for .97 so I grabbed another. I will never be found without chapstick again. (At least until my 3 girls steal them all from my secret pocket inside my purse.)

Did you see my cute purse??? GOODWILL! Brand new condition, it's a soft leather-like material, (not sure if it is or not) and I think I got it for $3-$4. Love it. I love my wallet too. My wallet has a keychain with my van key on it because I lost the cute keyfob that Katherine made. Sorry. :( It had my van key and house key on it. So if anybody finds it.......

I also have little handmade containers for my shopping/gift cards (the brown zip up one) and coupons. (The green velcro one) I made these myself, and they really cut down on clutter. I also like to change purses, and these make that transition a lot easier. There's also a little mahjong tile keychain that holds all the little shopping card keythings. Half of these I never use, but I thought it would be fun to collect as many as I could. I think I have a library tag on there too. And there's a checkbook.

What does all this junk say about me? Ummm.... I have 4 kids, and my purse is the only thing I have 99% control over. (Need a padlock) I don't have time or energy to dig around for the Kroger card or that diaper coupon. I do, however, misplace my keys quite often. If I attach my key to something very important and bulky, perhaps I will stop putting it in my pocket and losing it. (Or leave it in the ignition and lock the doors.) Oh, also that I like to make stuff. And I like things that have been made by someone. And I like to save money.

Ooh, I have an Outback gift card in there.... Lunch, anyone?

Josie's Party

2010-04-20T20:01:00.000-04:00

Josie's party went great. We had it at our house, and had a good mix of friends and family come over to celebrate. I made some yummy pizza muffins, pink strawberry cupcakes, devil's food cake with fluffy cool-whip/pudding frosting, and vanilla cake with chocolate fudge frosting. Chips, pretzels, strawberries & grapes all graced our menu as well. The party started at 2 in the afternoon, and for the first time ever-- I WAS READY AHEAD OF TIME! I was pulling pizza muffins out of the oven before anybody even showed up. The weather was beautiful, the kids played on a bouncy house in the back yard and everyone chatted. I hope to have more smooth & simple parties like this one. :)

Happy Birthday Josie!!!

2010-04-14T16:51:00.000-04:00

For some reason I've been so excited about Josie turning two today! We haven't really done anything special yet, but maybe we'll go get ice cream tonight after dinner. Here's to two years with my special girl!

Our Easter

2010-04-12T22:49:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to throw up some pictures from our Easter... we didn't really do anything special this year. For us, actually getting all 4 kids dressed and out of the house is a feat in itself! Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I just don't do much right now. :)

My glamorous Katie Bug, modeling the jewelry she found in the Egg Hunt the day before Easter.

THAT'S MY EGG!!!

Wah-wah-wahhhhh....

3 outta 6 ain't bad!

Talking her Uncle Bryan into giving her some chocolate...

She makes a convincing argument...

Oh yeah.

Did I mention my girls love chocolate? (Cousin Megan on the left)

Hmmm... Something funny that rhymes with Party....

2010-04-09T10:01:00.003-04:00

Hi!!! I'm Chrystal, aka "mommafo." (mom uh foe)

As you can see, we're professional photographers and my children are all professional models. Yup.

My trusty camera is usually my iPhone or a FujiFilm FinePix A805. Sounds fancy, right? Yeah not so much. My husband uses it sometimes for work, so I'm trying to make a good case for a DSLR. Someday. *dreamy stare*

So this is my blog! I'm just learning, blogging mostly about my life as a 20-something mom of four. The 'four' part isn't really as hard as I thought it would be, it's the 'two babies under 2' part. A couple years ago I decided we should have another baby, and my husband agreed. (Mostly because he likes the practice.) I thought this was my chance at having my boy, but ended up with a crazy little girl. After a few minutes of crying, I was okay-- I knew plenty of moms with 3 girls and I was fine with being added to that list.

6 months later-- whoa. Surprise! We're pregnant again. Yikes. Not so planned. Two days later, hubby loses his job. Double yikes!!! God has been so good to us; providing and guiding and opening windows and closing doors. We're trusting with everything we've got, and somehow we're still kicking. Unemployment, self employment, we've done it all. Life is still uncertain at times, but we continue to trust that God doesn't give us more than we can handle! (Did I mention, I got my baby boy? After finally being OKAY with not having a boy? LOL, God is FUNNY that way.)

So that in a nutshell, (help help I'm in a nutshell! How did I get into this nutshell?) is my blog. I also make stuff that I give away and sell. Check out my etsy shop (button on the right) for some handmade sass. ;)

So join in on the 2010 Ultimate Blog Party!!! Meet new friends! WIN PRIZES! (yes, PRIZES!)

My top 3 picks are

I'd love to win the TOSHIBA LAPTOP!!!

#104 – $50 Visa Vanilla Gift Card.

#USC 39, USC 35

#39 -Be My Guest certificate ($250 value) for one lucky winner, (2 night stay for a family of four) at any Hilton Garden Inn

If those are already chosen: USC 15, 73, 74, 77, 61, 52, 49, 83, us113, us114, usc19, usc25, usc41, usc51, usc55, usc57, I3, I8, I10, I11, I14, I15

My dirty birdy

2010-04-08T17:37:00.002-04:00

Yes, she needs a bath. And yes, somehow she got her hands on one of her sisters' jawbreakers. Doing surprisingly well with it though! She is also days away from being 2 years old and still looks like a boy. I apologize for my bald genes.

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weddings pt. 1

2010-04-06T23:17:00.001-04:00

I planned my wedding over 8 years ago. Styles were a little different, and I was so young. I did the best I could, and I think it turned out pretty well.

Now, my maid of honor and one of my very best friends is getting married in September. I'm excited for her, and I'm enjoying all of the wedding-hype with her. She has asked me to be part of her bridal party, and she asked me if I wanted to have one of my girls be a flower girl. My oldest daughter is going to be a Junior Bridesmaid in my brother-in-law's wedding in December, so Daphne will get to be flower girl in this wedding. The wedding has a music theme, and she's also asked me to help her out with the accessories. (Guest book, champagne glasses, ring pillow, flower girl basket, etc.) I'm very excited, and want to share!

Here's her dress:

The cap sleeves are removable, and she's going to leave them off. Such a beautiful gown!!

And the shoes. They're dyables, so I'm thinking about getting them in black. So cute! The bridesmaids dresses will be Kelly green. We'll be looking at those next weekend.

I have more wedding misc. to share, so stay tuned! :)

Love, The Easter Bunny. (aka Mom)

2010-04-01T11:10:00.001-04:00

My children are 7, 5, almost 2, and 8 months. Somehow, despite being told otherwise by multiple friends, my oldest two still believe in all things Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, etc. (I'm constantly looking over my shoulder while writing this, btw.)

For the most part, I play along to appease my husband. I was not raised believing in these people, although at times I wished I had. I know that it makes these holidays and events exciting for my girls, believing that some mystical being sneaks into their house and leaves them gifts or well-wishes. I have always had fun watching their surprised faces when opening their Christmas presents and Easter baskets, but in the past couple years I am starting to ask myself, "How old is too old to believe in Santa?"

I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer here, but I have a couple of valid reasons to ask this question. My first is a bit selfish-- I want some of the glory. Okay, all of it. The past couple of Christmasses have been really tight financially and I have had to be creative and self-sacrificing to be able to get my girls some special gifts that they asked for. I'd like them to smile and be thankful that their parents love them so much and remembered the little things that they had asked for over the course of the year. My girls expect Santa to get them everything they want because Santa has no budget, can make anything, and remembers everything. (And just in case he doesn't, he gets a reminder list.)

My second reason has appeared just recently; I want them to be part of the fun! My older two girls have a baby brother and sister who will be getting Easter baskets and Christmas presents, and I'd love for them to share some of the excitement I have while watching them dig through their special basket and hunt for hidden eggs. I know it makes you feel important and special to be part of the club-- to be IN on a secret. I think my oldest could keep "the secret" quite well, and would be proud of being more grown up.

My husband thinks otherwise. He hasn't really set an age that we should tell our kids; I think he's basically waiting for them to find out. To poke holes in our excuses and explanations, to see through our sham. For me, I'd rather graciously let them in on the whole charade, than to let them feel like it was our intention to forever keep them in the dark.

So that's my dilemma. I was for sure that she had figured it out this past Christmas, and I was certain that she'd give me a look when I spoke of the Easter Bunny. Should I let her in on the big secret? What is the proper initiation process?

Plastic Iron-On Decals

2010-03-30T13:54:00.001-04:00

This is such a cool idea!!! This lady figured out how to iron on cutout shapes from colored plastic shopping bags onto t-shirts. Genius! I am about to call up everybody I know and raid their plastic bag stashes. LOL

Check it out!! http://www.filthwizardry.com/2010/03/iron-on-decals-from-plastic-shopping.html

People I love

2010-03-29T23:55:00.001-04:00

Don't you love those moments when you're driving down the road, 4 noisy, fighting and/or whining children behind you, and --BAM!!!-- You're struck with an idea! OOH! Me too!!

It struck me that people can't possibly just want to sit and read every tiny, stupid detail about my life. It's really not that interesting, and not much really changes day to day. (Ohhh, Benny's poop was GREEN today!! Isn't that INTERESTING??)

BUT- People are still interesting! And I don't want you running away from me screaming, trying to find someone interesting! I can give it to you! So there is my idea. I want to show you interesting people!

My FIRST interesting person is Celeste! She has a super-cool blog, Etsy It Up! First off, I love the colors & design of her blog. It's sweet, stylish, and fun- just like her! She features shops and items on Etsy and also does giveaways from those shops. (Woo, free stuff!!) I asked Celeste a few questions, and she agreed to share some info about herself with you on my blog. Enjoy getting to know her, and check her out sometime. She'll amaze you too!

How old are you?
18 (will be 19 in June... yes, that makes me sound like a five-year-old counting down the days to my birthday LOL!)

What do you do now, and what do you want to do?
Well, right now, I'm in college to get my Bachelor's in early childhood education. I was able to get my AA degree while I was a Senior in high school (dual-enrolled). I take two classes on-campus - and all the rest I'm doing online.... because... I'm also "team teaching" kindergarten - which is basically like being an aide - but, I also teach lessons (I do all of the math, science, and creative writing). I'm planning on getting a Master's degree in either early childhood education or pediatric speech pathology. But, something else that I've always thought would be amazing would to be able to be a speech writer for the Republican party. I have always been passionate about politics and feel that the GOP really needs some extra "oomph" -- Ronald Reagan. He's my hero. :) In speech class in high school - when we had to do mock-debates -- I was always told that I sounded like a "girl version of Glenn Beck" - LOL! ...I'll take that as a compliment. ;)

But -- as I'm sure, Chrystal, you've noticed on twitter -- I just want to be a mom someday! I still want to get my education degrees regardless, but really, if I am ever able to just be a mom - that's all I need to be happy :)

How long have you been blogging?
Since February of 2009.

What was your blog about when you first started?
I started the blog to simply feature etsy shops/products that I came across that I really liked - and wanted to share. I had never even heard of "giveaways" - until one shop owner asked me to host one for her -- and then, after that, the emails just kept coming! I just couldn't say 'no' - plus, I just love sending the "Congratulations, you won!" emails! :)

Why Etsy?
I started the blog one evening after reading in etsy's forum section... I was reading about how sellers were struggling with figuring out how/where to advertise. I saw a few people mentioning advertising on blogs. I looked at a few, and then I figured, "Hey, I could have one of these and help these shop owners out!" but, now - I'm totally open to featuring shops from all over the web: etsy, big cartel, artfire, independent websites, etc. I just really love to know that I can do something as simple as a blog post to help these awesome shop owners get exposure and sales.

How many readers do you average?
At this point - it's averaging about 500 blog views a day.

How does an Etsy seller go about being featured on your page?
Just email me! (my email's in my profile on my blog). I've been getting a lot of emails asking me how much I charge -- I don't charge anything. (so - now you know that I hate asking for money! lol!)

What is your favorite blog?
Oh my goodness. I definitely do not just have one! Well, of course - there's The Pioneer Woman - but really, I think that's a given.

Some of my daily reads:

Enjoying The Small Things (such a beautiful blog, I love how Kelle blends her gorgeous photography with her writing... lovely!)

Shey B (Shey's fabulous, isn't she?! I just love her!!! And, I could not be more excited for how quickly her business has grown!)

Joy's Hope (I love Julie's writing style - and that she is a fellow font-obsesser like me! LOL!)

The Vintage Pearl (another shop that has just taken off! Wow - so, so, happy for Erin's success with her jewelry. And, I just love how she combines 'business posts' with 'personal posts' - she does such a great job blending the two...plus, I love her jewelry!!)

My Trendy Tykes (oh, Linda -- she's hilarious. Just love her! I know this might sound weird, but everything she writes about - and they way she puts things - I'm totally the same way. I could just never write it out like she does. LOL!)

The Pleated Poppy (I love Lindsey's style - from her darling posy pins to her house -- oh, I just love it all!)

The Anderson Crew (love this family!! plus, it's fun that they live in Orlando - I lived there from birth-age 6 ... so, it's neat to see her kids in some of the same places I went went when was their age)

Under the Sycamore (what can I say? I just love it!!)
...but, there are so many more.... I honestly don't think I read anything but blogs & FOXnews.com anymore. (oh yeah - and twitter!)

What do you do for FUN?
I love to bake/cook (I make amazing chocolate chip cookies, I must say.) ;) Also, photography. I'm in love with my camera. We go everywhere together ;) I love being outside - gardening, playing with our pup, bike riding - just enjoying what God has given. (:

We (my family) really love Disney World. I've always been lucky enough to live close - and, it never gets old!! I would go there everyday if I could. ;)

...and...this might sound crazy... but I love my job - to me, it's fun!! I love spending time with kids - I love being able to really get to know them and to even just play hide & seek with them - and have conversations. I suppose I just love how innocent they are - they really appreciate things, are so smart, loving, and FUN to be around! It really is hard to put into words how much I love kids. But - no. I do not want to have a bazillion kids like the Duggars. I just want 2. ;)

(oh - and I have become such a reality tv junkie! LOL!)

Do you have any hidden talents?
Do you know what "the pretzel" is? (putting your legs behind your head) - yeah. I can do that. with no hands. LOL!

Also, I can play the piano - not something that I take lessons for anymore, though - but, I've been playing for 10 years.

I just wanted to add that I love auto-mechanics. Yes, it's weird. I am super girly, but... When it comes to the working of cars, oh my! I love it!! And, I have no idea why. In high-school, most of the guys would ask me how to fix issues with their cars. Lol!

Thank you Celeste, I had so much fun reading your answers! You make me laugh and smile. :)

Blogging for Blogging Sake :)

2010-03-25T21:44:00.000-04:00

My sister is getting married next week in Virginia Beach. It's actually going to be an oceanside wedding and her 3 girls are going to be the flower girls & ring bearer. (Her 8 y/o requested to be ring bearer) This is the second marriage for both of them. I wish them both lots of luck and love in the many years to come!!!

On to my Twilight addiction. I have to say, that just as the book, New Moon isn't really my favorite movie so far. I do enjoy watching Jacob, but I have several complaints about the movie. First, the acting is SO cheesy. Now this is mostly from Kristen Stewart's part, Bella. She felt more like Bella in the first movie, Twilight. In this movie, I feel like she is trying so hard to "not care." Every other line is laced with "kinda" "actually" "sorta" and for some reason that bugs the crap out of me. It just seems like she has changed so much from the first movie. That brings me to my second complaint; all the makeup/hair looks terrible. Jasper, Edward, Rosalie and Esme's hair looks so crazy. I realize some of them wear wigs, but I have seen much better wigs. Their makeup is ridiculously pasty, when in the last movie it looked much more natural. It was just pale before, now it's cakey and icky. Like too white. Jacob is too cheesy. Everything he says sounds so rehearsed, like he's said it a million times and practiced every tone that each letter will sound like. The technical effects are better, but honestly, I looked past that in the first movie. They worked really well with what they had, and they made it work. The actors seemed natural in their roles and comfortable. Now it feels like Rob & Kristen are on screen trying their hardest to be Edward & Bella. (And I still feel that way when I watch Twilight) Rob looked so gorgeous in the first movie. I could do without him in the second. Especially when he takes off his shirt in Volterra! AAGH! And what's with the painful kissing????? I understand that kissing is painful for him, and she's getting all into it, but do we really have to listen to every smack and grunt and whimper? They kissed so much better in Twilight. I REALLY hope that Eclipse is better. Putting away New Moon for now. :P

I don't typically like to express controversial opinions... I don't like to run people the wrong way. I guess I"m always afraid that someone I'm friends with will read/hear how I feel and disagree, and not be friends with me anymore. So don't hate me for my opinions! LOL.... Maybe it's the pacifist in me. Is that the right word? I don't like to make waves.

Things have been rough for me lately. Josie is growing by the minute, learning new words and doing new things. But she's also being more whiny and clingy, and throwing much louder fits. Ben is getting more teeth or SOMETHING because he has been SO GRUMPY lately!!! I have spent hours rocking him for the past few days. It's terrible. It makes the days long and agonizing.

So here's hoping for nice weather this weekend so we can be out in it! I'm hoping to start running at some point. For now I can walk with the kids, but when and if I can have a few minutes of alone time I'd like to try to run. I've always hated running, but right now it sounds heavenly. :) There are times when I just feel like I have so much energy and I really want to exercise, but I just can't. The kids don't leave me alone long enough to play the Wii, and if anyone is sleeping I can't leave the house and go for a walk. Then I'm taking Daphne to and from pre-k 3 times a week, so that doesn't leave me with much time to try. Add in the fact that I HATE getting up early in the morning. :) Any running tips, advice? Pointers?

To blog... or not to blog?

2010-03-22T23:17:00.000-04:00

Right now I'm trying to decide if blogging for blogging-sake is better than just NOT blogging? I guess blogging really is just blogging for blogging-sake. (Yes, I was trying to see how many times I could say blogging in one sentence. Score 3 for me.) Hm. Things haven't been too eventful, which I guess is a good thing. I got my copy of New Moon yesterday and watched it twice. I've been crocheting. I've opened my Etsy shop, but haven't done any official advertising as of yet. I'm afraid of jumping in and getting in over my head. Check it out sometime!

Upcycling

2010-03-10T11:39:00.000-05:00

I've never been this excited to find a hole in my favorite tablecloth.

Granted, it's round and my current table is rectangular, but now I can't talk myself into selling it or keeping it for 'some day.'

Now, my major dilemma is what to make from it. A twirly skirt? A tote? Hmmm... Any ideas?

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My life as an actress

2010-03-07T22:20:00.002-05:00

I'm lying in bed watching the academy awards. I look at all these actresses and I long for that life. I come alive when I'm onstage. I really miss the plays I was a part of in highschool. I know I got most of my parts because I was a good singer, but I wonder what they thought of my acting abilities. I know I wasnt the best one out there, but i'd love to get back into it. Even community theater would be like heaven to me. For those of you that don't know me personally, I was in the musical Godspell as a freshman, I was Maria in the Sound of Music and Myrtle Mae in Harvey as well during my sophomore year. I ddnt make the play my junior year, but i did participate in a murder mystery dinner. (yes, i did it) I was Mother Superior in Nunsense during my senior year. When I was in elementary school I got to be an orphan in the production of Annie. Before that, I was also cast in church plays. That first gave birth to my love of the theater. The people were amazing, the experience was amazing and I will always remember that. It feels like home to me whenever I enter a theater. I get jealous and antsy watching productions because I wish I was up there. After highschool I worked at a small cabaret theater as a cabaret girl. I absolutely loved it. I wish I had some pictures of that somewhere!
Perhaps I will look into local theater. :) do you have any experiences or opinions on theater?

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Ugh x4

2010-03-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

This is definitely different than having 2 kids was. (Let GO of my mouse, Josie.) Not only am I dealing with the jibberish-backtalking of an almost-two-year-old, and the hands-on needs of a snuggly 7 month old, but I am faced with the oversensitive run-away-crying fits of a dramatic 5 year old, and the nausea-inducing attitude and eye rolling of a 7 year old wanna-be-tween. Right now the 7 month old has the advantage. He is easy-going and happy most of the time, so when he needs something, his needs are typically met post-haste. (What is it with me and all these dashes today???) Josie is getting to the age when she wants something, she'll do her best to get it herself. Which is both a blessing and.. a not-so blessing. Most importantly it helps me KNOW what it is she is jabbering about. After that is determined, I am able to decide whether or not she needs something else to eat for breakfast, another drink, or just time spent playing with Mommy.

The "Babies," as I call them, have pretty straight-forward needs. Even though they don't yet speak, (well) I am able to narrow down their desires and react. This I know how to do. I never thought that the 5 & 7 year olds would be my complicated ones. I haven't really figured out if they are indeed complicated, or just uncharted territory. My 5 year old, as mentioned, is very sensitive. She is also a lover, and would snuggle to my side all day if she could. (Right now she is spinning in Daddy's glider chair, something I am tired of getting onto them all about) She is a fantastic mommy-assistant, and is always the first to come running when Ben needs cheering up. She's also the first to snatch a baby toy or stuffed animal away from her toddler sister. This I do not understand. You have access to 100+ toys and animals, and the specific one you want happens to be the one that your sister is playing with happily? Really? Or is there some hidden alterior motive behind those ice-blue eyes and adorable freckles? Now come on, you'd think after 5 years of fighting over toys with her older sister, she'd realize that it's no fun to be picked on. Maybe it's just the middle child's way of ensuring that what goes around, comes back around... to the next in line. But I swear, if you don't STOP TAKING AWAY YOUR SISTER'S BLANKET I AM GOING TO LOCK YOU IN YOUR ROOM ALL DAY!!! *Cue Run and Cry #3 of the Day*

My 7 year old is great. She is very smart, creative, and tries so hard to be funny. She has that, "Get it mom? I scream for ICE CREAM? Get it? Ice cream sounds just like I scream!" humor that makes YOU want to scream, but it's cute. Endearing. But the lying just came out of nowhere. Yesterday she and her sister are fighting over the computer. I walk over to see what the big deal is, and the 7 year old proceeds to put her sister's HAND in her mouth as if she's going to bite her. "EH-EH-EH-EH-EH!! I don't think so!" (that's the mom warning alarm. It doesn't really mean anything, its just loud and gets their attention. Every mom has one.)
*Run and cry #8*
*dramatic tears and stomp off to the other room*
"Okay, why did you try to bite your sister?"
"I didn't! She was fighting with me and pushing me and she put her hand in my face!"
"I was standing there watching, Katie. I know why you were fighting. I also saw you put her hand in your mouth."
"No I didn't!"
"Daphne, did Katie put your hand in her mouth?"
"Yes."
"Katie I saw you put her hand in your mouth. You were going to bite her."
*cry*
"Why are you crying??"
*cry*
"Are you crying because you lied to me?"
"Yes."
"And you're crying because you know biting is wrong?"
"I forgot!"
"No Katie, you didn't forget. If you forgot, you would have gone ahead and bit her. But you didn't, you changed your mind after putting her hand in your mouth."
"But she is so mean to me and pushes me and she won't leave me alone!"

So the conversation continues, with me explaining to her that I expect biting from an almost-2-year-old, not a 7 and-a-half-year-old. And she needs to learn how to walk away from her sister when she makes her mad, or somehow learn to ignore it. Then I go to talk to the 5 year old, explaining that she needs to leave her sister alone sometimes, and that she had her turn at the computer earlier. And people wonder why I have so many gray hairs. AGH.

Day of pictures

2010-02-25T21:19:00.002-05:00

(I wanted to show you my bleeding cuticle... You could say I need a manicure. lol)

Goodnight!

More snow??

2010-02-25T08:53:00.001-05:00

This picture makes me so happy! I saw this mailbox on my way back from picking up some cinnamon raisin biscuits from Hardees this morning. It's snowing, again. I try not to complain about snow because I genuinely like it, but the amount of snow we've gotten this year is crazy. And here it snows again!

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Charlie Brown

2010-02-19T14:37:00.000-05:00

Last month we got a puppy. He's a full-blooded Yorkshire Terrier named Charlie. He was the runt of the litter, and he's still pretty small. He has energy to spare, and it is very rare for this dog to sit still and rest on your lap. (I say this because he's actually resting on my lap right now!!! This hasn't happened in forever. Since he was teeny new puppy and slept all the time. Oop, that didn't last long.)

He is sitting on Daphne's "tickly-pillow." I guess he thinks he's royalty.

Suprisingly, he loves the snow.

Danny has cleared out a space for him, but he still ends up in the snow.

I've been having trouble getting good pictures of him, as it is very rare to have him hold still while you're near him. He loves to play.

Oh! There's one!

The kids all love him. We're trying to discourage them from picking him up all the time, since they seem to think he is more like a doll than a real animal. :) I'm looking forward to the snow melting so we can all play outside. He needs it just as much as we do!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T22:56:00.013-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We really don't do anything special for this 'holiday,' but the girls have fun making valentines cards and having parties at school. Speaking of school-- Katie starts her new school tomorrow. It was her decision to switch to the local school instead of staying at her old one til the end of the year. She is nervous, and I am nervous for her. This is her second time having to change schools, and I know it can be hard. I will be taking her in tomorrow to meet her teacher, and I am going to put on my big girl face and stay strong for her. :)

Daphne is staying at her pre-K, which is a hassle, but I think it would be easier for her to keep her routine and friends and not have to switch to a new pre-k mid-year and then start a new school in the fall as well. Daphne also lost her first tooth this past week! She is growing up way too fast, and it surprises me every time. With Katie I think I expect and anticipate her getting bigger and maturing, with Daphne I am always thrown off guard.

The kids seem to love their new home, and so do me and Danny. It is small but nice. Katie is sharing a room with Ben, and Daphne and Josie have the other room. So far it is working out nicely. We haven't yet settled into our routine, but things are trying to get normal. It's always difficult adjusting to a new space, but this is one time I'm quite happy to do it. This house definitely feels like home to us.

Benny and Josie are both growing like weeds. I may have said that last time, but it's definitely true. Josie's 2 year old attitude is rearing its ugly head. She has started to show signs of jealousy when I take care of Ben, so I'm still trying to balance their needs. Ben just sprouted his first two teeth last week, within 4 days of each other. He has one heck of a bite, and really enjoys those biter biscuits.

I am dying to get my sewing area set up. I haven't sewn in about 3 weeks and I'm really itching to make something! Anything!! :) I have some repair work to do on my rag quilt, but I'm not necessarily looking forward to that. I'd rather make fun things, but I know I need to finish what I was working on before I start something new. Sigh. I keep asking Katie why she thinks being an adult is so great, it really stinks!! :)

The weather here continues to be bitter cold. We've had snow snow snow, with about 6 inches sitting around. We're expecting 1-4 inches on top of it all tonight. I'm really looking forward to being able to go on walks around our new neighborhood. (Sidewalks!!!) I just need to teach the puppy how to walk on a leash and we'll be quite the group!

Moving moving moving....

2010-01-30T18:16:00.000-05:00

The Corliss family is moving! Again, I know... I'm so tired of moving. Hopefully this is the last time for a while. We've been in this house for 2 years now, renting from my mother's husband, and we're so excited about the beautiful house we're moving into. It's already starting to feel familiar and comfortable. We're hoping to sleep in the new house starting tomorrow. I realized the other day that this is the first time we've moved and I'm not pregnant!! Wooo! It's another rental, but the owner will let us buy from her whenever we can. God is good, and He continues to bless us and provide for us.

So that's why things have been hit and miss lately. Ben went to the doctor for a lingering cough, and we found out that his lungs have "a lot of mucus" in them. He had a chest xray, and is on a nebulizer. Speaking of Ben, he is calling me now... I will be back soon with pictures of the new place! Email me if you need our new address.

Quick peek at what I'm doing right now...

2010-01-09T16:00:00.001-05:00

Babies are asleep. (knock on wood) Here's what I'm working on:

Katie is going wedding dress shopping with Heather, Heather's mom, Charlene, and Crystal. So it's me and Daphne crafting. Let me tell you this, a 5 year old does not a good assistant make.

I think I might make some cookies. Out of the fridge, of course.

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I guess I should make it official...

2010-01-05T10:53:00.001-05:00

I guess I should make it official--- Welcome 2010! My head just said "two-thousand-ten," but isn't it supposed to be "twenty-ten?" I wonder who gets to make that decision. :)

We're all sick here. Not the stomach bug or flu, we've all passed around this cough and congestion. Of course its worse in the babies since they can't really blow their nose or cough hard enough to get the crap out of their chest. And its so hard to know what to do with them too, since we're not supposed to give them cold medicine. We have humidifiers running nonstop, which helps them some (i guess?) but irritates Danny's asthma. I'm armed with tissues, nasal saline spray and a booger sucker.

The new year looks so promising. I have never really gotten into new year resolutions, but this year feels different for some reason. Perhaps because I spent the last year in a depressed funk, and while we still survived, things weren't all that cheery for us. Things are looking up. Hubby & I have work, albeit unconventional. It's contractual for him and lots of hourly at-home work for me. It's a lot of the same lawn care work that he did last year, but on a much larger scale and includes construction and house cleaning. This is all based in repo-homes. It's kinda confusing, but with us starting our own business, this could be a huge success for us or a huge failure. We're praying and trusting that God will continue to provide and will bless our ventures. I'm nervous, but a peaceful nervous, if that makes sense. Anxious perhaps?

One of my resolutions this year is to expand my endeavors craft-wise. I've gotten into sewing lately, and I'd like to find the time and ability to maintain a shop on Etsy again. I'm very excited about this. As you've seen, my blog has been "updated" to reflect my brand a little better, and it is my goal to update this and make it an integral part of my routine. Its so hard to find and keep a routine with all these darn kids, but that is also my goal. :)

I am still holding on to some "baby weight," so I adopted the cliche New Years resolution of losing weight. I'm starting to fit back into my regular jeans, but I have developed the dreaded "muffin-top" in some of them. Ha ha! I hope to tone up my midsection and make exercise a part of aforementioned routine.

My coughing children beckon me, so I will leave you with my bible verse for "two-thousand-ten."
James 1:17, "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
I'd also like you to see a song that has stuck with me over the years, "All Good Gifts," from Godspell. I was blessed to be a part of this musical my freshman year in high school. This video is not from my performance, but I thought you might enjoy seeing it in play-form. :)

What I've Been Up To...

2009-12-27T23:07:00.005-05:00

My first Christmas project was two zippered makeup bags for my sister-in-law, Trinity.

I love digging through remnants. I found a chunk of this pretty quilted double-faced fabric at Joann's and knew it needed to be a bag. I started playing around with my zipper foot on my sewing machine and was able to make two cute little bags. They were initially going to be two separate gifts, but I thought they looked great as a set. I filled them with fuzzy socks, lotion, soap, and chocolate. I also included some hot chocolate. Every mom needs some pampering!

Next, I was involved in a fun little scarf-along at Joy's Hope.

I ended up with about 8 (i think?) scarves that I was able to give away as gifts for Christmas. It was fun and I was/am really proud of the end product. :)

I was also involved in an ornament exchange on The Benner Daily website! I made a cute little Christmas tree for my partner out of felt and glass beads.

After that, I stumbled upon a pattern for fabric headbands on Heather Bailey's website. I started to make matching headbands for me and all of my girls, but I ran out of fabric.

This brings me around to my birthday, when I got a new (factory refurbished) Singer sewing machine! I also got a stomach bug that put me out of commission for 3 days, so I had to sit and stare at that beautiful machine from my death bed.

My first project made with my pretty new machine was this appliqued pillow cover for my mother in law.

I made another one for my grandma. I had a lot of fun with these and I can't wait to make more. The fabric was a steal, $6 a yard on clearance at Joann's. It's nice quality home decorator fabric and looks great as a pillow. The bits of green were all scraps & fat quarters I had sitting around. I was very proud when I gave these to my mother in law and grandma.

Next, I made some appliqued owl t-shirts for my two nieces. I got the owl pattern from Sevi Designs.

Look how cute they are! They loved the buttons. It was so funny how as soon as they put the shirts on them, their hands went straight to the button eyes.

I know my phone camera is CRAPPY. I wanted a fancy camera, but I really love being able to email my pictures straight from my phone. You'd really think after spending $200+ on an iPhone, that they would have a decent camera! My freebie Sony Ericsson phone was higher quality than this one. But I'll stop whining now. We are BLESSED beyond words.

I can't believe how much I have made lately!! I still have one more thing to add. At least. I made a dress for another niece, Violet. This is from a pattern by Ashley at LilBlueBoo. She is amazing. Check out her blog! She makes the coolest stuff. I can't even start to describe, just go look! My favorite. :)

How cute is she??

I forgot one thing! I put together a pair of flannel pants for Josie. I am going to applique a t-shirt to go with it, so once I do I will post a pic of the whole outfit. Here's the pants:

What can I say??? I love to sew! I may not be FANCY, and I may not have the cleanest house, (HA) but I LOVE to sew. I'll be back again to update on our holidays! Its late, I gotta pee, and this post took a LOT longer than I expected. :)

Josie

2009-12-11T12:00:00.002-05:00

climb

cry

pat

cry

moo

spit

suck

climb

hum

pat

suck

laugh

tear

poke

spit

cheese

honk

squeeze

pat

sing

cry

smack

suck

cuddle

smile

sneeze

giggle

mama

aaachooo

drink?

mama

deeeee doo

drink

drop

babble

open

remove

bang

throw

drink

spit

laugh

spit

laugh

cry

repeat a few dozen times and you've got my morning :P

Catching Up

2009-12-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

My back is sore. But I think its from all the dishes & cleaning from yesterday. I was honestly catching up on dishes and stuff from THANKSGIVING. My husband has been helping me out with dishes lately, but he's been so busy. I love him for it though-- he's working hard to provide for us. This is a busy season with Christmas, he's helping set up for a Christmas program at Grace Assembly Church. They do a Singing Christmas Tree every year.

I've been busy too! I started a Unit Secretary course back in late October, and Friday marks my last class! I have officially learned (or relearned) 350 medical terms, Lord knows how many abbreviations, and how to transcribe doctors' orders from their notes onto the patient chart, and into the computer. I have shadowed a unit secretary twice and I am ready for a job!! I really love being right in the middle of a unit in a hospital. You get to talk to doctors and nurses, look at patient records and see what's going on-- why the patient is there, what's being done, and you get to be a part of it all. Its really cool. So I've been doing a lot of studying when I get the chance, so some things haven't been at the top of my priority list. (ie: dishes!)

Daphne's pre-k class is going to do a Christmas play on Sunday and again on the 17th, and she has two lines! I'm so proud of her because she's memorized them really quickly. I just hope she's not too "shy" to say them in front of all those people. She's 5 now, and going through an awful whiny/crybaby phase. She doesn't want to do what she's told, she whines, she cries... ack. It's been rough.

Katie's doing great. She's creative, talkative, and happy. She's had a cough for a month, I'm ready for that to go away. She's dealing with a girl at school that is her friend one day, mean to her the next. I keep telling her I don't want her to be friends with her, but the girl basically didn't take no for an answer. She's come home twice crying because this girl was mean to her on the bus. (They've been in the same class for 3 years, and they also ride the same bus.) I keep suggesting that she spend time with other girls, and thankfully this girl is no longer in Girl Scouts with her as well. I guess just being supportive and attentive is the best thing I can do for her right now. It could be so easy for her to just fade into the background with all the other drama going on with her sisters and brother.

Josie is a handful and a half. OMG. Yesterday I was able to put her to bed at 7:30 and I got SO MUCH DONE. She has been up late every night lately, and that means I can get nothing done. So she fussed a little in her crib occasionally, but honestly it was the break I needed. I caught up on dishes, some of which were leftover from Thanksgiving, and was able to clean up the whole kitchen and set out the Christmas tablecloth (vinyl green & red polka dot, haha) and cut out a few shapes to make Christmas headbands. Heather Bailey's pattern for headbands is so cute, I'm going to make matching ones for me and all my girls! I can't wait, it should be adorable. Ben napped off and on, but he was good all evening.

I think I'm done Christmas shopping! There's actually one thing I really want to buy for Josie, a Leapfrog My Pal Violet puppy dog, it's so cute and only $15 at Walmart, but it keeps selling out! I checked last night and they have it in stock now, but we woke up to 50 MPH winds and freezing temps, so I'm not heading out any time soon. Plus Danny had to be at the church bright and early this morning, but I do need to get to the store for formula at least. :)

Welp, we're still looking for a place to live. I'm hoping we'll have a couple months before we have to leave. The owner of the house we rent is filing bankruptcy on the house, so we have no idea when we HAVE to be out. I'm hoping for warm spring. lol. We will most likely have to rent another house, and with both of us unemployed, that becomes very difficult. That's why I'm hoping for a job at the hospital, one step towards rebuilding, haha.

New Moon was awesome. Loved it SO much, I actually fell in love with Jacob during the movie. He was so sweet and warm and loving, and Edward's all moody and restrained and scrawny and pasty... LOL! So I definitely feel different while reading the book than I did watching the movie. Has to be something to do with Jacob's warm, tan muscled back. *drooooool* Stupid, stupid Bella. Oh well, more Jacob for me, right? Can't WAIT to see them actually fighting for her in Eclipse. Someone cast me as Renesme!! hahaha

I plan on posting again soon about some of the crafts I've been working on. I made 8 scarves for JoysHope's Scarf Along, and have been working on a couple presents for family. OH! I'm getting a Singer sewing machine for my birthday! Joanns.com had a great factory serviced machine on sale with free shipping, so I couldn't pass it up. I asked the hubby and he said Happy Birthday! :) Then he said, "I was going to get you floors for the '62!" AACK. I guess I can blog about that too-- his project car. :) The 1962 Chevy Impala. Whew. I will put that in the next blog! Stay tuned! (Also, I'm redecorating! I finally figured it out. lol)

So tired!

2009-11-14T17:04:00.001-05:00

I keep asking myself when all of this will get easier. I'm not trying to throw a pity party, just looking back at today. Katie is feeling sick, and has had headaches for a couple days. Sore throat, 100.9 fever. I'm hoping it's not the piggy flu. She had the flu mist at school a couple weeks ago, so I don't know if this is a residual side-effect or what.

So we went to the christmas gift & hobby show this afternoon with my sister and her kids.

We left Katie at her Mamaw's house so she could rest. I was able to get a couple presents for the girls, and some yummy chocolate covered pretzels, and peanut butter fudge. I also scored some awesome pens for school/future job. We have to use black & red pens, and these have both.

The girls also got to see Santa:

That's missing 3 of my 4, but that's okay. :) they were being held or fed by Danny & me. I made daphne's jumper dress, by the way. Yeah, I'm pretty cool.

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Late Nights at the Corliss House

2009-10-04T22:06:00.002-04:00

Late nights seem to be the only time that my husband and I have together quietly. I've come to love these times. The girls will be watching a movie or asleep, and Ben will be somewhere in between crying or asleep. We're still trying to figure that little guy out.

But anyway, we spend this time watching tv mostly, or I'll work on my latest craft. It's usually the only time I get to work on anything, since Josie is quite "helpful." She's been so cranky lately. We're thinking she may have an ear infection, so I'll hopefully get her in to see the doctor tomorrow. That should be interesting. :) My current craft is a corduroy jumper for Miss Daphne. It's black with neon animals on it and so adorable, I thought of her when I saw it. I really hope it turns out well.

Did I mention Daphne's going to be FIVE on Tuesday??? I am blown away by this! Danny is always saddened by Katie growing up, but I get so sad watching Daphne grow up. I think I just expect Katie to grow up, and I am proud of her-- but I am used to it and expect it. She's just so grown up. But Daphne, she has always been my baby, and she just blows me away every time she takes a step towards being a "big girl." The other day she was sitting by me and just says the entire pledge of allegience!! She is in Pre-K, she missed the cut-off for Kindergarten by a couple months, so by their standards she's not quite ready for public education just yet. But she already knows the entire pledge of allegience!! She has been trying to tie her shoelaces for a while now, since Katie just learned, and I think she will be very quick to pick it up once she really buckles down. She has always had good coordination. She loves Pre-K, and I think she will be great in school when she finally does start. She's also in the "Zipper Club." She can zip up her jacket, but she has been able to do that for a couple years now. Like I said-- very coordinated. Just always proud of that girl.

As for Katie, she is doing great at school. My big 2nd grader. She isn't getting in trouble very much, and she's always doing well on her spelling tests and math work. She is so creative and is always asking me, "What if... blah blah blah blah blah happened?" And she thinks of these crazy situations and things that could never happen. But she's fun and such a great girl. I love her, and I'm very thankful for her.

Now the babies. They're basically one entity anymore, since they are both a lot of work. And if Ben needs something, Josie most definitely needs something sometime soon afterwards. And with them being sick lately, it's been soo terrible! Josie is whiny and clingy, she has been through a couple colds and is getting 4 teeth all at once. I'll be glad when that's over. Ben's had a couple fevers and is congested. He's still getting up a couple times at night, so that makes Mommy very sleepy. But at least it's at the same approximate time every night. I think last night I got about 6 hours of sleep in a row. But then after that it all went downhill. He was coughing, choking on phlegm, and all fo that fun stuff. My great husband let me sleep in a bit this morning and watched the kids for me, and that is the greatest gift he could ever give me. Sleep is better than gold right now. :) I woke up with a sore throat and body aches, so I'm pretty sure I'm fighting off a flu bug. Which makes me wonder if Ben or Josie has or had this and just couldn't tell me.

Ben's growing great. The dr told me that he's in the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height. I love him and he's so soft and cuddly :) I know he'll grow up so fast, so I try to enjoy him as much as possible. (When he's not crying) We have tried almost every type of formula with this kid to see if it helps with his crying, but the only one we had any luck with was Nutramigen (The expensive hypoallergenic formula) but it also happened to give him diarrhea. I will put him back on this formula once I get on WIC, but as for now I can't pay for this formula out of pocket.

Welp, my laptop is starting to get pretty hot right where I rest my hands, so I'm going to stop typing for tonight. I figured it's been a while since I've updated, and it's awfully quiet. I can almost think straight. :) HA!

Not liking the hat so much... LOL So of course I take a picture.

Long time no see!

2009-09-02T20:16:00.000-04:00

Goodness, it really has been a while! I think I know why-- typing with one hand is annoying and slow! Plus I went through that slump, (probably still in it) where you are too tired or depressed to do anything productive. I don't know, I get sad and mopey every time I have a kid. But I tell you what-- this boy is sooo adorable!!! We had been playing the formula game, and he wasn't the most pleasant kid to be around. But we've switched him to Nutramigen, an expensive hypoallergenic formula and he's a lot more happy. He hasn't smiled yet, but I swear I look at him and talk to him and his eyes tell me he's just dying to smile back at me. He lost about 70% of his hair, all on top and some on the back, and its slowly starting to grow back. You can see his little swirly cowlicks on the top of his head again. I love them, and I think he's going to have the cutest hair. I see a lot of Josie in his face. He's been sleeping about 3-4 hours at a time at night, which is a huge jump from the 2 hours he was sleeping on all the other formulas. (he's about 7 1/2 weeks old i believe)

The girls are doing well. Katie started second grade a couple weeks ago, and Daphne will start Pre-Kindergarten next week. And Mommy is going back to school! I begin going to school full-time at MedTech College the end of this month to be a medical assistant. I'm nervous. It will take 18 months and when I'm finished I will have my first college degree. Wish me luck :)

Well, I'm getting back in the crafting game as well. I'm making a few coinpurses and little pouches, as well as finishing up a couple crocheted baby blankets. I'll have to take some pics when I get a chance. I'm really getting interested in working with felt-- I love the little appliques and figures that I've been seeing. SOOO cute!! I've gotta learn how. :)

Well, Ben is clawing at me and Josie is cranking in her crib. And I gotta pee!!!!! Don't you love how you save everything you have to do for one trip? Bathroom, bottle, drink, sippy, toddler, diapers, baby, sit! I think that's how my whole day goes, over and over and over. HA!

Hope Ink Giveaway!

2009-08-07T23:13:00.000-04:00

I love this Etsy store!! Have you ever been to hope ink? Well you're in LUCK! Her store is having a giveaway, hosted by my lovely friend Julie at Joy's Hope! Check out her blog, follow it, whatever it is you do, and find out how to win something FREE from hope ink.

Funny Josie

2009-08-06T19:49:00.000-04:00

Still alive

2009-07-26T00:34:00.000-04:00

Yawn!!! I'm still alive... TIRED, but alive... and not very motivated to write. I did make a little kimono top for my niece, but I got frustrated with the pattern and wasn't real happy with the tie placement.

But for my first piece of clothing it didn't turn out too bad. I may move the ties up a little.

Well its late, and of course Ben is sound asleep. Hopefully he'll let me sleep for a couple hours straight tonight. :)

Bit of Whimsy Dolls Giveaway Week

2009-07-21T10:01:00.001-04:00

I love this site. Sarah makes the sweetest little dolls and each and every one is unique. I've made a couple of her dolls; the earthworm & sleepy pj baby. I'm nowhere near as talented as she is, but her patterns are sumple and easy to read and use.

This week she is hosting a great giveaway. Free stuff rocks! Check out her blog and leave her some love. And if you win something, you're welcome!

http://www.bitofwhimsydolls.com/blog/

Benjamin Daniel Corliss

2009-07-17T23:24:00.001-04:00

So I told myself I would get this birth story written down somewhere before I forget it. :)

Ever since my 38 week appointment on July 7th I had been so antsy so start feeling contractions. I had been having occasional contractions for a couple weeks already, but knowing that I was so close to the finish line I couldn't wait for them to become regular. On 7-8-09 I was really hoping that I would go into labor so my son could always have a great icebreaker for his birthday. Kid just doesn't have my sense of humor obviously, because 7-08-09 came and went without my toe stepping into that hospital. Danny even teased me about being hopeful and told me that I wasn't going to do it on my own, that I might as well just wait until Tuesday, as I was scheduled for induction then. I gave up.

7/7 - Me & my 38 week glow

Thursday was my mom's birthday and we had dinner at her house to celebrate. Things were fun, still occasional contractions, but I happened to get a nice massage from a chair. I was hoping the punching in my lower back would start something up, but I wasn't putting too much faith in it. :)

Saturday was my niece's first birthday party and I got to see my grandma as well as my dad and cousin. I was moody and uncomfortable, but just tried to keep quiet and not complain too much. ;) For dinner I grilled up some ribeye steaks and was still a little moody towards my husband. (He had been working on his mower engine most of the day and I hated dealing with the 3 girls while mostly incapacitated.) During dinner I had a couple painful contractions, but I blew it off and continued eating, of course. Danny noticed me wince and said, "Get your stuff together and I'll finish this transmission, I'm taking you to the hospital." I pretty much rolled my eyes and ignored him, telling myself that this wasn't it.

My niece, Violet at her first bday party

I ended up putting our bags by the back door and telling the girls to get ready. When he came inside I was lounging on the couch, figuring that he would have forgotten, since I obviously wasn't going into labor on my own. No I wasn't bitter at all. I think it was around 8:00pm or 8:30 when we took the girls over to the inlaws house. We took our time and visited, and I kept telling the girls that we would probably be back in a few hours to take them home. I was still having the occasional painful contraction, and they weren't anywhere close enough to try to time. They just hurt.

It was almost 10 or so when we got to the hospital and in a room. They monitored me for a while and I believe they checked for dilation around 10:30. I was dilated to 5 cm and still in a good amount of pain. They admitted me at 10:30pm and we went up to a labor room. They started my IV and antibiotics, hoping to get in at least one dose, which takes 4 hours. (I tested positive for Group B strep, a harmless bacteria that lives in the nether-regions and can potentially be harmful to a newborn) My sister lives nearby and wanted to come give us some company, so she showed up around 11 something. I didn't get to talk with her very long before my contractions were so bad I couldn't talk at all. At this point I lost track of the time and was unable to chat with my friend online too. :( Again the checking of the cervix and I was dilated to 8 and still intact. (My water hadn't broken) At this point I was breathing hard through every contraction, which happened to be coming two at a time. I couldn't talk through them, all I could do was pant and squeeze my eyes shut or stare at the light in the ceiling. I was curled up as much as I could, trying to keep from crying when the "epidural guy" finally appeared with his magic needles and catheters. After setting up his equipment and having me sit on the edge of the bed with my pillow and trusty delivery nurse, he informs me that this epidural probably won't do much, if anything, since I was so far along in the labor process. Not exactly what you're wanting to hear when you feel like you're knocking on death's door, but hey... I guess he just wants to be honest.

I honestly don't remember what time it was when I got my epidural. Maybe midnight or close to it? I ended up laying on my left side because I was still feeling contractions pretty bad only on that side. (we were hoping to get the pain meds into that side) A short time later I felt like pushing, so we called the nurse and she checked me. She said she could feel the sac of water and that I was mostly dilated, but that the baby's head was ballotable, which meant that it wasn't engaged in my pelvis and basically still "bouncing" around up there. She said the problem with that is that if the water broke spontaneously the cord could rush down before the baby's head and/or wrap around his neck. Which is bad. So we called my doctor, who happened to be watching the movie Benjamin Button at the time, and he came on up. There was a resident doctor on duty at the time so she tagged along to help out, and ended up doing just about everything. She did a great job, and I don't even recall her name. She was very quiet. But anyway- Dr Wolf broke my water (which got on my sock, EWW! I told Danny he could throw it away if he wanted.) and prepped everything for delivery.

It took about 3 pushes to deliver Benjamin Daniel Corliss at 1:27 am on Sunday, July 12th. He was 7 lbs, 11.4 oz and 19 inches. (The pediatrician's office measured 20 inches) From first push to crying baby was about a minute and a half. The delivery itself was very surreal to me and felt like I was in a dream or something, very disconnected. I remember looking at Ben on my chest all covered in white goo and thinking, "Oh, I should probably say something." It's felt a little different than the other deliveries; like it hasn't sunk in yet or that it's not real. I mean, I did just go through this a little over a year ago. I still look at him sometimes and wonder if I'm bonding with him as quickly as I did the others. It's all just very odd to me. Danny says I overthink everything, which is possible, but is also quite common for women in general. :) Its just what we do.

My husband declined to cut the cord, he never has and just prefers not to. :) He says the consistency of the cord grosses him out. So my sister got to cut the cord! How cool is that? I don't think there's a bigger bonding experience for two sisters to go through. She really enjoyed being part of the delivery and I think she and Ben will also have a strong bond because of that. You never forget seeing something like that for the first time, and it means so much more when its family. Ben arrived with no complications and APGARs of 9 and 9. (That's good) I think I heard the nurse say those numbers.

Since then, Ben and I have recovered beautifully. He lost about 7 oz before leaving the hospital and I believe I lost about 10 pounds. How disappointing! lol.... I think we'd all like to lose about 30 pounds in the hospital and come home the perky pre-prego we were 9 months prior. Sigh.

FYI- I'm done having babies!!! I was pretty sure I was done after Josie, but now I am completely sure and content with my gorgeous brood of four children.

Katie Blue Lips & Ben

Daphne & Ben

Josie was sick so couldn't come visit :(

I'd like to say thank you to my Husband, Dad, Sister, Mother, and all of my inlaws for the huge help they were while in the hospital. My church was also so supportive and I am blessed to have such a wonderful church family. Our family is slowly getting used to our current situation and I think are all adjusting well. Little Josie developed a fever and was sick while I was away so she wasn't able to really come and visit at the hospital. She is jealous of course, and still quite moody from being sick, so things have been difficult with her. We're hoping that she gets used to Ben soon, this will really help us all function better.

We are all so glad to welcome Ben into our family. It has been a long 9 months and we're ready for the next portion of our journey as a family of SIX. It will definitely be interesting! Now I can officially claim my title as MOMMAFO. (Mom of four, did you catch that?)

Check out these swirly cowlicks-- adorable!

More pics to come!

Waiting game

2009-07-10T15:59:00.000-04:00

Waiting waiting waiting.... I've got a wiggly baby, but no regular contractions. And no napping toddler!! What's her deal? She falls asleep in the van on the way home, sleeps for maybe 5 minutes, and when we get home I'll put her in her crib mostly asleep, and she'll probably sleep for another 10 minutes before being done for the day. Now watch-- Come 6 o'clock she's going to be dead tired. I guess I'll have to give her another short nap then. Grr. I need my nap time too!!! lol Things will definitely be interesting once this baby comes.

Any day now

2009-07-07T17:08:00.000-04:00

I think this is the most annoying feeling in the world. I'd MUCH rather have a doctor tell me, "Ohh thank God we're inducing because you'll never have this baby on your own," than "I can't believe you haven't gone yet! Call me when they're regular!"

I'm dilated 3-4cm. I'm ready to go if my contractions could just get themselves figured out and regular. But, knowing my body, we won't see Ben until July 14th. Sigh. I wonder if I could just lie and call my doctor later this evening and tell him my contractions are getting closer... lol... Maybe once I'm in there and hooked up they'll just start my antibiotics and give me just a bit of pitocin. I guess I could go for a walk, but the girls are with the neighbor's grandkids SOMEWHERE. lol

I hate these last few days!!!

July 14th!

2009-07-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

So during my appointment on Tuesday, Dr. Wolf said he wanted to talk to me about dates. He said that St. Francis was really cracking down on preterm inductions, so he wanted to aim for 39 weeks. He bumped my due date from the 26th to July 21st based on my 22nd week ultrasound, and said that he'd be out of town then. So we looked at July 13-15 range, and I told him I had really hoped to go on July 14th. (All of my kids birthdays are on Tuesdays this year, and my mother in law has that week off to help with the kids. It's also her birthday, kind of my gift to her ;) ) So we're scheduled to go for July 14th. Then he checked for dilation, and I went from "Maybe 1 cm" last week to "a good 2 cm" this week. Then he said I might not make it to the 14th. Woo! That's always good to hear. So next week I'll go back one last time and I'll be 38 weeks based on his new due date. I've had contractions off and on for a couple weeks as well as some other signs of impending labor. I've been getting the nursery and our bedroom ready for his arrival, and I still feel like I'm just not ready yet.

I'm mostly concerned with how Josie will handle this new addition. She has been quite clingy the past few days, and if I'm sitting she wants to be on my lap. If Daphne's sitting with me, she comes over and claims her territory. She's also started walking and talking a lot more lately, so I'm hoping she'll have that to keep herself entertained as well. I don't really have anything in the living room to keep the baby out of her reach, and I'm worried she might want to climb on, hug, or hit the new baby. All of these things she does in love, but I'm still concerned. I have to pee sometime, you know? I just worry. I'm going to look around for a used bassinet or playpen with bassinet to keep in the living room. With Josie I had a little papasan seat that stayed on the floor. Maybe I could sell that if I find something else.

Well, I'll definitely keep this updated as I go along. I'll be bringing my little netbook to the hospital with me, and it has a webcam. If I can find a way to post a live stream on here, I will. I'll see what I can do! :)

Smart-Bottom Enterprises: Because Nipples Are Circles, Obviously

2009-06-30T21:37:00.000-04:00

Hahaha.... Sounds like my girls. Except I wouldn't have lasted as long, or as calmly as she did.

Smart-Bottom Enterprises: Because Nipples Are Circles, Obviously

mommafo

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