Sew and Sew: American Girl

Yep. I'm addicted. My sister-in-law thinks I'm a nut. My niece got an American Girl doll for Christmas, so what did I get her as a gift? Handmade doll clothes of course. The great thing about sewing for a doll is that if you are a beginning sewer, it will give you a good idea of how things are generally constructed. It's great for people who get easily bored with projects {like me} because they are relatively quick to make. Also, they require very little fabric to make + 99 cent patterns = inexpensive gift! Here are some things I've made so far:

:: denim jacket & jeans ::

:: red plaid jumper {kinda matches my niece's school uniform} ::

:: purple fleece jogging suit {ya know, for when the doll exercises} ::

:: embroidered fleece coat {my favorite} ::

:: purple dress & matching headband ::

I have been using Simplicity patterns 7083 and 4786. They all fit perfectly! I also was alerted to the fact that all the old patterns that were sold with some of the dolls are available at the agplaythings website. I've downloaded Molly's clothes & Josefina's clothes. You have to print out the patterns on multiple pages & then piece them together, but hey, they're free. These little projects are seriously fun and give me a quick sewing fix. Can't wait til there's a doll in my family. Maybe for my girl's 7th birthday............or when I turn 31 :>)

She's Three!

This weekend my little Sienna-pie turned 3! We celebrated with a Ratatouille themed party, complete with a really amazing cake from Super Target and lots of presents. Here's the recap in photos:
My {uber-wonderful} family also surprised me with some balloons & a cake of my own, since my {BIG} birthday is on February 5th. {The big 3-0, ya'll!} The best part? A superdy, duperdy, awesome new sewing machine! Yippee for me! It's got lots of cool bells and whistles. It's like getting a new Hummer after driving around a used Pinto. I see a lot of sewing in my future. I've already finished up a great summery bag that was languishing in my works-in-progress pile. I also sewed up a groovy tiered skirt for Tatiana that has been cut-out for forever. Hopefully I can get to a fabric store to buy some Valentine's Day fabric for matching skirts for the girls.

It was a very lovely day, despite all the work involved {on top of not sleeping as much as I'm used to}. I did tell Hubster that since my birthday falls on a Tuesday, we will have to do a little something at the house ON that day plus maybe a little going out the weekend before. A girl only turns 3-0 once ya know!

Have you....

....had your quiet time today? No. Seriously. If you haven't, please don't read my blog. I much rather you spend a few minutes praying or reading your Bible, then hear me babble about my latest craft project. In an attempt to realign my priorities, I have set Proverbs 31 Ministries Daily Devotions as my home page, instead of having Yahoo! tempt me into reading my email. That way, when I plop myself down in front of my computer in the morning, I will be reminded what I should be doing or have done before I go blog-surfing. {On a side note, if you decide to join me in setting your homepage to Proverbs31 & reading their daily devotionals, I'd love to correspond with you via email to sharpen each other's iron, so to speak.}

I loved today's devotional on having a rag tag soul. So much of what was written resonated with me, particularly these parts:

I was so full of knowledge and yet completely starved of experiencing God Himself.

And I dared to admit that I was not a woman of faith. For if I was completely honest, I lived a life that required no faith at all.

I mean, that second part really got to me. Let me face it. My life is safe. He hasn't been asking me to make seemingly impossible choices. I want to experience Him again for the first time. I want more of Him. I really like the last paragraph as well:

One thing I do know is that a few years ago the world was asking, “Is Jesus real?” That's not the question any longer. I'm convinced the question the world now asks is: "Does Jesus work?" Oh God, that my life could answer this question with a resounding yes, is the very beat of my fragile heart, and the song of my rag tag soul.

My prayer is that others would be able to see the same in me.

That Jesus works.

It's Digital!

I started digital scrapbooking back when my second daughter was born. I received Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 {the same program I use today} with a printer I purchased. I love digital scrapbooking because there are lots of free downloads on the internet, you can use your papers and embellishments over and over, there are no supplies to take out or clean up or have little touchy fingers getting into , and for some reason, it seems faster. I don't have to worry about cutting the pictures the wrong way or screwing up a beautiful piece of paper. This is actually the first digital layout I have done in about 2 years, but I came across the Christmas kit as a free download & was just inspired to whip something up. I want Sebastian to have just as memories preserved as the girls do!

Journaling says: This Christmas was made extra special because of your arrival. Every time I gazed at you, I could not help but think about Mary and the birth of the baby Jesus. What a wonder it must have been to behold Him for the first time! I feel that same sense of wonder when I look at you & think about the miracle that you are! And as cheesy as it may sound, a baby is really the best gift that this Mama could ask for. *heart* Mom

P.S. Thanks to all who commented on the last post. I really am feeling so much better now that I am talking about it & know that others have been there. You bloggy buddies are the best!

the WHOLE truth

"I'm so blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo, blue-hoo-hoo-HOO, I'm so blue, I don't know what to do."
~Madame Blueberry

I received an email recently from a dear friend with "the truth" as the subject line. The email contained four small, but potent words: How are you doing? So I thought I'd share the truth here. I'm a little blue. Maybe it's just my hormones trying to return back to normal. Maybe it's trying to find the time that a busy household requires to take care of everything and everyone. Maybe it's the mental and physical fogginess that sleep-deprivation causes. Hubby keeps telling me that we're all "still adjusting". Well, I wish we would all just adjust and then move on already! He cares for me so much that I have a sneaky suspicion that he called the aforementioned friend and asked her to check up on me. He also called my mom and surprised me by having her spend the night on Friday so we could go to dinner & our small group {with the nursing baby, of course}! He tries to let me get some time to myself so I can scrapbook, think about sewing {my sewing machine got sick and died about 3 weeks ago, but that is another saga}, or just lay zombie-like on the couch, like I did last night. He is trying his best to take care of me and the children, but nonetheless, sometimes I just want to cry or scream or just hop in the car and drive away from it all. I think sleep deprivation makes it a lot harder for me to control my emotions as well! I am praying that, like I mentioned in my last FUNschooling post, that I would, Do my best and let God take care of the rest. I am praying that somehow God would fill in those places in the girls' lives that need a little filling. I pray that He would give me this day, my daily bread. So now you know, in the midst of all my other light-hearted or crafty-type posts, how I'm really doing.

How long before you felt like you fell into a rhythm with a new baby? Is there anything that you would do or tell yourself to get through the blues?

FUNschooling

Quite a few people have asked me whether or not we are homeschooling during our time of transition with baby #3. The answer is no, and yes. ;>) I thought I'd share what we've been doing because I find it both fun & educational & if your kids go to public school, it might be a great way to keep their brains active during summer break. Instead of using our regular curriculum, I use a different "resource" for each of the subjects I want to cover:

Bible ~ One story out of The Bible for Mothers & Daughters. This is such a cute book! The kids love the colorful illustrations. The stories are short enough to hold their attention & their is a concept to glean from each one about Becoming a Woman of God. There is a time for the Parent to share at the end about their own personal experiences. They have these for Father & Daughters and for the Sons as well.

Phonics ~ I have a phonics set for the LeapPad. If someone I know wants to borrow it for their child for the summer, let me know. It has 12 books and goes through all the consonants, vowels, blends, etc. We do a couple of pages a day.

Reading ~ For comprehension, we are using Brainquest Reading for First Grade. I could go on and on about how much we *love* Brainquest, but I'll spare ya'll. On some cards are stories/poems, followed by comprehension questions based on the story. Other cards have reading based questions like things about punctuation, opposites, syllables, antonyms, fixing the sentence, and such. Great way to introduce new concepts too!

We are also reading a few pages a day from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I love doing funny voices for all the characters ;>)

Craft/Activity Time ~ I'm bustin' out all the stuff that I have stored or laying around. She gets to choose from coloring, water painting, sewing {great felt puppet kits for beginners with pre-punched holes & plastic needles}, blocks, puzzles, tangrams, play-do, etc. I allot about 15-30 minutes. I can do other things during this time if need be.

Science ~ My mom got her the book, The Everything Science Book for Kids, which I am going to do about 1-2 activities per week from. Seems really neat! It covers different areas of science, chemistry, physics, etc, and requires items that are either already around the house or easily procured.

Math ~ This is the one holdover from our normal curriculum. We do about 2 pages per day in our text/workbook.

I think the reason this works so well is because it involves different learning methods of stimulation, from workbooks, to hands-on, to auditory activities. I am trying not to sweat whether or not she is learning by leaps and bounds. As long as the brain is kept active, I am living by the motto, "Do your best and let God take care of the rest." Good motto for life in general, I believe.

She's also learning plenty about baby-care and all that's involved, but that's another post.....

Good Deals

I guess I will be starting off 2008 with some good deals that maybe you have not heard of yet. Have you discovered Redbox? Maybe I am just the last to know, what considering my sleep deprived fog and all. Of course borrowing movies from your local library is the most cost effective way to go {free, folks!}, but if you enjoy new releases and renting instead of forking over huge amounts of cash to go to the theatre, then consider the $1 a day rentals Redbox has to offer. You can even view & reserve the available titles online. Upon arriving at the machine {imagine a vending machine for DVDs}, you swipe your debit/credit card & walk away with your rental. You are simply charged $1 a day until you return the movie. Even if you keep it for two or three {!} nights, you'll still come away less expensive than the big rental stores. You can also conveniently return the movies at any Redbox location. Sign up with your email today for a free $1 rental! And you can double all the coupon & free rental goodness by having your spouse sign up too. If you live near me in real life, then rest assured that your local Kmart, Wal-Mart, or Jewel has a Redbox in it!

I was able to browse through Menard's the other day. All Christmas stuff is 50% off. Not the biggest discount out there I'm sure, but they have some beau-ti-ful decorations, especially for the tree. Hopefully I can get back there to scoop up some of it!

The best deal I've come across recently was at Aldi. They had 2-packs of LeapFrog games for $4.99! I thought these would make great gifts to add to your stash for future kid birthdays. You could even break up the pack, which would come out to $2.50 per game. Hard to beat that! For some reason I didn't buy any, but I am trying to figure out how to get back there so I can get me some ;>)

Any great sales out there? Are there any 80%-off Christmas decorations left at Hobby Lobby?

And the Winner is....

As picked out of the bucket by my little helper ;>) Send me your mailing address & I'll pop your package in the mail as soon as I can. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading my blog!

Happy 200th Post...well sorta

Well, I didn't realize that blogger adds up the "drafts" of posts that you start, but don't publish, so technically this is about post 198, but I figured, enough with the suspense already. I also didn't realize, when I first began, that I would enjoy blogging as much as I do. I originally created this with the intent to post cheesy family photos & keep my loved ones updated on the ongoings of our life. I still try to do this, but it seems like blogs sometimes take on lives of their own. I've made some really opinionated posts, some informative ones, and {hopefully} some inspiring ones as well. At this juncture I hope that my blog serves to help me achieve one of my life's missions: to encourage other moms/women to be Godly, creative homemakers and to share in my pursuit of the same thing. Thank you to all {guys too!} who enjoy this journey with me, whether you were here from the beginning or have just joined us. I created this little duo to give away to express my appreciation:

::Patchwork NotePad Holder & Patchwork Tissue Holder::

::Inside of the NotePad Holder::

::Cute Girly Tissues::

Simply leave a comment by midnight on Saturday, January 5th, and I will pick a winner at random. Good luck & God bless!!

Happy 2008!

As the West Coast rang in the New Year, I was awakened to my six-year old telling me that she had just thrown up in the toilet. Phew, I thought. Poor thing. At least she made it to the bathroom. No icky sheets or jammies to have to deal with. Um. Yeah. The sheets & jammies would have been much more pleasant than what I discovered. She almost made it to the toilet. The bathroom walls were covered about 3 feet up. Literally. The World's Greatest Husband did the cleaning up. He has a much stronger stomach than I do, but even he was gagging & choking & had to wear a kerchief over his face. He even had to remove one of the baseboards to do a good job. Poor man was awake for another 1 1/2 hours because his stomach hurt so bad because of the stench. I hope this is not any sort of indication of what the year has in store for us.

So as we move on to 2008, I say good-bye to all 2007 has had for us. Good-bye....

.....pregnancy with my first {enormous} son....
.....year one of homeschooling & start of year two....
.....diapers for Sienna.....
.....being a mom of two girls....
.....year 29 of my life....
.....year 9 of marriage.....

And hopefully I will say a BIG "hello" to many new and wonderful exciting things that this year has to bring. I can't wait to see what God has in store for me and my family.

Anything particular you are looking forward to in '08? Or something you are happy to say good-bye to in '07?

P.S. My 200th post is approaching here shortly & I've made something lovely to give away....

Celebration Burn-out

Does anyone else get tired, I mean, tired of celebrating? And I am typically a people-person, get-together, celebrating {especially when food is involved}, kind of gal, but I am really getting holiday-weary. We celebrated with my mom, step-dad, and brother on Sunday. My mom is really the best. She brought over the entire holiday meal {ham with all the fixings} and cooked it and cleaned up afterwards, knowing I would not be able to do it with a newborn in the house. I did manage to make some spiced nuts and these to accompany the meal. {Alicia is to blame for introducing us to the Oreo Truffles. I am addicted!! I am going to make them in other flavors for as many future gatherings as possible!} The hubster, kiddos & I all took our first family photo in front of the tree, as that was the only gift my mom requested this year. {I will post it as soon as I get a chance.} Then, shortly after my mom & step-dad left, my dad & step-mom arrived to spend the nights until Christmas day. My dad did an amazing job of cooking breakfast, an awesome Christmas Eve dinner {prime rib, folks!}, and cleaning up afterwards. This *somewhat*, but not quite, made up for the fact that they let my kids open all their Christmas gifts from them on Christmas Eve morning while hubster & I were still sleeping. I. Was. Mad. But we won't spoil all the holiday cheer by "going there". On Christmas Day, my dad & his wife left in the morning & my sister-in-law arrived with my niece by mid-afternoon. I cooked Christmas Day dinner {roasted chicken, people!} and my sister-in-law got some much appreciated baby time with Sebastian. The girls went to my in-laws to spend the night last night & will be there again tonight, giving me a much needed break. Seriously. Great gift! My grandma & aunt are coming over to deliver gifts and "celebrate" tomorrow during the day {barring a snowstorm} and all the in-laws are coming over on Saturday to "celebrate". All this celebrating is tiring me out. I guess it's the combination of my parents being divorced which doubles the holiday events, added to the in-laws and all the other extended family that we are expected to celebrate with. Christmas for my family lasts, like, half the month of December. And this year, we aren't even traveling anywhere, as everyone is coming to visit us! I really can't wait until after we "celebrate" the New Year and can return to some semblance of life as usual.

Anyone else out there tired of celebrating?

Holiday Magic: The Out-takes

Here are the photos that didn't make it into our holiday cards. These are so funny, it makes me want to make a scrapbook {huh? what's that? do I even remember how to do that?} page out of them. Seems like it's just the one child that is having a hard time taking a good photo. Can't imagine trying to get even more children to pose nicely for a picture. Good thing I know how to use Photoshop. I may just have to cut & paste the good poses together!

And, drumroll please, the winning photo:

And here it is all dressed up in the template I designed:

Here's hoping all your holiday photos are filled with love & laughter!

Holiday Magic: Trimming the Tree

I made sure to put up the tree on Thanksgiving Weekend. I wanted to make sure that it got done before the baby's arrival. Of course, half the lights weren't working & required two separate trips to the Wally World. Half the day later, we finally got the tree up & decorated. Take a gander:

::finding the perfect spot::

::she was *so* into decorating::

::daddy helps Sienna to hang a few high up::

::holiday decorating burn-out::

The Big Day

a.k.a Birth Story ~ Part Two

Friendly Caution: If you are uncomfortable reading about dilation or get weirded out by the word "cervix", then just go ahead and skip this post!

So after the deer incident, I wake up Wednesday morning with mild contractions. I didn't suspect anything other than those pesky Braxton-Hicks, but these were accompanied by a backache, giving me the sneaky suspicion that this was the real deal. They were about 10-12 minutes apart, sometimes longer, so I wasn't sure whether this was actual "labor". I called the hubster around 10:30 am & told him I wasn't feeling well. I mentioned the contractions & he requested that I call the doctor's office. I was advised not to come to the hospital until they were 5 minutes apart. {Good thing that God had planned for me to have a doctor's appointment already that afternoon or I would've had an unplanned homebirth.} I told hubby to come home early to take care of me. I rested. I Knitted. I Sudoku-ed. {I *love* Sudoku!}

My appointment was at 3:30 pm. We all went as a family, hoping that maybe the doctor would send me to the hospital. I saw Dr. Z. The nurse asked how I was feeling & I told her that I thought I might be in *early* labor. So Dr. Z examines me. She has a puzzled look on her face during the examination. I am thinking, "Oh Great. I am still 2-3 cm or something like that." She informs me that I am "at least" 6 cm, but she can't really tell because one side of my cervix is completely dilated. She asks if there is any chance I can go directly to the hospital. {She told me the next morning that she didn't want to make me nervous, but was really thinking that I better get to the hospital, like, NOW.} We all arrive at the hospital, my mom meeting us there to retrieve the children.

I am admitted & checked by Dr. F {new doctor in the practice if you are following my abbreviations}, who tells me that I am 8 cm. WHAT???!!! This is seriously unbelievable to me. UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. During my last labor I was at 2 cm and already in a lot of pain. The doctor and nurse kept asking me if I was sure I didn't want anything for the pain. It was bizarre. I wasn't even really in that much pain. I felt like a woman from the Baby Story, just la-de-da during labor. I was positive for Group B Strep, so I needed to have pencilin & waited 3 1/2 hours before my water could be broken. Dr. F thought I would go pretty fast after my water had been broken. I tried pushing at 9 1/2 cm, but with no luck. My contractions were pretty strong at this point, but not unbearable. I did ask for an epidural while waiting to dilate the rest of the way. I didn't realize that the anesthesiologist would need to be called in. Yeah. Would've liked that bit of information a little earlier in the process. I waited. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Twenty. By this time I was feeling like I had to push & really, my body just couldn't help it anymore. Dr. F says, "Go ahead & try pushing." I push & much to my disbelief {and the doctor's too} I feel his head coming out. The bed hasn't been broken down yet. Doc doesn't have on any surgical apparel. She says, "Please wait. Let me get my gown on." as she runs across the room to retrieve the surgical tray. Through my bloody-murder-type scream I tell her I can't wait. She says, "Please at least let me get my gloves on." Again. Body. Just. Won't. Wait. His head is out & with one more push his body splashes out & doc delivers him while sitting on the bed. More disbelief when I read the scale from across the room. Eight pounds, fifteen ounces. I. Can't. Believe. It. Doc shows me her hand & I just have to laugh as she managed to get her hand into the palm of the glove & delivered the baby with the fingers of the glove just hanging off. Funny. Just as amazing is that I need no stitches. WHAT?! After delivering a nearly nine pound baby?!! Amazing. Really. No drugs. No stitches. A nine pounder. God really does exist ~ LOL!

In all seriousness though, I really could see God's hand in caring for me that day. I had many people praying for me & I am sure that that made a lot of difference. I still can not believe that I was able to deliver such a big baby, drug-free & with no stitches. It makes me feel like I conquer the world now. I hadn't set out to do that, but it just sort of happened upon me. My body feels like it has had a much quicker recovery. I don't know if it's just because it gets easier with each child or if it's due to the type of labor I had.

So now you know. It's not that every birth story isn't a miracle in and of itself, but for me, this one really stands out & I am still in amazement over the whole thing. I leave you with this,

"Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them." William Shakespeare

Oh Deer!

a.k.a. Birth Story ~ Part 1

Technically, IT hit US. On Tuesday, December 4th, season six of the TV series 24 was released on DVD. Once hubster remembered this fact, he was on the horn with our nearest Blockbuster reserving us a copy of the first two DVDs. Of course the weather was.....blizzard-y. Nonetheless, we all piled in the car and trekked the 7 miles to retrieve the DVDs. This is *so* reminiscent of last winter when we were driving through snowstorms to various Blockbusters to rent the 24 DVDs. We didn't mean to get hooked on Jack Bauer, it just sort of happened. Hubster casually mentioned wanting to see the show, so we rented season one. I barely paid attention to the first few episodes, as I was in The Knitting Zone, but finally, I couldn't help myself. But, I digress. As we were traveling down the road, we suddenly spot "a six-pack of does", as hubster puts it, near the opposite edge of the road. We weren't driving too fast, maybe 40 mph. He starts honking the horn. The first doe darts across the road. The rest of the does start to follow. Hubster tries to manuever the car between the pack & is somewhat successful. He makes it in between the first and second doe, but we don't quite clear the pack and that second doe slams into the rear door of the driver's side, right where my two-year old was sitting. I shriek. Hubster tells me to stay calm. I say, "You probably killed him!!" Hubster tries to convince me that the deer just has a mild concussion. My Braxton-Hicks get stronger at this point. The rest of the way Sienna keeps asking various questions about the BANG-BANG {the noise the deer made when hitting her door} and whether or not Sebastian would be scared of it. We get the DVDs and watch the first two episodes. {Wayne Palmer as president? Whoda thunk it??} The next morning, I woke up in early labor.

We blame it on the deer. I can't actually say that "we hit a deer" because, like I mentioned before, technically IT hit US.

P.S. Welcome to my newest reader Mon who has been reading from the beginning and commenting on old posts! I will answer your cooking question as soon as time allows

Just stopping in....

...to present our newest addition!

::Sebastian Judah::

::weighing a whopping 8 pounds 15 ounces, measuring 21 inches long::

::big sisters Tatiana & Sienna are so proud::

We are all at home and doing great! I will share more about his grand arrival as time allows. It really was miraculous {not that all births aren't}, but this one, for me, was especially special. Blessings to everyone who prayed for us before, during, and after the delivery. Thank you for covering us in prayer & lifting up my hands when I was weak. God is so good!

Reindeer Games

Thanks to Saralyn for providing this little diversion while I am still "waiting". I *love* Christmas! It is definitely my favorite time of year. So here goes:

1. Do you put up a real tree or artificial? Artificial; We have *never* put up a real tree. Too much hassle.

2. When do you put up your tree? Normally around the first weekend in December. I usually do most of the decorating, so whenever I'm feeling froggy. This year though, we all put it up together on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

3. When do you take down the tree? After the New Year

4. Do you like eggnog? If yes, spiked or not? I don't dislike it, but would probably like it better if I tasted it homemade instead of store-bought.

5. Favorite gift received as a child? I honestly don't know. I remember getting two Cabbage Patch Dolls & the game Mall Madness that I was really excited about.

6. Worst Christmas gift ever received? Hubby's first gift to me while we were still dating. He built it up to be something wonderful, something I needed, and something that would make me think of him whenever I used it. I, being the woman that I am, was hoping for something sentimental. It turned out to be a cordless phone. We laugh about it now.

7. Favorite Christmas movie? I like the Miracle on 34th Street remake with Dylan McDermott. And I'm not sure if you consider it "Christmas-y", but Rick & I both really like The Family Man.

8. Have you ever recycled a present? Yes! Mostly gifts for the kids...

9. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Really fancy or comforting meals like Prime Rib or a big Ham with all the trimmings. Gingersnaps always leave me feeling festive too though.

10. Favorite Christmas song? don't have one

11.Most annoying thing about this time of year? Crowds & the over-commercializtion of a Holy-day {especially among "Christians"}

12. What you love most about the holiday? I do appreciate all that Christmas represents, but I also really love the festiveness of it all, the opportunity for family traditions, gathering close with loved ones, decorations, music, and Christ's Spirit in it all.

13. How many reindeer did Santa have? 9.

14. Best Christmas memory? The childhood excitement of Christmas Eve and the delight of waking early to find my stocking full of goodies ~ Me too, Saralyn!

15. If you could have one Christmas wish what would it be? That Christ would come to the hearts of all my loved ones ~ Ditto again.

I can't wait to see what ya'll enjoy {or dislike} about Christmas as well! So I will tag Alicia, Beth & Erin! Happy Reindeer Games!

The Final Days

My energy tank is officially on "E". I can honestly say that I am now tired of being pregnant. I never remember feeling this way with my two girls. Maybe it is the impending holidays and all the hustle & bustle that typically accompanies it. Maybe it is the pile of sewing projects that for some reason I just have no passion for. Every time I walk by the sewing table, it's as if the fabric holds its breath, hoping, just hoping, that I will stop to give it some love & turn it into something beautiful. It all collectively *sighs* as I pass on by, as do I, wishing that I could do more. And seeing as I have no energy for the things I love to do, the things I really don't like {cleaning, laundry, dishes} are most definitely doomed. I am barely online anymore, pausing only to check my email & the blogs of my nearest & dearest.

I am trying to be patient, I really am. I want to finish this chapter of pregnancy with grace & continued appreciation for the miracle of life. Not knowing how many, if any, more children we will have, I try to be grateful for all the moments that I have left with my exceedingly enormous belly. I feel especially emotionally drained & just plain worn out. I just feel like our lives {and the lives of some of those I will be relying on} are in a holding pattern, just waiting for the moment when I get to say those two precious words, "It's time." So, if you are of the sort, please pray for me in my final days of pregnancy. It will lift my spirits to know that you are out there praying.

Black Friday

This post is also known as, "The Ridiculously Extreme Measures I Will Take to Get a Great Deal on Fabric."

I guess I was in denial about how many people would want to get a killer deal on flannel {99 cents a yard}! Is flannel really THAT popular? Apparently it was either denial or ignorance. After a really great night of sleep, I woke up feeling well rested, despite my alarm clock not being set to go off until 7:30 am. Good thing I didn't wait for that alarm or I would still be at JoAnn's waiting to get my fabric cut. I make the 40ish minute hike to the JoAnn Superstore, stopping at Panera beforehand to fuel up my tank. I arrive at JoAnn's about 7:30ish. Parking lot seems pretty full, but plenty of spaces left at the back & no need for excessive circling. I score a spot near the front. YIPPEE! I get my cart & start looking around. Humph. Out of probably 200 or so bolts of flannel, there are about 15 left on the shelf. I notice everyone's cart is filled to overflowing with flannel. Seriously people, what are you doing with 20 bolts of flannel? I start to develop my flannel acquiring strategy. I do some more looking around. Check back for the flannel. Humph. Still nothing. I notice A LOT of people waiting to get fabric cut. I think that I am so smart, but really I turn out not to be that I will take a number NOW, then do more looking while I am waiting for my turn at the cutting counter. My number is 87. I actually check back at the ticket machine because at this point I am in disbelief since they are serving number 23. Here's where the denial really sets in. I look around some more. I pick out some beads for a little gift for my mom. I look at Christmas fabric. I notice there is a bin where they are putting the recently cut fabric {mostly flannel in there} where I can scoop it up before it goes back on the shelf. I score some cute circus flannel & some owl flannel. I keep going back to the bin & the shelf. I acquire several solids and a jungle flannel {destined for a crib sheet}. I decide to "hang out" in the pattern cutting area. It's quiet. Plenty of room & seating. I get thirsty & help myself to a bottled Dasani from the front cooler {of course I paid for it at the end}. I start to panic. I have a 11:15 doctor's appointment in Woodstock. I start weighing the importance of going to the doctor versus getting my good fabric deals. Yes. I am that crazy. It is now 9:20 am and they are only on number 26. Yep. Moved up 3 numbers in one hour. My logical brain now starts timing the number calling. I realize that the likelihood of me delivering this baby BEFORE my fabric gets cut is extremely high. I walk around a little more. I notice another line near one side of the store where they usually cut the upholstery fabric on the really big bolts. I approach the counter. "Are you calling the numbers also orrrr..................???" "Oh, NO. We don't have a ticket machine. You just get in line." I feel a mixture of dumb luck and guilt. Lucky that I figured out this little "secret" line, yet guilty that I will probably get my fabric cut before the some people that have been waiting longer than I have with their tickets at the other counter. I get in line. I am about 8th. I meet a really great lady in her early 60's, who turns out to be my fairy shopping godmother. She gets me a chair from the pattern area so my 45 week pregnant belly I can sit down while waiting. She gets me another water bottle. She pushes my cart. I hope the Lord blesses this lady's pants off today. The way she treated me, a total stranger, almost brought me to tears. Seriously. The kindness of a stranger can be very overwhelming. {Or is it just all the hormones?} I continue to calculate the rate my line is moving. I start to feel relieved as I don't think I will have to abandon my cart after all to make it to the doctor's office on time. After waiting in this line about 1 1/2 hours, I get the fabric cut. I feel badly for the people in the other ticketed area as they are only calling number 70. I would still have been waiting. I wait in line for the checkout. Giddy excitement again, when the line up at the front moves QUICK. Too bad I get the putsy kid who can't read my fabric ticket and has to type in each one by hand, then blaming me, scans my coupon before he has rung up all my items & now I am not getting the discount on that part of my order & he can't fix it so he has to start ALL OVER AGAIN. I would've made it to my appointment on time if it weren't for that checker. I call ahead out of courtesy to let them know I will be late. I arrive at the office & everything is right with the world again. Hey, a girl's gotta get her good fabric deals when she can!

Note to Self: When you are 37 weeks pregnant, do NOT drink TWO water bottles & then expect to be able to hold it for 2 hours. If you try this you will be very uncomfortable & will barely be able to walk because of all the pressure.

P.S. I am one centimeter. I was praying for more, but I guess it's better than 0.

My Crafting Method

Thanks for all the nice words, ya'll! I feel like I am nesting already. The cleaning & organizing has begun to set-in ;>)

In the last post Saralyn asked one (very serious) question: how do you find the time to craft--from deciding what you want to make, to finding a pattern, to actually completing the project--and homeschool? I'm having a horrible time keeping my house in order while homeschooling and simply gaze longingly at the stash of material in my sewing corner! Any tips would be much appreciated.

A: I spend a lot of time thinking about what I want to make before I actually do it. Planning how I will assemble something or what type of fabric I will use or even making sketches and approximate dimensions of the finished product. It was the same way when I worked as a pastry chef: I would review & review in my mind what I wanted to do first, like how to assemble 500 pastries or how I was going to decorate a cake, etc. so that way when it came time to do it, it was like I already had rehearsed it. This sounds kinda silly, but then I spend less time hemming and hawing and trying to figure out what to do next. {This works for other areas of my life as well!}

I keep a folder under my bookmarks called "tutorials". That way when I come across something {during my morning blog/computer time} I want to make, I just file it away for when the mood strikes. Less time searching around for the needed instructions and all my ideas are neatly tucked in one place.

I do a lot of my pattern cutting at night after the kids are in bed, while I am unwinding or watching TV.

I have a dedicated sewing area, which is my "formal dining room/playroom". I can't tell you how much this affects things. It is in the main part of my house so I am always near the kids, either with them right in the same room or just an earshot away. I can do a little at a time as the kids {!} allow like a few minutes of ironing or organizing my next pattern, etc. It is connected to the kitchen as well where we homeschool so occasionally when dd is working on something self-directed, like a workbook or craft project, I can sit for 10 minutes or so and sew. When I was an avid scrapbooker, my workspace was in the basement & I really had to make an effort to go down there to use it. This one thing has made a huge difference.

We only homeschool for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours a day. This is formal school, not including gametime or reading or other learning activities.

I don't have the cleanest house on the block. I'm sure this may seem "wrong" to some people. I consider my house to be in decent shape most of the time, but you wouldn't want to eat off the floor and there is a small layer of dust on the edges of my fan blades. I really find that, since I am a creative person, I need some sort of outlet for that energy. It makes me a more fun, more relaxed, more emotionally healthy mom. I think all moms {dads too!} should do a little something for themselves, whatever it is they enjoy, whether it be exercising or reading or going for walks or bubble baths or cleaning/organizing {!}, on an almost daily basis. Our families will all be better for it.

And last but not least, I have a wonderful husband who supports my hobby & has hobbies of his own which I support. We both understand how these outlets benefit us personally & the how those benefits carry over to our family. There is many an occasion {about once a month, especially during the warmer months} that he will take both of the children for the entire day to his parents so that I can do whatever it is I wish. Prime crafting time! We also have 3 other sets of grandparents {my kids basically have 4 grandparent houses} that like to take the kids for the day or even overnight. More time to myself! This is actually happening today, when my mom is taking the girls to the movie theatre & then overnight for a sleepover. I'm sure I'll get some sewing done, then hubster & I are going to take off to Janesville, just to see what's there.

So that's how I do it. Hope that isn't more than what you wanted to know, but it is a question I get asked from time to time. Maybe today you will carve out a little time for yourself to do something you enjoy. Cheers!