Urban Pioneer Woman

I've Moved!

2011-02-04T20:21:00.004-06:00

Don't anyone have a heart attack now, but....in less than 2 weeks I have changed the look of my blog and decided to move my blog!!!! I know it is crazy....no changes for 2 years and then I start changing things and up and move! I am very excited about some of the new features I will have available to me with this new format! Please come check it out at http://urbanpioneerwoman.com/

Eventually I plan to delete this site, but don't worry, everything has been moved to our new home already!

Sometimes a Disability is Just a Difference

2011-02-04T14:25:00.003-06:00

I was folding laundry and watching Star Trek: Deep Space 9 the other day, when I had an epiphany. The episode was about a woman from a planet with very little gravity, who wanted to join Star Fleet and now works in an environment with what we would call "normal" gravity. In order to move in this environment, she had to wear these things on her arms and legs that looked like braces, use a cane, and at times a special chair. People could tell that she was different and were always offering to help her, but she was very defensive and did not want to be treated as if she were disabled. Once her very basic needs were met, she felt that she needed to make up the difference herself and adapt. Later on in the episode, she is able to start treatments that will allow her to walk as a "normal" person, but it comes with the catch that she would never be able to live long-term on her home planet. She is discussing this with a friend, who brings up the Hans Christian Anderson fable, A Little Mermaid, who made a similar choice and in the end mourned what she had lost.

This past week I had some tough days as I grappled with Jessica's developmental delays, partly because she's my daughter, partly because I identify with her, and partly because it is my field of study. This makes for a very tangled web that is really hard to tease apart. BUT, after watching this episode I think I finally understand. When someone says that they think Jessica might have Aspergers, I immediately think "they think there is something wrong with her" which immediately brings back a flood of memories from my childhood because I sometimes (despite my parents' best efforts) felt like there was something wrong with me because learning colors, shapes, counting, math facts etc was so grueling, or because learning appropriate social skills and matching clothes equally mystified me....ok still mystifies me. What an awful feeling for anyone to feel like "There is something wrong with me." I do not want Jessica to grow up feeling that way, just like the girl in the show did not want to feel that way. You can't change what other people think about you or how they treat you. But for some reason, thinking about it as if I am from a different planet with a different version of normal, I was finally able to make the idea "there is nothing wrong with me" stick when it hasn't before. There is also something empowering about being able to say, "Despite how hard it was, I did it myself." If there are two things that I want to keep in mind as we are raising Jessica, they are: 1) Trying to provide more opportunities for her to see her strengths and hopefully fewer opportunities for her to see her weaknesses and 2) Help her to learn how to adapt when she finds something that is a weak area for her so that she can do it herself.

Ups and Downs

2011-01-27T16:04:00.005-06:00

The last several months have had lots of ups and downs. Some weeks I feel really good about what we are doing and how Jessica is improving. Other weeks I feel really down about what we are doing and how much further Jessica still has to go. Recently I've noticed a trend. The weeks that I feel really good are also the weeks when one of our therapists is really pleased with Jessica's progress or someone says something about how much progress Jessica has made or my mother-in-law says that Jessica is really lucky to have me as her mom because I know how to help her because I am a lot the same way. The weeks I feel really down are the weeks that her doctor starts talking about Aspergers (again) or a therapist asks what we plan to do about schooling or a friend hints that she might be autistic or we get strange looks while at the grocery store or someone says "Well, you just need to do ___" (as if I am not doing enough already or somehow it's my fault she is delayed).

I clipped this out of one of John's Sunday School papers, and I keep it laminated on my fridge:

Have you ever thought about the fact that God chose you to be the parent of your child? He knew exactly what your child needed in a parent, and He chose you. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, and your amazing capacity to love. And, He gave you this baby. But, He didn't give you this baby and walk away. He is there -- every minute of every day -- guiding you through this parenting journey. He has a story of love and redemption to tell your child through you. He wants your precious baby to know that their Heavenly Father is there to help them, just like He's there to help you -- every step of the way.

Some days it is hard to remember that despite all of the negatives I might hear, God has a plan, and He is with us every step of the way. Last week was great. This week was tough. Here's hoping next week will be one of the great ones...

Jessica's 3rd Birthday

2011-01-24T16:52:00.009-06:00

Part of the reason I have been so busy the last couple weeks is because as soon as we got back from Christmas, I had to start getting ready for Jessica's birthday party. I had it all planned out, but several things didn't go according to plan.....our cat died (more on that later).....the cake didn't turn out right and I had to start all over again....I found out after I got the food that most of the people we invited were sick....It was just one of those weeks!! Amazingly enough the party was just right! This year we did a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme!

I created these cute invitations on the computer and then had them printed out as photos! They turned out really nice looking and cost me a couple dollars!

The decorations were simple enough. I'd had the crepe paper for years, and I bought the balloons for about $1 (ok $2....I lost the first package....which I found.....AFTER the party)!

I made the cake from scratch. It turned out great (the second time)! I made red marshmallow fondant for the face mask (which was amazingly easy), googly eyes for the eyes, and melted semi sweet chocolate chips for the mouth and nose. I had no cake decorating supplies so I did end up purchasing icing coloring and a round tip/bag.

This is another shot of the cake. I also ended up ordering pizza and purchasing paper goods to match the crepe paper. I was going to make homemade pizzas with crazy toppings and use regular plates, but when the cat died, I just couldn't take anymore.

I made felt face masks for party favors! I got the fabric for $1.44 and only used half of it. They wouldn't cut it any smaller.

Borrowing an idea from Shannon, I also made cookies for party favors! I dyed the cookie dough with food coloring and shaped them by hand. Then I put googly eyes on with melted semi sweet chocolate chips and drew a mouth!

For entertainment we set up the old sewer and figures I had as a child along with the turtle van and some of the figures David had as a child!

Jessica opening presents....while her friends are distracted by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video we had playing. We bought those last year for me and Jessica to watch as I lay on the couch trying to keep from getting dehydrated and running to the ER while pregnant with John! That might explain why she likes Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so much! :-)

Jessica blowing out her candles! It took 3 tries, but she finally got it!!

The entire party except for David and one of the kids. It ended up being the perfect size! We were all able to have fun and relax!!

Jessica thought the cake was awesome!!!!! In fact, she ate so much of it that it took about a week for her poop to stop turning green....gross, I know!

I debated for at least a month on whether or not to get foam swords for the party.....I wasn't sure how the girls would react. I decided to get some at the last minute (so of course I ended up paying more).....I shouldn't have worried! The kids LOVED them!!!!

A picture of all the kids playing in Jessica's room. This was the best picture I got.....seriously......taking pictures of kids is like herding cats!!!!!

So...now you have the story of how my $10 party turned out to be much more expensive, but we all had a great time and enjoyed celebrating Jessica, so I guess that is all that really matters!

A picture of Jessica out in the garage with her daddy for the first time. She hammered, glued, clamped, screwed, measured, marked, sanded, and used a saw! She had a great time!!! This particular picture makes me think of my father-in-law.

The last 3 years have been a fun and crazy ride, and I am sure that what is left to come will be even more exciting!!! Jessica, you are a very sweet and fun child to travel the journey of life with. May you never loose your sweet, compassionate spirit or your exuberance for life. They are gifts that will only bring joy to those blessed to share the journey with you! We love you!

A Few Pictures

2011-01-23T00:02:00.003-06:00

Well, I am still horribly behind from the last few months with Jessica's therapy, LOTS of traveling, the holidays, etc. I am hoping to do a few catch up posts over the next couple weeks. We tried to take a cute picture of our kids tonight in their footie pajamas, but instead we got this....lol

We tried the classic pose of sitting them next to each other, but instead we got this...

....and this.....obviously related to my side of the family.....

Then we tried sitting John in front of Jessica, but apparently he doesn't like to be squeezed to death....who knew?!?!?

As a last ditch effort, we tried putting me with a book as a distraction in the shot.....you can see how well that worked...

Thankfully, we did manage to get one that was halfway decent out of those shenanigans!!! Just so you know that wasn't even close to the total number of shots we took!!!

My Fabulous Husband

2011-01-07T21:24:00.003-06:00

David and I did not get each other anything for Christmas this year, but while I was out of town, David made some modifications to a room in our house that I enjoy spending a lot of time in: my kitchen! He bought me a nice chef's knife that he found for a good deal at TJ Max --- mine just put a dent in tomatoes!! (He has also been researching the "correct" way to cut with a knife....I didn't even know there was a "correct" way!!!) He also bought me a knife block for $3 at a thrift store to keep on top of the fridge! (We had been keeping the knives in a casserole dish in a locked cabinet after Jessica came running at me with the chef's knife one day wanting a piece of cheese!!!!) I am not sure if I was more excited about his thoughtfulness or his shopping skills! And.....drum roll please.......he built me this gorgeous spice rack!!!!!!!!!!!

It is made of oak. I have never liked oak, but I love this spice rack. He used linseed oil to finish it. I think I just don't like stains on oak because it makes the grain "pop" out. This has a softer, more natural look.

Previously, my spices had been sitting on top of the upper kitchen cabinets (because Jessica enjoyed opening and dumping my spices all over the counter top)! I am so excited about all of the surprise improvements me made to the kitchen while I was gone!!!!!! I love practical gifts that show that the giver is really paying attention! :-)

It's a Wonderful, Meaningful Life!

2011-01-03T15:34:00.002-06:00

For Christmas, Jessica received the new Veggie Tales dvd, It's a Meaningful Life, from one of her great-grandmothers. It is based off one my favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life. After watching It's a Meaningful Life with Jessica, I do believe that I might actually like it better than It's a Wonderful Life! "Sacrilege!" ...I know, but I think I learned a very valuable lesson this year from that video. Innately I am a scientist. I love to explore life in a very hands-on way. My favorite television shows are Star Trek. Things of an abstract nature can be rather challenging for me. There are things about religion that I find rather challenging as well because some things are not concrete and cannot be proven. However, over the past year I have been slowly coming to the realization that if I cut all of those "touchy-feely" religious beliefs out of my life, then what I am left with is anxiety and stomach ulcers!

The last couple months have been a bit of a strain for me. As Jessica grows closer and closer to school-aged, it becomes more and more apparent that she is delayed in multiple areas of development. That fact in and of itself is not what has been bothering me. I value all children for who they are just the way God made them, and I do not have any expectations for Jessica to live up to, save one: to be sweet. What has been stressing me is worrying that I am not being the parent she needs me to be. Am I making the right choices? Do I have her in the right therapy with the right therapist? Are we doing enough homework to help her progress as well as possible in therapy? etc, etc, etc. David has also been strained because of the financial side of it. How long will she need therapy? Can we afford to send her to the best therapists we can find as long as she needs it? We are actually in the process of making some major changes to our household in the next few months to address some of these concerns.

But the thing that has made the biggest difference in how we feel about all of this is what I learned from It's a Meaningful Life: God has a purpose for my life. Yes, I grew up believing that, but it was one of those things that I could never really get my hands on concretely, so I let go of that belief. I have since learned that I am a happier person when I choose to believe that my life has meaning, that I have a purpose, so I am choosing to believe it! God gave me the life experiences that I have had growing up with severe ADHD, so that I would be ready to be just the right Mommy for Jessica. He gave me parents who really believed God made me special and pushed me to exceed the expectations most people would have for someone like me. God guided my choices in college so that I would have just the right tools to help me. I walked into my first graduate class in School Psychology without having a clue what a School Psychologist did and ended up being fortunate enough to find myself in a program that is very behavioral, which was just what I needed. He also arranged that I would take a very different path from what I expected and meet David, my husband, who is best described as my partner. We make an awesome team and work so well together. God continues to bless us with both positive and negative experiences that allow us to learn more about Him. So....Welcome 2011. I'm ready to grab you by the horns....so bring it!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-18T09:58:00.001-06:00

We had a very nice Christmas with the kids today! This was how the tree looked when we went to bed last night:

All of the kids' piles

What Santa brought Jessica: a doll (with hair!), a baby doll changing table, some fruit, candy, and Care Bears figures.

Cute doll for only $10 huh? Not high quality but perfect for an almost 3 year old!

What Santa brought John: Shakable Containers, Soft Blocks, a Taggie Blankie, and bananas.

Considering how many times a day our cat endures having his hair pulled or being tackled without lashing out, we felt he deserved a little stocking too: cat treats and a new mouse.

The kids checking out what Santa brought them, and the cat enjoying being in the middle of it all!

Jessica wore her new robe!

After checking out what Santa put in her stocking, Jessica helped John unload his stocking! This year John got to use the stocking my great-grandmother made for me. Jessica used it her first Christmas as well. I plan to make him one just like it this year to match the one I made for Jessica.

John really liked his presents....and made some pretty cute faces!

Another cute face!

And Jessica discovered that her baby doll changing table can double as a triple bunk bed!

The kids all seemed to enjoy their gifts from Santa! All in all, a very merry Christmas for only $30!

Christmas Eve!

2010-12-17T21:09:00.005-06:00

Most years we travel for Christmas, so most years we celebrate Christmas at home the weekend before. Therefore, tonight is Christmas Eve!!! We had a nice, relaxing evening watching The Muppet Christmas Carol and opening packages!

Our tree this year....up close it looks a little rough for wear this year!

The kids' packages in the gift bags that I made here...aren't they darling?!?!

Jessica opening her gift.

Trying on the robe I made for her with the house shoes I traded my mother for. She LOVES the shoes, though we are still a little uncertain about the robe.

John opening his package.

The packaging is still the best part!

John wearing his Christmas ensemble: homemade newsboy hat and baby legs!

Jessica enjoyed setting out the cookies and milk for Santa (although she tried to wear her stocking). We watched several Christmas movies this month, so she seems to be catching on to the idea!! Tomorrow morning should be pretty exciting!! Now some elves I know need to get busy... I will post pictures of Christmas morning later!

I'm still here...

2010-12-16T14:46:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to pop in for a moment to let you know that I have not disappeared off the face of the planet! We have been very busy after our trip at Thanksgiving....unpacking, doing laundry, going to appointments, getting ready for Christmas, and getting ready to travel for Christmas....oh wait that is just what I have been busy doing! David and the kids have also been pretty busy!

David has been working hard trying to save up a little bit of off time for Christmas. John just started babbling the other day!!! Jessica didn't start babbling until 9 months, so I was quite surprised!!! John is also sitting up unassisted now! We do still have the occasional tumbles, but he is getting much better! John also went to the eye doctor with me the other day. They think one of his eyes is slightly turned in, but they are hopeful that it will correct itself. They also noticed that he is slightly nearsighted. At this point we don't have to do anything about his eyes, but the doctor would like to see him back in a year to make sure everything is developing as it should. I also got new lens and new frames!! I have not had new frames since before we got married and the paint was beginning to rub off!! Sorry, no picture....I am still trying to find a suitable time to go by and pick them up.....with both of the children....

Jessica has been seeing her Speech Therapist and her Occupational Therapist once a week for about a month (about two months for the Speech Therapist). Last week was a tough week. Jessica was more difficult to handle than usual, and David and I noticed yet a few more milestones her friends were reaching that she has not. The closer she gets to school-aged the more obvious to us the delays become. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Jessica is A LOT like me. Although our pediatrician keeps thinking that she has Aspergers and that she must get it from David....for the record, we don't agree. Currently, the thinking is that Jessica is very distracted and that this paired with her highly visual learning style is preventing her from meeting appropriate developmental milestones.

This week, we have been seeing GREAT gains!!! For quite some time, Jessica felt like the television needed to be on all of the time, even though she wasn't watching it. Recently, she has started requesting it less often and has been more interested in activities like board games, playing with John, running around the house, and playing with her toys! She has also been talking a lot more and taking a real interest in communicating things that interest her --- this has been very entertaining!!! We are also looking into some additional supports as well. Overall, we are very hopeful and pleased with all of the progress she has made! We are also relieved to be getting a break from all of the therapy for a week at Christmas!!!!! It can be quite draining adjusting to a therapy intensive schedule and all of the emotions that go along with it.

Tour of the South - Part 2

2010-11-30T16:21:00.020-06:00

We just got back from a week and a half tour of Tennessee with our friends and had a great time! It was so nice to be able to see so much of the family, relax a bit, and enjoy so many fun activities! Traveling with two 2 year olds and a teething baby limits how many cute pictures you are able to get, but here are a few we managed to snag!

I got some great pictures of David's family!

David's grandmother gave Jessica a porcelain doll. David's mom and I both thought she was nuts giving a two year old a porcelain doll, but she LOVES it and has been very careful with it!

David's sister was even in town with her boyfriend! I didn't get a good shot of her boyfriend, but I have to say....he is pretty awesome with babies!

Jessica had a great time wandering around the zoo with Pa Pa!

Jessica being Jessica!

Looking at all the animals with Pa Pa.

I thought the fall leaves were just gorgeous!

I would just like to point out that this is my dad's natural hair color.....I have AWESOME genes!!!!!

Our friends joined us, and our first stop was Graceland!

This was my first trip to Graceland. What impressed me the most was how generous and modest (considering how extravagant he could have been) Elvis was.

Enjoying banana splits at Graceland!

Best friends at the Enchanted Forest at the Pink Palace Museum (It is a museum of natural and local history).

Jessica actually ran up to give Santa a hug this year!!!! The first year she screamed bloody murder, and the second year she was very uncertain about the entire experience!

Jessica told Santa she wanted a "pumpkin" for Christmas, and Jessica's friend told Santa she wanted a "real tyrannosaurus rex" for Christmas. Santa seemed confused by Jessica's request and gave Jessica's friend the "sometimes we don't always get what we ask for" speech.

Next stop was the Children's Museum! Jessica went down the second story twisting tube slide for the first time by herself (It is supposed to only be for kids 4 and older, but I decided that rule didn't apply to us!)

This is the only picture of the girls together at the museum because they preferred completely opposite activities!!

However, Jessica did actually try out some other exhibits this time outside of the traditional visits to the Fire truck, police car, and Autozone! Here she is dancing in front of a green screen!!

She also went shopping at the Kroger (her mother's favorite exhibit) for the first time. The basket said to only get 3 items....I decided that rule didn't apply to us either! :-)

John also enjoyed the toddler section at the Children's Museum. Mom and Dad bought a pass, and I think both John and Jessica will really enjoy going back when we are up for Christmas!

Jessica also tried out the dentist exhibit for the first time! Pa Pa seemed pleased!

We obviously know how to brush our teeth!

Then we had to take the traditional visits to the home improvement section!

Dad had the camera and actually managed to get a few shots with me and John in them as well!

Then it was time for the trip to the Autozone. Jessica was very frustrated that she could not find the key to the Cadillac so she could drive!

So she moved on to the simulator!

John and Pa Pa spent some time bonding while John napped and I chased Jessica!

Jessica also enjoyed flying the Fed Ex jet!

Here we are at Zoo Lights....not a great shot but it was better than the other one!

All 3 kids were passed out by the time we got back!!

Other things we did while in Memphis: watch The Little Mermaid every night, went on a driving tour of Downtown, and made a stop by The Village Toymaker, aka the BEST toy store in Memphis!

The girls also created a new game where the jump up and down on my bed, playing the piano, and singing "1-2-1-2-1-2..."

Then they both fall over backwards and dissolve into giggles!

John also enjoyed very very shallow baths in the big tub on his tummy because he splashes too much for the sinks but he can't sit up well enough for me to be able to hold him AND bath him!

John also enjoyed some bonding time with MaMa!

Then it was off to Nashville, where MaMa got to read to Jessica for the first time! MaMa has been wanting to read to Jessica for a while, but we could never get her to sit still long enough!!!

Both Jessica and her first enjoyed hearing about Patsy Ann!

We also took a trip to the Opryland Hotel that recently reopened and enjoyed a boat ride (with 3 children under 3....yes, we know we are crazy)!

Other highlights from our Nashville portion of the trip include: seeing the Hermitage, Thanksgiving with my dad's family, and attending a Marionette show by the same troop that I saw when I was a little girl that has been performing since 1938! Jessica even sat for half of the performance! The other half of the performance we spent in the art room across the hall coloring and painting! I do wish we had something like that here!

Then it was off to Gatlinburg! If you only have one day, I think the best way to get a good taste of the area is to go to Dollywood. They have rides and fun things to do, great food, cultural shows, and cute shops with artisans! Jessica actually enjoyed riding the carousal!!! Last time she cried the whole time!

A great shot of our friends!

Jessica and her friend riding a duck ride all by themselves!!

Jessica and her friend riding a flying bee ride all by themselves! (Thankfully they did not stand up until the ride mostly stopped!)

And a classic Jessica shot! (And yes, the ride was still moving.)

We had a great time but are glad to be home! Right now I am busy trying to finish getting everything ready for Christmas and another trip to Tennessee for the holidays!

Homemade Baby Food

2010-11-15T18:00:00.004-06:00

I made all of Jessica's baby food when she was little, and now that John is 6 months old (or will be in a few days), I am making baby food again. I have five reasons for doing this: 1) I make most of our food from scratch so why wouldn't I make the baby's food from scratch? 2) It is cheaper to puree up a bit of our dinner before adding the seasonings than buying a jar of baby food. 3) I know what's in it! 4) I have learned a lot about how to cook different types of vegetables that I don't typically use! 5)I have heard some people report that children are more likely to be good eaters if they have been introduced to the huge variety of foods/textures that you can create when you make your own baby food --- I am not entirely certain that is accurate, but Jessica has been an excellent eater, so I am going with it!

I have started both kids out teething on carrot (and sometimes celery) sticks. Jessica went straight to rice mixed with breastmilk and loved it! John was a little uncertain of the texture (I am guessing), so we switched gears and started him on carrots since he was already familiar with the taste. He LOVES it!!! After having a couple successful meals of carrots, then we will try adding the carrots to the rice and see if we can't get past the odd texture! My absolute favorite resource for making baby food is www.wholesomebabyfood.com It has all kinds of information on how to cook all types of vegetables, at what age different foods will be comfortable for baby's sensitive tummy, and even how to make baby cereal! For the most part it has followed very closely to the recommendations I have gotten from pediatricians and nutritionists. On a side note: I do try to make sure I give my babies Poly-Vi-Sol at this age to make sure they are getting enough iron since I do not use the fortified, prepackaged cereals.

John's meals for the next however long it takes him!! :-)

One of the things most people wonder is "Do you need any special equipment to do this?" The answer is no. That being said, I do LOVE my magic bullet, but you don't need anything. You can use a fork or potato masher, which is what I do when I go to a restaurant. We often pack a bowl with a banana and avocado to mash up in the restaurant! You can see in the picture that I have some special baby food freezer containers that my mom bought me. You don't have to have those either. I like having them for the first couple months before they start eating much, but once they start eating more, I just use regular freezer containers! I enjoy cooking tasty, healthy meals for my family, and it is fun for me to be able to provide homemade "first meals" for my little ones!

The Plague

2010-11-08T21:24:00.002-06:00

We have all been stricken with what we believe to be a roto virus. It has been absolutely gross and awful. We are on week two of this. The timing wasn't great because David doesn't have any real time to take off, but we are making it work. I am currently scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing the house to try and scrub out all of the germs! Will return when we have vanquished the roto virus or whatever awful plague has laid siege to our house!!

First

2010-11-02T01:17:00.004-05:00

We've had several new "firsts" at our house over the past week!

John's first taste of homemade rice cereal.

I started Jessica on cereal at 6 months because that is when babies loose the reflex to push things out with their tongues. She took to it like a duck to water! We started John on rice cereal several weeks earlier than Jessica (because he kept trying to grab all of the food off the table) and most of it ended up on the bib! I am sure he will be a pro by next month once that reflex dissipates!

John's first time swinging outside. (It was Jessica's idea!)

Getting a cute picture of Jessica and John at the same time is like trying to herd cats!

John is getting to be such a big boy!!! He will be in a size 12 months before we know it!! He is always very happy...unless he is tired!! He also loves to talk and be talked to! Also he has recently taken an interest in toys! So far his favorites are: the mirror/bug toys on his bouncer seat, the mirror/animal toys on his walker, the toy on the bebe pod, and a Bright Starts Musical Sea Turtle.....we had borrowed one from a friend and he liked it so well that I ordered him one on ebay.....apparently it wasn't very popular because it is not available anymore! Mostly, he likes any toy with eyeballs!!! Unlike Jessica, John seems to have my interests! He loves playing all of the little games my parents used to play with me! He is a very easy baby who loves to snuggle and talk to you! He also has a spectacular laugh and adores his big sister Jessica!!! John, may you always bring as much joy and laughter to others as you bring to our family! We love you baby boy!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T21:13:00.004-05:00

Jessica enjoying the Moon Bounce at Trunk or Treat last night!

Me and the kids all dressed up and ready to go Trick or Treating!

John getting ready to go Trick or Treating for the first time!

Me in the Peter Pan costume my mother made me in high school.....the pants were a little tight.....but I got into them!

Frugal Halloween Goodies?

2010-10-29T14:37:00.006-05:00

Jessica's pumpkin

Our neighborhood is THE neighborhood where everyone else's kids go to Trick or Treat. Depending on the year, we can go through at least 5-6 LARGE bags of candy and that adds up!! Do you have any frugal ideas for Halloween treats? I do not feel comfortable doing homemade goodies because I would not let my kid eat a homemade goodie from someone I don't know. I also do not consider opting out of Trick or Treating to be an option. Not only is that no fun, but we have also been egged in the past!

In other news, isn't my baby girl getting to be such a big girl?!?!? Check out our impromptu photo-shoot in front of the Speech Therapist's office:

And yes, those are those $5 jeans I bought her in a size 4 slim. Although she is currently in a size 3T, the jeans actually fit her because....they have an adjustable waistband!!!! Score!! We are definitely getting our money's worth out of that $5! :-)

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T14:05:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we went with our Neighborhood Preschool Group to a Pumpkin Patch! We had a great time!! Jessica especially loved having all of the space in which to run around!! She also enjoyed all of the many mechanical things there are to be found on a farm!

Jessica with all of her pals in the Sunflower patch!

Hanging out with her buddy, Jackson.

Sweet photo of Jessica in the Sunflower patch!

Then Jessica discovered the goats!

Trying to find just the right pumpkin in the Pumpkin patch....one of many she considered!

The pumpkin we picked out for Mommy to carve.

Best Friends!

Photo Op with all the kids!

Mommy and John

Mommy with both of her babies

Jessica enjoying rocking on the porch.

On our way to enjoy a hayride!

Jessica with her new friend, Melvin the farm hand.

Enjoying our hayride all the way around the farm!

The girls after a tumble in the hay!

All of the kids checking out the peanut plant Melvin pulled to show them!

Jessica trying to decide if her peanut was edible (it was actually too green).

Disembarking from our hayride.

The best part of the trip for Jessica....Melvin let her climb up on the tractor!!!

The perfect end to a perfect day (in Jessica's opinion)!

Tea Dying

2010-10-26T15:38:00.004-05:00

I recently learned that apparently people will pay big bucks to have someone tea dye items for them. This surprised me, as I have tea dyed several different things over the years and found it to be a very simple process! All you do is make some tea....you can even use tea that is already made up, although I wouldn't want to use tea that already had sugar added...too sticky!! Then you submerge the item you want to dye in the tea until it is as dark as you want. You can use tea dying on paper to make an authentic looking treasure map (especially if you burn the edges). You can use it to turn a white fabric to a light tan/khaki color (which comes in handy if you accidentally stain a favorite shirt), or you can use it to make a brand new doily look like an antique, which is what I did!

Before

After

Stay tuned to see what I do next with this doily!

Tour of the South - Part 1

2010-10-25T15:30:00.005-05:00

This past weekend Jessica, John, and I began a series of trips to show some of our good friends some of The South! First up was a trip to Alabama to see the beautiful fall foliage as well as the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. We took a hike on a moderate 1.5 mile trail, but it does not feel like 1.5 miles when you are carrying two children and have not worked out for a while! At the end of our hike we made some new friends and ended up joining them for hamburgers that night! We also got to visit a cave and feed some animals!

The girls all ready to go hiking!

Jessica was a bit timid about hiking in the woods.

Her best friend, on the other hand, was very excited!!

Yup....that's the trail we hiked on with 3 children under the age of 3!

We did get to see several deer!

Me carrying 50 lbs of children/clothing in my not so practical cowboy boots....at least I didn't have to worry about getting any ticks!

After we finally reached our destination of the Country Store!

Our friends at the cave! Jessica was not such a fan.

Going to feed the animals!

Quite a selection of donkeys, emus, and goats!

Jessica's best friend was quite taken with the emus!

Jessica used to love feeding any animal. Currently we are a little uncertain!

The Birmingham Civil Rights Museum was really great. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures inside the museum. If you have never seen it, you should really make a point of visiting sometime. It is beautifully done and centered around remembering the Civil Rights Movement both to bring honor to those who risked everything for what was right and to serve as a reminder so that future instances of injustice may be avoided.

Overall, it was a great trip! We are looking to our next installment of "Tour of the South" and have already started thinking about what we will do differently!

Look What I Made!

2010-10-20T15:30:00.003-05:00

Isn't it beautiful?? It is a 4x4 doiley coaster! It is actually not tatted but crocheted! I have had the pattern sitting around for months thinking it would be hard, but it was really easy!!! I only needed two of the most basic crochet stitches to make this particular pattern. I only made one mistake, and I was able to successfully hide it! Stay tuned to see what I will be doing with it!

Score!

2010-10-19T21:34:00.004-05:00

Usually I hit the outlets every year after Christmas to purchase a few items for Jessica's wardrobe for the coming year. This past year I did not because I was pregnant with John and absolutely exhausted. Recently, I discovered that both of their winter clothing options were a bit lacking, so today I took the kids to JCPenny to spend a $25 giftcard we were given when John was born. Jessica is most decidedly in a size 3T now and at the rate she is growing, she may not stay there long! Typically, Jessica wears her summer dresses with a turtleneck and tights/leggings underneath. If we are going out and about then we add homemade leg warmers, a sweater, and/or coat. I already had 4 turtlenecks in a size 3T that I had ordered online at the end of last year for about $10! So.....drumroll please......I bought an adorable dress for $12, 4 pairs of microfiber white tights, and a $5 pair of jeans (that won't fit till probably next year but they were marked down from $30!). I spent $23, saved $45, and have Jessica completely ready for our mild winters!

Jessica obviously approved!!!

John is not following sizes the way Jessica did. He is already in a size 6-9 mos and will soon be in a size 12 mos!!!! He has several sleepers, a couple cute outfits with jackets, a sleep sack that will serve as outerwear, and a pair of overalls. The only thing I need to get to round him out for our mild winters is some long-sleeved onesies. I am trying to find onesies that match the clothes he already has. I found some online at Carters that would do the trick, but I didn't like the price. Perhaps a trip to a Carters outlet may be in my future... :-) I also need to make him some more booties soon. It's still nice and warm here so I might make a pair of crocheted crocs and then a warmer pair next month!

Need Dinner Ideas

2010-10-18T22:03:00.003-05:00

Most people talk about being tired when they are pregnant, but when I am pregnant, I seem to get dehydrated and land myself in the ER if I so much as get off the couch! (Ok that's a bit of an exaggeration....but not by much!) At any rate, there are times in life (like for an entire year when I was pregnant with John) that you need very quick and easy dinner ideas....and hopefully low mess.....we're talking the "heat and serve" type of dinner here! Short-term you can pack your freezer with casseroles and what not, but when you are talking about an entire year, you really gotta get to know the local grocery store a little better! Unfortunately, I am absolutely spoiled rotten! I grew up eating almost all from scratch cooking, and I actually do not like the taste of most prepackaged foods! Add that my husband is a slightly picky eater and that I have never really had enough prepackaged foods to know what IS good....and we have a problem! So....I need some new ideas....

Here are some of our current favorites:

Shrimp Pasta
Spaghetti (using this homemade sauce mix)
Tombstone Frozen Pizzas (cheap, but still filling and tastes pretty good)
Ravioli (using the same homemade sauce mix)
Country Crock sides (most of the others taste like melted plastic to me)

And that's about it on the quick and easy.....sad I know!

We did a lot of Beef Stroganoff and Chicken Stir Fry for a while, but David got burned out on that. We've also done Audra's Sloppy Joe's when we have buns. We've also done meats with different marinades: barbeque sauce, soy sauce, etc.

What are your favorite quick and easy dinner ideas??? (and remember: preferably low mess and no advanced prep work)

Where We Are At

2010-10-15T14:28:00.005-05:00

Well, it has been several days since my last blog post, and a lot has changed. Jessica is now set up to have an evaluation with an Occupational Therapist next week. Hopefully they will be able to help with some of the attentional/sensory things me and the Speech Therapist have noticed. Our insurance will cover 60% of the evaluation; however, David is switching companies (not jobs, just who pays him) in the near future, so we do not know if any of the Speech or Occupational Therapy will be covered through the new insurance. Therefore, we have had to make some adjustments to our budget. While I love to save money, there are some things I won't go the cheap route on....therapy for my kid is one of them! Hopefully, by addressing some of these things now, Jessica will require fewer supports and will be less behind as she approaches school-aged. I am not really certain what is going on with Jessica, but I don't really have a desire to have a name to call it. I just want to get her whatever help she needs. I was also able to speak with a couple colleagues this week, who all seemed to agree that we were approaching it in a very thorough and practical way. It was really nice to be able to bounce my thoughts off some of them. I have been concerned that as I am Jessica's mommy, I might let my bias keep me from getting her the help she needs. It was also encouraging to hear one of my colleagues (and friend) tell me that she would have made the same choices had she been in my position.

I also have new pictures of the kiddos that I will intersperse throughout the rest of this post for their adoring fans (aka grandparents)!

Jessica and John in their homemade pallet!

I have been reminded this week, why it is so important to have faith. As our preacher put it this week: It is impossible to survive life's storms unless you believe in something greater than yourself. I'll add that without a belief in something greater than yourself, all you get is ulcers and anxiety!!!

Jessica enjoying her Bible School at home!

John joins us sometimes too if he is not too busy sleeping!

I am hopeful that as we enter this new period in our lives full of therapy appointments, doing homework from therapy appointments, and paying for therapy appointments, that I will still have time to occasionally post fun, crafty, yummy, frugal things we've done lately. However I have a feeling that some of those things will get pushed to the backburner for a while.

After a long day in the OR, Jessica enjoys coming home and cooking!

John is getting to be a big boy with a lot to say!! Sometimes David and I have to stop talking because we can't hear each other over him!!!

John LOVES his walker!!

Jessica thought John needed some toys, so she brought him some. (There is a reason I keep all of the choking hazards locked up in a closet and this is it!!!)

Jessica can now work 50 piece puzzles by herself and enjoys taking her cabbage patch doll everywhere! She is getting sooo tall!!! She is rapidly moving into size 3T!!

Jessica and Daddy building a boat from a kit they bought at Lowe's!

David and I have been enjoying free dates in the backyard stargazing after the kids go to bed. I am so glad that we chose to buy this house so we could stargaze from our own backyard with a relatively good view!

Soon, I am getting ready to take John and Jessica to see some of the lovely fall foliage with some friends who are not from The South. This will be our first stop on our "Tour of The South." It should be fun and educational!

I am most definitely raising a little Southern belle!! Look at that pretty dress from Nana and that glass of (decaf) sweet tea!

I am still working on Christmas gifts and having a lot of fun!! Looking forward to some quiet time this evening to sit down and work on them some more!

Jessica and Daddy "bonding" in the backyard over some yard work! My dad always used to say that doing yard work was the perfect time to "bond" with the kids!

Looking forward to a great weekend relaxing with family and friends! Hope you all have a great weekend too!

Not for the Faint-Hearted

2010-10-12T23:39:00.006-05:00

Although we weren't incredibly busy this past weekend, it felt busy. Partly because David was home for 4 days due to the holiday, but part of it was due to the things I was thinking about, namely Jessica's speech therapy. Jessica is a truly amazing kid. We have not had one bit of jealous behavior out of Jessica with the birth of baby John. She is always very sweet and kind, not only to her baby brother, but anyone she is around....well, except for when she doesn't see a kid standing there and accidentally runs over them! She has always been like this.

I remember one time when she was about 20 months old, she saw a special needs baby at the Open Gym we sometimes go play at, and she thought that baby was just the coolest thing and wanted to sit there and play/talk to the baby instead of playing with all of the cool gym equipment. Jessica is typically more interested in things of a mechanical nature rather than of a social nature, so I was particularly surprised by that instance. Having worked as a School Psychologist, I was particularly touched to see how Jessica reacted to a baby that clearly looked different. I know some of that is just natural because while young children are born curious, they are not born prejudice; however, they are also not born knowing appropriate social skills, which is clearly evident in the toddler years!

I think, in some ways, we have been able to enjoy Jessica being a baby for longer than most parents because of her speech delay. It is bittersweet. I am truly treasuring this time that we have with her being the sweet, kindhearted child that she is, and I hope that much of that will remain with her as she grows up. However, it has also been kind of scary. I knew from the time Jessica was a month or two old that we were going to have some challenges at some point with learning. Don't get me wrong, she is an incredibly smart 2 year old. She can solve mechanical problems the average 5 year old can't solve. She can also work 50 piece puzzles. However, we have had to fight tooth and nail for almost every word in her vocabulary.

Many times when people are talking about speech therapy for a young child, they are talking about an articulation problem. Basically they have trouble with some of the sounds. Jessica does not have that problem. We think it could be some kind of Central Auditory Processing problem. It's like she cannot learn things orally. It's incredibly difficult to get her attention. The Speech Therapist's report said that it required maximum effort to get Jessica's attention. Also the way she has been learning language is really, really weird. Even the Speech Therapist thought it was odd. You know how most kids learn lots of nouns first? Well, Jessica started out with some of every part of speech...even articles.

I fully expected for Jessica to have trouble once she entered school with paying attention and anything that required oral learning, but I did not expect learning to talk to be such a struggle for her. A friend of mine, who is a Kindergarten teacher summed it up best: Jessica's first language is math, and it is like she is learning English as a second language. At this point, I don't know where we are going next. All I know is that I need to keep my eyes on the ball and work really hard at home to help emphasize what we are doing in speech and take it one day at a time.

The area we are in has excellent schools; however, support services tend to be more on par with what I was used to in Mississippi. I know (from talking with other professionals in the area) that I am the most qualified person in the area to work with Jessica. Honestly, I have to say in some ways I wouldn't want it any other way. I know myself as a professional and as a parent, and I wouldn't want to give that responsibility to anyone else. However, I also have to say that it is very....intimidating to be the one responsible for working with your own child....especially when I don't recall working with a child in the ADHD-type realm that was this severe.

Parenting is not for the faint-hearted. It will bring any insecurity you have straight to the surface. Now to get some sleep and have a smiling face in the morning.

Christmas on $20: Stocking Stuffers

2010-10-07T17:55:00.003-05:00

I have been busy working on creating (and purchasing a few) items for the kids for Christmas! I am having a great time creating their Christmas, and I think they are really going to like it!! Looks like we are also still on track to spend about $20 on John and Jessica for Christmas.

Recently I purchased 3 Care Bear figures for Jessica on ebay for $6.50 (which is a great deal if you haven't been watching the price of Care Bear figures on ebay)! Jessica loves taking a bag of figures with her when we go places. We already have: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sesame Street, Cars, and Thomas the Tank Engine.

I also made John a "taggie blankie" out of some scrap fabric and ribbon! Most babies seem to love playing with tags!

I think these will be perfect stocking stuffers along with some food items!

Children Learn What They Live

2010-10-06T15:02:00.003-05:00

This poem used to hang in the pediatrician's office where I used to go as a child. I have plans to one day print this up nicely or cross-stitch it and hang it on the wall in my hallway to remind me to be loving, patient, kind, etc to my children, even on days I don't feel like it because how I treat them is how they will learn to treat others. I've copied it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Unfortunately, I think I will have to wait on getting it up on the wall until another day....off to tackle my to-do list!!!

Children Learn What They Live

If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn . . .
If a child lives with hostility, he learns to fight . . .
If a child lives with fear, he learns to be apprehensive . . .
If a child lives with pity, he learns to feel sorry for himself . . .
If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy . . .
If a child lives with jealousy, he learns to feel guilt . . .

BUT

If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient . . .
If a child lives with encouragement, he learns to be confident . . .
If a child lives with praise, he learns to be appreciative . . .
If a child lives with acceptance, he learns to love . . .
If a child lives with honesty, he learns what truth is . . .
If a child lives with fairness, he learns justice . . .
If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith in himself and those about him . .
If a child lives with friendliness, he learns the world is a nice place in which to live . .

WITH WHAT IS YOUR CHILD LIVING?

- Dorothy L. Law

Front Porch Friday

2010-10-01T15:59:00.008-05:00

My hard drive died earlier this week. After two days of trying, my husband was able to get all of the kids' pictures and my documents off of it!! That was a relief since we had not backed up the pictures since before John was born! David ended up ordering a back-up hard drive so that we won't have this happen again! So...that explains why I haven't written anything else this week!

Jessica had her first Speech therapy session today. Her Speech therapist said Jessica is very smart and should be a quick study! Already within the last week she has made a huge amount of progress. Last Friday when she went in for her Speech evaluation, the Speech therapist suggested that we start using American Sign Language with the verbal words to help make it more visual for her. It made a HUGE difference!!! I wish I had started doing that a long time ago!!! We have some homework to work on this week. Hopefully, by doing the homework every week, we will graduate from Speech therapy very quickly....which I am highly motivated to do since we are paying out of pocket!!!

And now both kids are down for a nap....for I don't know how much longer....so I am going to go get a few more things done!

Momma Needs a Big Mac!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-27T12:30:00.003-05:00

Today was John's 4 month check-up. David wasn't able to stay home and go with us so I had to take both kids by myself. We got there at 10, but apparently I had called and changed the appointment to 9 am but hadn't changed it on my card!!! Thankfully they were able to work us in....we had to wait a bit, but we got in! John is growing to be a big big boy!! He is already over 16 lbs! The doctor also said that he thinks John's eyes are ok, but since they still look kind of crossed, we will be taking him to an ophthalmologist at 6 months just to make sure. He also commented on how talkative John is! John is not rolling over at all; however, he is trying to pull up to a sit. It is amazing how different kids are!

The doctor also asked how Jessica's speech was going. I told him that the Speech Pathologist also agreed that she was not "on the spectrum" (although I think a lot of that had to do with what I had told her I thought....since I am the School Psychologist), and he said, "Good. I had actually been a little worried about that." Oy vey! Good thing for Jessica that her mother is a School Psychologist; otherwise, I think she would have been diagnosed as being "on the spectrum" by now. They give those diagnoses out like candy these days!!!!!! More on that later. I digress....

John got two shots, and we went out to the waiting room to pay. I turned around, and Jessica was standing there stark NAKED!!!!!!!!!!!!! Then she started yelling, "Pee Pee, Pee Pee!!!!" so I grabbed her and ran down the hall to the bathroom (with her still stark naked....the people in the hallway found it very hilarious.....thankfully the waiting room was empty)! Then we went back, cleaned up the mess, changed her clothes, and got me a flu shot!!!! Let me just say that was one of the most.....interesting......doctor's visit!!!!!!!!

Bible School

2010-09-23T14:20:00.002-05:00

Like most parents there are things we feel it is important for our children to learn before they leave home. Things like: how to cook, how to do laundry, basic sewing skills, how to use a gun, how to defend yourself, how to drive a car, how to fix a car, how to fix a computer, how to manage money, how to clean, a good academic foundation, etc. We also think it is important to have a firm grasp of both the Constitution and the Bible. The Constitution is the guiding document for how we live in this country, and the Bible is the guiding document for how we live in general.

We have really enjoyed our one-day a week Preschool! I have been meaning to add a Bible component at some point, and I finally did it this week! Jessica, John, and I had a lot of fun doing it!! We are using some church nursery curriculum that my mom wrote on the Creation in conjunction with some hands-on activities and crafts. I plan to continue using nursery curriculum and focusing on what God made until Jessica is ready to move on to doing a different story every week using storybooks, videos, felts, puppets, etc. I used to love writing Sunday School curriculum, so I am having a blast with this!! I don't know who is having more fun....me or Jessica!!!!!

Parenting

2010-09-22T15:34:00.005-05:00

We think that as parents, we are defined by our parenting style: baby wearing vs. travel system, disposable vs. cloth diapers, breast-fed vs. formula-fed, stay-at-home vs. working mother, homemade vs. store-bought baby food, time-out vs. spanking, limited vs. unlimited tv, scheduled vs. unscheduled, public vs. private vs. homeschooled, etc. I could go on all day...BUT what truly defines us as parents is whether or not we love our children and let that love guide our actions. You can read all kinds of arguments about why this parenting method is better than that parenting method, but in reality, we will ALL make mistakes. What truly matters is that we love our children and do the best we can to let our love guide our actions. As a child, you can't ask for better...there are plenty of children out there whose parents do not love them and treat them quite badly. Arguments and posturing over parenting styles and such just serves to build some people up by tearing other people down. Parents are hard enough on themselves without the "help" of others. Perhaps instead it is better to be thankful for parents that love their children.

Christmas on $20: Part 1

2010-09-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

Christmas is a mostly homemade affair at our house: 1) to save money but 2) we enjoy it! The real trick is in the planning. If I give myself enough time to plan and create our children's gifts, then (I think) their Christmas looks every bit as good as those of their friends (except much cheaper)! This year it looks like our total cost for Jessica and John will be $20 (maybe a bit more if David needs more wood).

First up: Jessica's American Girl-Styled Doll for $10. Jessica has been fascinated with dolls that have hair (all of hers are bald). I wanted to get her a doll about the size of the American Girl Dolls because they are so easy to find clothes patterns for, but I did NOT want to spend $95! The Springfield Doll carried by Michaels was perfect at the 50% off price of $10! It is not nearly the quality of the American Girl Doll, but it will be perfect for an almost 3 year old! If at some point we want a better quality doll, we might consider the My Generation Doll carried by Target. It retails for $35 and is supposedly a little better quality than the Springfield Doll.

Next up: John's Shakable Containers for $0. A friend of mine made some similar to these when her little girl was about 6 months old. Both her daughter and Jessica loved them! I used empty cranberry juice bottles and...

things I found in the kitchen: rock salt, oatmeal, beans, and rice,...

things I found in the craft closet: bells, sand, and star and moon confetti,...

colored water with beads, confetti, sequins, etc,...

and oil and oil & colored water!

See? It kind of looks like the surface of a lake!

Since some of these items are choking hazards, I used my husband's epoxy to secure the lids. There is no way the kids can get in those containers, unless they get access to a knife!! My friend suggested coming up with a container to keep them in. What do you think? Do you think I need a container? If so what kind of container would you suggest? I do not plan to leave these out around the house....just in case Jessica finds a knife and manages to open the containers.....it shouldn't be possible, but you can never let your guard down with Jessica around!

Pictures from Our Trip

2010-09-15T15:56:00.008-05:00

So, the family (aka my sister, Kim) has informed me that they would like to see pictures from our trip. I have posted a few below; however, some of the pictures are on our dads' cameras so I don't have a picture of everyone. I need to get copies when we go up at Christmas. Enjoy!

Jessica hanging out with Aunt Katie.

Jessica and Mommy jumping in the pool on the last day we were there (she was not so sure about the pool the first day and still is afraid of the water).

Playing in the pool with the family (again the last day we were there).

Jessica hanging (literally) out with Uncle Adam

....and Uncle John.

Proof that David was there.

John talking to Grandma Beth.

Best picture yet of me and John.

Jessica and Uncle Scott playing Ninja Turtles!

Uncle Scott taking a break to hold baby John.

My mom's side of the family meets baby John.

Jessica's accommodations for the trip.....the only place I felt was safe enough.....a walk-in closet!

Jessica cooking with "Aunt" Susie.

Jessica causing mayhem and mischief with Aunt Ashley.

Jessica causing mayhem and mischief with Aunt Kim.

"Aunt" Susie with baby John.

John meeting my dad's side of the family.

Aunt Kim making baby John laugh!

Aunt Ashley making baby John laugh!

Meeting the great-grandparents.

Jessica in the pool the first day -- My thought was that if I let her explore the pool in her own way and did not pull out her swimsuit maybe....just maybe she would get over her fear of water. Well, it didn't work. She is still terrified even though she remembers how to swim so I am just biting the bullet and signing her up for a private swimming lesson this winter because I don't think my nerves can take making her swim....

Overall, a wonderful trip!! My apologies for not getting pictures of everyone!

Tutorial Coming Soon!

2010-09-13T17:14:00.005-05:00

Front view

A few weeks ago I made John an adorable "chappy hat," otherwise known as a newsboy cap, for when he went to meet the family. My siblings and cousins (on my dad's side of the family) like to wear them to go get coffee and talk the entire time in a British accent.....in case you couldn't tell, that side of the family tree grows straight up! Once I perfect the design with a second cap, I will post a tutorial. I think he is going to rock the little old man look this winter with his bald head!!! Definitely a better look for a baby boy than the ever popular preppy or skater look!

Side view

I love playing Santa Claus!!!!

2010-09-12T00:17:00.005-05:00

I am a big kid at heart....that's why I had to become a School Psychologist....I couldn't work at a job where I didn't get to play or act up all day! ;-) I have been thinking about Christmas for a while now, but I have finally finalized my Christmas plans for the kiddos....and I am sooo excited that I am about to BURST!!!!! (and I already told several people!!!)

Christmas at our house is predominately homemade. We started doing this for several reasons. First and foremost we did it to save money, but we also enjoy doing it. I remember my parents making gifts for me and my siblings, and I have always treasured those gifts the most because my parents took the time to make something just for me!

Recently, Jessica seems to be particularly taken with dolls....specifically dolls with hair (since all of hers are bald). So, for Christmas we have decided to build her a small baby doll care center (a changing table type of thing) and get her a doll with hair. I had wanted to get her an American Girl style doll because you can easily find patterns for making clothes, but I did not want to spend that much money. Well, tonight I found some knock-off American girl dolls online!! Michaels actually carries the Springfield dolls for $20. I also found a 50% off coupon!!! So tomorrow I am going to Michaels to buy Jessica a $10 American Girl styled doll!!!! (I am just a wee bit excited!!!) I am also planning to make Jessica a fury red bathrobe out of my old bathrobe to match the Elmo house shoes my mom bought her for Christmas (My mom starts Christmas shopping early too......it's a disease!)....I may make Jessica's doll a bathrobe too.....we'll see. Other than that I am planning to make her a quiet book (because John is getting one and she will want one too) and fill her stocking with fruit and perhaps a Little People item off ebay.

John is getting a set of shakable containers filled with things like rice, bells, beans, colored water, etc. He is also getting some soft blocks, a quiet book, and a homemade outfit. His stocking will be stuffed with foods he is eating at that time.

So far everything is homemade except for the doll, the fruit, and possibly a Little People item. I am estimating the kids Christmas to cost us a total of $20 plus any wood David needs for the baby changing center....hopefully not too much.....we already have the paint, fabric, etc. I'm so excited!!!!!!! I hope I can sleep tonight!!!! Details and pictures to follow!!!!!!

September 11, 2001

2010-09-10T22:38:00.005-05:00

A few short hours from now, it will be the 9th anniversary of September 11th. I have been a mother for a little over 2 years, but this is the first year I have thought about September 11th from the perspective of a mother (I don't know why....it just struck me this year for some reason). This year it occurred to me just how very important it is that I teach my children about September 11th.

On September 11, 2001 I was in college and living at home. That particular semester I was taking Elementary Calculus, which was a big review for me since I had taken Calculus in high school. At any rate, I decided to skip class that morning. I was in the shower listening to the radio (I used to like to sing in the shower before I lived in an apartment where the walls were thin as paper!), when an announcement came on about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. My mom was the only one home at this point, so I yelled down the stairs to tell her what happened. We turned on the TV and watched together as another plane crashed into the Pentagon. Then I had to go to class (because I was not doing well in biology).

The things I remember about that day and the days that followed are the fear for those that were trapped, the sadness for the families that lost loved ones, the tears for all of those hurting, the desire to have those you loved close to you, and the pride in our country and her people. On that day and the days that followed, we put aside trivial matters and focused on the things that mattered most.

The history of the world is blotted with many truly evil deeds: September 11th, Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust,...just to name a few from very recent history. Remembering these events and passing on that remembrance to our children is of up-most importance so that we never forget. You might think it is impossible to forget such dramatic images, but there are those who deny that the holocaust ever happened. When we allow ourselves to forget about the evil in the world, we become oblivious and invite it into our own homes. We must never let our guard down and always stand up for what is right no matter the cost.

You can view some pictures from the Ground Zero Museum at this blog.

I'm Baacckk!!!!

2010-09-07T22:47:00.005-05:00

We just got back tonight from our trip to visit family! It was 9 hours up there and 9.5 hours back. The kids did really well! On the way up we stopped twice, and on the way back we stopped 3 times. We had maybe an hour of fussing total each way. Overall not bad for 18.5 hours in a Firebird with 2 small children! This was our first trip with John. Each time we take our first trip with a new baby, I learn new things that work to sooth them. John enjoys traveling first thing in the morning, having a blanket on him, listening to The Lion King, talking to toys with eyeballs, and sleeping with a burp cloth on his face. When Jessica was a baby, she liked traveling when it was light outside, listening to lullabies or ocean sounds, looking at pictures stuck on the backseat, and sucking on different shaped pacifiers. I mentioned earlier that we do not have a dvd player in the car. Yet again, Jessica amazed us with her creativity!!

How she looked for most of the trip up there! John was not crying. She just wanted to wear her earmuffs!

The yo-yo toy makes a great earring!

Yet something else you can do with a slinky...

We took lots of pictures and had a great time!! It was really nice to be able to stay so long. We were actually able to enjoy being there instead of running around like chickens with our heads cut off trying to cram everything we want to do in a short period of time! (However, it may take me a week or two to get our house back in order!!) More to come later.....now off to my own bed!!!

(Hopefully) The Beginning of a Beautiful Relationship

2010-08-25T21:57:00.002-05:00

Disclaimer: Jessica is not hitting John. She is actually patting him on the head!

I'm Going on a Trip, and I'm Going to Take....

2010-08-24T18:47:00.003-05:00

Remember playing that game as a kid? Where you take something that begins with every letter of the alphabet, and you have to remember all of them at the end? Well, I don't think we are going to be able to pack quite that much in our Firebird! We will take: clothes for 4 people (adults get 5 full outfits, kids get 10), MANY cloth diapers, a camera, tools (to fix the car...just in case), multiple carriers for the kids, the netbook, and that's it! My mom already has some space set up for the kids to sleep, and we will not bother with any gear. When Jessica was a baby, I would also take a pack-n-play because you had to lay her down and leave the room or she would not sleep. John I could lay down on a towel to sleep, but since Mom eventually bought a pack-n-play for Jessica, John can just use that. Jessica has some special accommodations set up just for her! More on that later!

Keeping Kids Entertained in the Car

2010-08-24T18:45:00.005-05:00

Let me just start out by saying, "We don't have a dvd player in the car." There I said it. Maybe some day we will get one. Perhaps I will even find it a necessity for traveling with a later born child. However, for Jessica it is generally not necessary. Actually, I am kind of glad that we don't have to have a dvd player for her because otherwise we would not get to experience moments like this:

Note the Potato Head ear in her ear!

I really do enjoy the quality time with the kids and the creative ways she finds to keep herself occupied! So, what do we generally do to entertain ourselves for 9 hours (one way) in the car? I always pack a bag of toys for Jessica. Usually these are not noisy electronic toys, and I make an effort to choose toys that she has not seen in a while. Occasionally I will also buy or pull out a "new" toy. We also eat snacks and listen to cds or the radio. Here lately I also include some craft supplies (not crayons, markers, glue, scissors, glitter, etc). This time I plan to include a magnetic paper doll set and an old Gameboy color, both things she has never seen before. I will also include some stickers and Color Wonder markers as well as some soft toys that she might enjoy (I am trying to make sure there is nothing that could hurt John if she throws it)! John will get a picture taped to the backseat to look at as well as a few toys hung on his carseat. Once we get where we are going, the toys are immediately put up until the trip back so they are still novel then. But, the real trick (at least with Jessica....we'll see what John thinks about it) is to drive for about 4 hours, stop for a nice long lunch, hop back in the car, and don't stop until we get where we are going. If we stop more than once, Jessica throws a huge fit about getting back in the car and seems to start "melting."

Road Trips: Packing the Front Seat

2010-08-24T18:44:00.006-05:00

As there is a limited amount of space in the front seat of our Firebird, there are only a few travel essentials allowed up front: snacks, music, a small diaper bag, and the mending (or sometimes a stack of bills that I pay by phone using my cell phone -- hey! Every minute counts!)

Protein: Hummus, Veggies: Carrots and Celery, Fruit: Grapes, Dairy: Cheese, and Grain: Flat Bread -- All low mess, easy to pass out, and low prep. I'll pack a plastic knife to spread hummus on the bread. Everything else will be pre-cut.

I try to pack well-balanced, healthy snacks since when you travel you are more likely to do more eating out or at the very least eat differently from what you are used to. You will notice that drinks were not on the list. My mom worked for a doctor before I was born that had 4 children. He said to always pack grapes instead of drinks so the kids are less inclined to have to go to the bathroom. Words of wisdom from someone who obviously knows! All of this goes into a small ice chest. I am also planning to pack John a bottle this time. Usually we just stop to feed the baby, but sometimes he gets pretty exercised so I thought it would be nice to have a bottle to try if he starts fussing (since there is absolutely NO WHERE to stop for at least an hour and a half at points -- No, seriously, you know it is bad when you get excited about the gas station that is an hour and a half away -- The Buckatunna gas station actually really does have nice bathrooms -- Yup that's where we are going with two small children....the absolute middle of no where!!!! I think we will actually be eating lunch in that gas station.) I digress...

Music-wise, we usually pack a selection of children's cds -- most especially a cd of ocean sounds and a lullaby cd. This proved to be a necessity when traveling with Jessica as a baby. We also pack an iPod that we can play through the radio because for at least an hour of the trip we can only pick up maybe 4 channels (and that's on fm AND am)! Oftentimes we will listen to Christian music and podcasts. I think this time we will hear a lot of Big Big House by Audio Adrenaline. Jessica LOVES to sing along with Mommy... "big, big, big, big,..."

The small diaper bag contains one cloth diaper, a blanket, a change of cloths for Jessica (since she is potty training), a plastic baggie (for soiled items), a small container of wipes, powder, and a pacifier. This bag can be refilled as needed by digging things out of the trunk, but I have found it very useful to have a small bag ready to go in case we need to make an emergency stop!

The mending I plan to get done this time includes: finishing embroidering John's name on his diaper bag and finishing altering one of Jessica's dresses from last year. Thankfully, I won't have any bills to pay this trip! :-)

Me and My Car

2010-08-24T12:27:00.004-05:00

This is my car. I have had it since I was 17 years old. While I was in college, I once took a weekend trip with three friends and all of our stuff in this car. Together me and my car have traveled almost all of Interstate 40 (except for a little bit of California and North Carolina).

David took this picture of my car when we were in Nevada.

Today, my car routinely has 2 car seats in the backseat. In the very near future, I will be packing up my car for our first family road trip since we got pregnant with John. Packing up the family and all of our gear into our little Firebird is always a bit of an extravaganza. However, there are some benefits: 1) It's paid for! 2) I can reach every person in my car from any seat! and 3) The Firebird gets close to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Stay tuned to hear how we take 2 children on a 9 hour (one way) car trip in a Firebird! :-)

Dear, where are the bungee cords?

2010-08-22T21:47:00.002-05:00

I called my husband at work Friday to ask him where the bungee cords were.....so I could secure this...

my very own redneck dryer, I mean inside laundry line made of cotton yarn and attached to the wall with bungee cords. I have been trying to get back in the habit of line drying all of our clothes because our electric bill has gone through the roof since John was born. Some of it is the air conditioning, which I can't do anything about because of the kids' heat rashes. I think a lot of it is the dryer though because it vents through the roof, which makes it terribly inefficient. I have to dry loads for at least 2 full cycles! There is a special fan we could get, but I am kind of on the fence about it at the moment and would like to see how much we might potentially save with the fan versus line drying. So, I have been line drying all this month with the exception of two cycles; however, due to all of the tropical storms and intense humidity this has proven to be quite difficult. It is a sad day indeed when you hang wet clothes out to dry and they won't dry because it is too humid!!!!

Mini Me?

2010-08-20T13:35:00.004-05:00

Jessica started out looking like a carbon copy of David. As she has gotten older, she has begun to sprout a few features from my side of the family, most notably my dad's big blue eyes. At first everyone thought John looked just like David as well; however, after the first few weeks, we couldn't figure out who he looked like!

Here are some pictures of David as a baby.

Here are some pictures of me as a baby.

Here are some pictures of Jessica as a baby.

And here are some pictures of John.

What do you think?

Finally!!!!

2010-08-20T11:18:00.004-05:00

Last night I was finally able to do some sewing while Jessica played in the office without getting into too much!!! Usually I have to wait until both children are sleeping (and I don't have anything else pressing) to do the mending. BUT last night, I repaired two diaper soakers, one pair of my pants, finished a baby doll diaper, got half way finished with another car seat swaddling blanket for John,

repaired a dress for Jessica that my mother made for me when I was 4 years old

and turned a pair of worn flannel pajamas into soft short sleeved and capri pajamas!

Aren't you impressed? Now I only have 2 dresses to alter for Jessica and the carseat swaddling blanket left in my mending basket. Perhaps it is time to go find some of those other projects that have been put on hold recently... :-) It was really nice to be able to get a little sewing done while enjoying having my little girl under foot!! I am truly enjoying the 2.5 year old stage!!

More Photos!!

2010-08-18T23:23:00.006-05:00

We had a nice relaxing weekend with my parents, my sister, Katie, and my brother, John! They stayed in a nice little condo on the beach about a mile from our house, and we went to visit them during the day! Most of the photos are on my parents' computer, but here are a few!!

Jessica enjoying the view from the balcony.

Aunt Katie got in some quality time with Jessica before we come to Memphis and she has competition!!

Jessica hanging out with one of her favorite people: Pa Pa. All weekend long all I heard was "Pa Pa, Pa Pa, Pa Pa...." You get the idea!

Jessica and Aunt Katie had great fun designing clothes with a special sketch pad Katie bought at the Village Toymaker!

My mom and John getting a little cuddling time in!

Uncle John and Baby John getting some special bonding time in!

Definitely one of my favorite pictures of John

Pa Pa with both of the grandkids!

Jessica went to a Princess Birthday party while the family was in town. She went as Cinderella wearing the costume Pa Pa had picked out for her.

Uncle John and Jessica had a lot of fun together too!

Especially when they pretended to be pirates! ARRRGGGGHHH!!!!!

John decided to wear Jessica's sunglasses.....definitely not his best look!

And finally, an adorable picture of John from a few weeks ago! This was his first time going to the church nursery, and he really enjoyed the lesson!!

Update

2010-08-09T22:56:00.003-05:00

So it's been a while since I was able to post on here. I hope to remedy that situation soon, but in the meantime here is a brief update about what has been going on here.

1) I have had some mild anxiety. It seems to be a reimnent leftover from the melanoma experience. It seems to happen when I have too much caffeine or am not getting enough sleep or am not spending enough quiet time at home. In other words....self-inflicted torture from not taking care of myself. It seems to be much better now.

2) I have been cleaning out closets like a maniac trying to find ways to utilize the space we have best. I am making excellent progress, but I still have a long ways to go. Maybe I can finish that and painting the doors in the back hall by Christmas....maybe....

3) I started consulting with the school I was consulting with last year. It is a really neat school with a great teacher, and I am really enjoying myself. However, we do have a lot of work to do!!

4) I worked at the school today and managed to get myself dehydrated. Felt pretty darn awful tonight, but I seem to be doing much better now!

5) Carseat Swaddling Blanket = Stroke of Genius!!!!!!!!

6) Jessica went to her 10th birthday party Saturday and is apparently invited to her 11th on Saturday! Need to make/get a gift...

7) My parents are coming to visit Thursday night!!!!! Well, actually they aren't coming to visit us exactly....they are coming for a brief summer vacation before school starts back, and they decided to stay close to us so they could also see us!! They are also bringing one of my brothers and one of my sisters!!!!! They won't get to stay long though and will be leaving Saturday night.

8) BUT....we are going to see family for Labor Day!!!!!! We have seen very little family in the past year (pretty much just our parents and a few siblings....although I got to see David's grandmothers he has not).

9) John is a very different child from Jessica. He loves to talk and be talked to. He screams when he is tired not when he is hungry. He is much bigger than Jessica at this age!! He is iffy on whether or not he likes the car....as long as he is swaddled and you are moving it is fine. Red lights are evil! They do both love to be swaddled.

10) Assuming Jessica does not assert an opinion between now and then, I have chosen a theme for her birthday party!!!!! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!!!!!!!! I think it will be adorable!!!!!!! It might throw a few of the little girls that will be invited for a loop, but that's ok. They all seem to like Jessica just fine even if they prefer different kinds of toys. (I did consider a tool party, but I came up with too many fun ideas for a turtles party. Also, since this is probably the last party she will have without expressing an opinion about what she would like, we will do what I want to do!)

Bonus: Guess what my mom found in the attic this week????? My Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Sewer!!!!!!!!! (with figures) We will be picking it up when we visit family for Labor Day!!!!!

What I did with the rest...

2010-08-01T21:54:00.004-05:00

of the helicopter fabric:

Pee-Pee Tepees!!!! Yeah, I know I could just use a rag or be prepared and change the diaper super quick.... But this tutorial was super easy and I had just the right amount of fabric leftover from the Car Seat Swaddle Blanket!

Car Seat Swaddle Blanket Tutorial

2010-07-30T23:02:00.007-05:00

When Jessica was a baby, all problems could be solved by feeding her. Baby John on the other hand, screams anytime he is tired, instead of just going to sleep. Typically, all you have to do is swaddle him, and he will calm down and eventually go to sleep. Unfortunately, that has proven difficult in the car....until now! Introducing: The Car Seat Swaddle Blanket Tutorial!

First you are going to need a piece of material (preferably knit or flannel) approximately 45"x45" is ideal, but I only had 45"x 36" left of my cute helicopter print so I made it work. ;-) Usually when swaddling the kids, I fold the top corner down, but in this case I cut it off.

Next, I lined the corner I cut off up under the shoulder straps.

Then I cut a slit large enough for the buckle to easily slip through.

Then about halfway between the corners on each side, I cut a slit going all the way to the lower part of the shoulder harness. This way the top piece could slip through the shoulder harness.

Finally, serge or hem all edges. And "Ta-Da!" A pretty cranky baby becomes much calmer almost instantly!

I will probably leave this blanket in the car seat at all times. To keep the blanket in place, put the infant head support over the blanket. I think we are really going to enjoy this Car Seat Swaddle Blanket when we take the kids on a 9 hour car trip to visit family in a few weeks!!

Glassware

2010-07-29T16:21:00.005-05:00

After me and my siblings broke a significant number of Mom's glassware, she switched over to Mason Jars because 1) They were less inclined to break when we dropped them 2) They are more difficult to tip over at the dinner table and 3) You can frequently find them for pretty cheap...especially if you find them at a yard sale! Slowly but surely, I am loosing more and more of my drinking glasses. Eventually I plan switch completely over to Mason Jars as well. For little ones, I plan to switch over to tall baby food jars! Aren't they cute??? Mini-Mason Jars!!!

One of the things that has been problematic with teaching Jessica to drink out of a glass is that her mouth is too small for many of the glasses. She started using glasses periodically at about 18 months old; however, I may start John out using a glass much earlier. Technically you could hold a glass for your child and completely avoid the sippy cup entirely. However, I must say I enjoy being able to give my kids sippy cups when I don't feel like getting juice stains out of clothes, when we are not at home, or when I would like them to feed themselves so I can do some other things! The only problem is that I don't buy baby food. I make my own. So....I am going to have to find someone to give me some more tall baby food jars.....

One Year

2010-07-27T23:21:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to make note that it has been one year today since we had our miscarriage. It is amazing how much can change in a year. Although the experience is still something that I look on as being difficult, I can now see how the experience has shaped my life in positive ways. I have much to be thankful for today! However, I still believe there is a room in heaven full of rocking chairs for rocking all of the babies that did not get to be rocked here on earth, and I fully intend to park myself there when the time comes! May I never forget just how truly precious and fragile life can be.

Our Week

2010-07-23T17:05:00.017-05:00

This week after getting the house back in order, I was able to get Jessica's pants from last year turned into shorts! Now that she is not wearing diapers the pants fit great in the waist....just a little short....so I took care of that! I still have a few dresses to alter, but there is no immediate rush.

Doesn't she look adorable??

Speaking of potty training Jessica is doing really well!!! The only accidents we are having are at night. Usually I think she just forgets when she wakes up that she is in training pants. I have to admit I am very surprised at how well she is doing since I didn't have anything to do with this next step on the road to potty training! She is incredibly independent!! Speaking of which, she decided that she wanted to cook the other night while David and I both thought the other one was watching her. So instead of cooking at her play kitchen, she goes into the fridge, pulls out the eggs, and starts cracking them and scrambling them....on the kitchen floor!!!!!! All of the bowls and pans were behind locked cabinet doors.) What Jessica lacks in speaking, she makes up for in "self-help" skills!
We also did our grocery shopping for the next week and a half, only spent $78, and it only took about an hour! I felt pretty good about that! I did purchase a few non-whole food items (spaghetti noodles, tomato sauce, cheese, and bread), but I have planned a lot of meals from scratch for the next week and a half! Cooking from scratch makes me happy! By the way, this is what Jessica wore to the grocery store.

Isn't she cute?

I couldn't pick just one picture!

The boots came from a friend down the street.

She obviously likes them!

Our friends down the street also gave John this cute costume!

They also gave Jessica this costume for her birthday! I was going to make the kids' costumes for Halloween this year, but these are just too cute not to use!!!

She obviously likes it too!

Jessica and John are best buds! Here she is giving John a kiss!

Jessica really enjoyed pushing John around in the baby doll stroller this week.....he was a little uncertain about the experience...

She is also becoming an avid baby wearer! (Gotta teach 'em young!) Here she is with her baby in the Mei Tai that I made her!

Tomorrow Jessica is attending her 9th birthday party! I am still not sure how she is so popular when her parents are so introverted! This is a picture of the baby doll diaper bag I made for her little friend.

The rest of the weekend will be filled with organizing Jessica's closet more efficiently so she can get to her toys without them falling on her.... And Monday...a doctor's appointment for John! And since John got the short end of the stick this week, here's one more picture of him!

My big 2 month old baby boy!! Real men wear pink....at least to bed at night so he doesn't have to wear a pink diaper to church!

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

2010-07-16T15:23:00.019-05:00

We've had a lot of changes happening at our house this week...

Jessica cut her own hair and will be wearing an up doo until it grows out! (The right side of her head has some very short layers in it.) Looks like I am going to have to get better at doing little girl hair...

Jessica also learned that she can climb furniture to obtain desired items. We had to turn the chest in her room around backwards and move out the desk. We also moved all of the stuff off the kitchen counters and put locks on the upper cabinets so that she can help me cook!

Jessica also learned to shoot her mother with the spray nozzle on the kitchen sink!

She has excellent aim....

John is getting cuter by the day!

This week we went out to eat a couple days, but I managed to get this accomplished:

This was the coat closet by the front door. It is now the closet that I will be storing the kids' games, movies, art supplies, preschool supplies, sand/water table supplies, and my scrapbooking supplies! I am finding new way to maximize our storage space!

Aren't you impressed?? Today the closet, tomorrow the world!!!!

We also took Jessica to the doctor this week. We decided to go ahead and see a speech therapist just to give her a little bit of help. She has already started communicating even more this week, but we figure a little extra help won't hurt! Jessica's latest new word is "Gosh!" She says it any time she has an accident, and sometimes when John is getting a diaper change or she is going to the potty. How did she make that association? David always says that when we are changing a particularly awful diaper!
I was very pleased to hear that one of David's relatives is a Speech Pathologist and said that it is quite common for 2.5 year olds to not be talking much yet! I will say though that it will be a little easier when she does start communicating better. People say all the time, "No it won't because then you won't be able to get them to shut-up." However, if you have ever had a somewhat non-verbal child throw tantrums when they can't explain to you what they want/need (which is exponentially more challenging as they get bigger), then you know just how challenging and frustrating it can be.....not to mention having to use creative methods to potty train, manage behavior, and do just about everything! I have a new respect for parents whose children remain mostly non-verbal their entire lives!

This week Jessica threw a tantrum as we were leaving the locker room at the pool. It took me a while to catch on, but I eventually realized that although she runs around naked at the house all the time, she did not want to leave the locker room in just a diaper! I wonder where she picked up this modest streak from...
Jessica also REFUSED to wear a diaper when we went out last night and to bed....definitely not bothered in the least by the new baby.....definitely not regressing!!!
So I have been busy making more of these fleece shorties to go over her training pants to give us a few extra seconds to find a bathroom!!! She has really been doing great! She didn't wake up last night to go to the bathroom, and only had a small accident when she woke up and was not completely conscious!!
Jessica has also enjoyed assessorizing this week with necklaces especially (you can see one that used to belong to Aunt Kim in the picture where she is wearing the denim dress), but here are a couple pictures of her at Sunday lunch a couple weeks ago trying on a friend's hat with her cool fish sunglasses!

And one of John from another Sunday lunch...

Next, I plan to get busy finishing some dresses for Jessica as she is very quickly out growing some of her dresses! Now David and I are both taking a deep breath in front of the computer hoping that we don't have to get used to too many more changes next week! We've had enough to last for a while!!

Grocery Shopping, Concerned Strangers, and No Naps....Oh My!

2010-07-09T00:12:00.005-05:00

Today was grocery day. It started out so well....I got everything I needed for $55.94, saved $9.04, and only bought whole foods for some yummy from scratch cooking (including shrimp one night and steak another!!!). I finished my shopping in less than an hour with both kiddos. I did conclude that next week I should start going to two different stores again (on two different days) so I can get certain types of items for a better price.

It was what happened while I was grocery shopping that bugged me. A woman in the grocery store saw me wearing John in the Moby Wrap and was very concerned that I was smothering him. I tried to explain that he was perfectly safe, but she didn't seem to be listening and eventually walked off. This has happened before about the same thing! I had the kids at an outdoor festival, and John was in the black swim wrap because it is very thin and breathable. Two ladies standing maybe 3 feet away from me were staring and pointing at me with obvious concern that I was smothering him or that he would get heat stroke. I have also had concerned strangers look at Jessica strangely when she doesn't talk to them. I have to admit I find it rather annoying and upsetting to hear/see strangers "concerned" about what I am doing as a parent. Parenting is hard enough without random strangers being critical of what you are doing! Maybe I need some sort of sign or t-shirt....

Finally this afternoon neither of the kids really napped. John took some cat naps, but I was really hoping for a little time away from everyone to decompress! On the brightside Jessica has started giving herself reading time when she doesn't nap....but I am still nervous that she will come up with something destructive to do that I haven't thought of as long as she is awake!

By Popular Demand....More Pictures!

2010-07-07T22:22:00.004-05:00

I have a lot of relatives who keep telling me I need to post more pictures! So to appease our adoring fans.....here they are from our weekend with David's parents!

David asked his dad to bring down his electric trains. His dad also brought some track down. Jessica thought it was absolutely fabulous!!!!

She is completely glued!!!

When Daddy was trying to fix some of the trains, Jessica decided to help of course!

What David's mother spent a good portion of the weekend doing since John did not want to be put down!

What we all spent our evenings doing. Sitting with Jessica watching the first half of Cars! It is one of her new favorite movies!

Our first family photo....I know....I don't know why we didn't get one earlier either!!!!

John cried all weekend. Towards the end of the weekend David's mother suggested that John was over eating and giving himself a tummy ache! Once he started using a pacifier instead of eating all the time, he became a much happier baby and a much better sleeper!!! Who knew overeating was not a learned behavior!?!?!

Father of the Year Strikes Again

2010-07-06T23:29:00.006-05:00

David has become quite the pro when it comes to being a daddy....in my humble opinion! However, occasionally he will do something that causes all of the other moms I know to hail him as Super Dad!! Such as when he rescued Jessica from a falling sheet of plywood (while holding a friends expensive camera)! This weekend he did it again!

He was carrying John while walking down the concrete steps at the front of our church and missed the last step. He fell straight forward, hit his knees, rolled to his shoulder, while holding John up in the air. Miraculously John survived the fall unscathed and actually didn't even wake up. David's poor knees on the other hand are still rather tender! Way to take one for the team Dad!

Grocery Day!

2010-07-01T00:10:00.006-05:00

Today was my first grocery shopping trip since having John in which I am trying to cook almost completely from scratch and stick to our budget (if not under cut our budget)! Cooking from scratch to me means using only whole foods (carrots, potatoes, milk, chicken, etc). Most of the time I get them as fresh and unprocessed as possible; however, this time I did purchase a few frozen veggies and pre-cut chicken pieces as well as a couple pre-packaged items for convenience while we have friends and family in town. Our budget has waffled between $100 and $400 a month for all household expenses depending on our economic and medical situation. Currently, it is on the books at $300, but I frequently under cut that and can do it on $200 a month.

Thoughts on my grocery trip: I usually go to two different stores, but since I had both of the kids with me, I only went to Publix because 1) They had about half of the items I needed on sale. 2) They have much better looking produce than the local Wal-mart. and 3) As a mom taking 2 kids to the grocery I appreciate getting help out to the car and free cookies in the deli! On the whole it was a very pleasant shopping experience, and I finished in less than an hour!! I was a little disappointed with the amount I spent: $101.93. (I did save $21) However, considering we will have friends and family over this week and will need more food and a little more convenience (and I didn't get to plant a garden this spring), I really did pretty well! Next week though I am hoping for a much lower bill and even more from scratch cooking (although most people wouldn't consider what I bought this week to be convenience food). Everyone in our house is happy to see that my energy has returned with the birth of baby John and with it the return of the healthy, from scratch, home cookin' we all like so much!!

Reflections

2010-06-29T21:26:00.004-05:00

The other night (when I was up in the middle of the night feeding John) I read an article in a Reader's Digest a friend had passed on to me. The article was called The Cheapest People in America. I know there are many people in America that are cheaper than me; however, apparently I have crossed some kind of threshold when I impress my mother and my grandmother (the queen of all things frugal -- no seriously). At any rate, my curiosity was peaked!

"Tightwads feel guilty spending money. Frugal folk have fun saving." I think I fall into the second camp. I enjoy seeing how much we can save so that we have the funds to pay down debt, have me stay home with our children, purchase books and tools with which to learn new things, enjoy social outings with friends, etc. You will never make enough money to buy everything you want, but if you are careful with your money, you can have what you really want most. Even when we were making very little, we were always able to scrap together enough money to occasionally buy some books!

"The secret about cheap people: They aren't necessarily cheap on all fronts. Some spring for educations or vacations, or they are generous with others if not with themselves." We tend to spring for things that are important to us. Being debt free and having me stay home with our children are two things that have been important to us since we got out of school. Having some discretionary funds for learning and social outings has been important to us as a family since we got married. We both highly value education (and not just book learning), and we both tend to be somewhat introverted, so we try to attend social gatherings that we both find comfortable (like going out to eat with friends).

The last thing that I found particularly noteworthy is how completely immoral some people are! It's one thing if you get a good deal on a purchase, but it is another thing to lie so that you can have something for free! For example, there are apparently lots of people who keep a McDonald's coffee cup in their car so they can get free refills even though it is supposed to be per visit! Some people empty out condiments to take home from restaurants (Now I do save our leftover napkins and condiments, but only the ones we did not end up using that will be thrown away after we leave!) The article also mentioned a man who would come back into the movie theater holding his glasses and saying, "I found them" so that he could get into the movie free!! That's just cheating!

Marriage counselors will tell you that the top 3 biggest problems in marriages are money, extended family, and sex. A psychologist quoted in the article said that "Couples often drive each other crazy when they're Jack Sprattish in terms of spending." David and I both like to save money; however, we tend to have differing ideas on how much to save versus how much to spend. I tend to want to save everything, and David wants to occasionally enjoy some of the money he has made. However, finances has never been a problem area for us. We both see the value of each other's perspective and try to find a happy balance. ...It also helps that I could never tell him not to buy something he wants.....I might give him a list of reasons that it might not be the best choice, but I would be hard pressed to deny him something he wants.....I am weak like that! ;-)

Things I Learned This Week Part 2

2010-06-24T10:49:00.007-05:00

A few things I learned this week along with some pictures of my cute kids! :-)

1. Naps make a big difference for everyone! The kids are happier, and I get to rest and get a few things done!! Right now both kids are taking 3 hour naps at about the same time in the afternoon. I am in heaven!

Daddy and John catching a cat nap together!

2. I am going to start using my cast iron and stoneware more for the simple reason: you don't wash it!! Anyway I can buy myself some extra time is well worth it!

Obviously a tummy sleeper!!

3. I am in love with the Gypsy Mama Water Wrap!!! I have been using it when I get in the pool with John because it leaves me with both arms free for Jessica (it is also great in very hot and humid climates for regular everyday use)! By the way, she seems to be remembering more and more of what she learned last year in swimming lessons! Also, John is a huge fan of the swimming pool!!

4. I now carry two sets of keys on me at all times so I can start the car (and consequently the air conditioning) before getting everyone loaded into the car! Also, it is less likely that I will lock myself out of the car, WHICH I might add....I have NOT done since I had kids!

How we found Jessica one night when we went to check on her!!

5. We just met our deductible on our new health insurance (as of April) only to find out that we will have a new health insurance probably by next month due to changes in David's job.....grrrrrrr!!

6. I took the kids for their first ride together in the double stroller, and they were both happy as larks!! When it cools off this fall, I think we will be taking a walk every day!!!!! I highly recommend the Kolcraft Contours Double Stroller!!!

John has been holding his head up like this for a couple weeks now!

7. I really am getting the hang of being a mom with 2 kids!!! I am feeling much more comfortable getting out with two of them by myself!

Things I Learned This Week

2010-06-19T11:22:00.008-05:00

David was out of town this week so I had a 2 and a half year old and a 3 week old all by myself. I obviously had no time for blogging!! It feels very good to be blogging again! I really enjoy writing and don't have the opportunity to do much of it in my new career as Stay-at-Home-Mom! At any rate, I survived the week just fine. The worst part was that Jessica screamed herself to sleep the first few nights because she missed Daddy. By the last day though, I had things running like a well oiled machine! Thursday morning I got up at 8:10, got a shower, packed a bag for the day, got both kids up, ready, and out the door, and drove 30 minutes to the next town all by 9:15! I also took the kids swimming that day! I was rather proud of myself! Having been thrown in the "Mom of two kids" deep end of the pool rather quickly with David traveling, I learned several important lessons this week:

1. If you want a homemade breakfast (and potentially lunch/dinner) you need to do the prep work the night before! From now on I will make our smoothies the night before so I can just pour them in the morning!!

2. I used to keep track of our finances by hand, but I have concluded that I now have less time at less than regular intervals and less brain cells with which to think. Therefore, I have started using a free Linux financial planning program.

3. I am really enjoying using my Bumgenius diapers since they fit both of my kids! However, if I really want to cut the electric bill, then I should do a load of wash every morning so I can hang them out on the line during nap time.

4. Any outing with children will not be quick or efficient. It is an adventure, a journey, etc. Be prepared to change your plans in an instant and remember to pack accordingly: be prepared for every contingency while traveling as light as possible!!

5. How calm and pleasant your house is each day is largely up to how you choose to approach each situation. You cannot control most things that will happen during the day. You are just along for the ride, so you might as well as make the most of it and enjoy the ride!

Update

2010-06-10T22:49:00.003-05:00

Well, it has been three weeks since John was born. So far...

Eating: He is becoming quite the pro,and my milk seems to have settled out (that is a blessed relief!!!) He is also a great burper (and seems to have a fair amount of gas)!

Diapering: He had been screaming bloody murder anytime we laid him on his back, and although he still doesn't like being on his back, we did figure out some of it was a diaper rash! It appears to be heat related like Jessica's was as a baby. We had him in Huggies Pure and Natural because the cloth diaper covers I bought didn't fit. Thankfully the Bumgenius One Size started fitting once the cord came off!

Sleep: This has been a real challenge until recently when I discovered that although he would only sleep about 2 hours at a time on his back, in a bouncer, in a swing, etc he WILL sleep at least 4.5 hours at a time if he is on his tummy! Yes, I know you aren't supposed to do that, but I can't survive on 2 hours of sleep at a time! I have been very careful to only put him down on a firm surface with only a burp cloth under his head (to absorb spit-up) and a receiving blanket. Also he already has good head control and tries to roll over.

Doctor: We had our second doctor's appointment today, and I took both kids by myself! It went really well! John has everything he is supposed to. The doctor was quite surprised by his size considering how tiny Jessica was! Jessica was always in the 25th percentile for height and weight. John is in the 90th percentile for height and the 75th percentile for weight! We did not discuss his eyes this time, although the doctor did check them. The doctor had previously said because of the shape we would need to watch them because sometimes it can result in blindness if not corrected. I did not inquire about this any further this time, but I plan to ask about it next time. We actually spent the majority of the appointment talking about Jessica. The doctor wants to see her later this summer to discuss speech therapy. I must say I am a little apprehensive because I am afraid she will end up getting referred to a psychologist, and I don't think that is a direction we need to go in at this point. Thankfully I don't think our doctor is thinking in that direction based on our discussion today. We will just have to wait and see what happens later this summer. In the meantime, I ordered 6 dvds (we have 3 already) from Baby Bumblebee to try to help Jessica as much as I can with her vocabulary between now and then. I was quite surprised at how much she has learned from these dvds!! I have read and talked to her since she was a baby and minimized how much tv she watched, but none of this has helped her learn to talk like these dvds have! Many parents with non-verbal kids have said the same thing. Perhaps between now and her next appointment her vocabulary will take off!

Overall our outings this week have gone relatively smoothly (all things considered)! I feel like I am beginning to figure things out! Maybe by July I'll be in a good routine! By this fall I should be a pro!

Highlights from this Weekend!

2010-06-07T22:32:00.004-05:00

John loved his first sink bath!

Jessica learned an important maxim in woodworking: "Measure twice cut once!"

Jessica felt David needed more screws so she got one of her plastic nails because it was a Phillips head!

Some of Jessica's new favorite toys include a block of wood with a screw in it and a dovetail!

Socks!

2010-06-03T03:13:00.005-05:00

During the last week I was waiting for John to arrive, I did something I have been meaning to learn how to do: make socks! I used this free, easy crochet pattern to crochet my daughter this adorable sock!

Not bad for a first attempt!

Now I just need to find time to make its mate!! At some point in the future I would like to try my hand at knitting socks....perhaps the next time I am confined to the couch!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...

2010-06-01T15:05:00.015-05:00

....so a bunch of pictures must be worth thousands of words! We have had a really great last week: a precious newborn baby boy, a fabulous big sister, lots of great friends, a nice visit from family, a birthday cake for me made by my mom, a quiet birthday lunch out with my husband (and son), and our 7th wedding anniversary!

David with both of the kiddos!

A couple pictures of baby John.

The grandparents and Uncle John came down for a visit....more grandparents coming next month!

Nice to see Dad hasn't lost his touch....he can still put a baby to sleep better than anyone I know!

Big John and Little John

Jessica spending some quality time with "PaPa"

At the Gulfarium with "PaPa," Mrs. "PaPa," and Uncle John

Jessica loves fish!!

"Helping" Uncle John tune his guitar.

"Helping" Uncle John play his guitar.

Perhaps we should look into a music class for a fun summer activity?

At the zoo with "PaPa," Mrs. "PaPa," and Uncle John, while Mom, Dad, and baby John went out for a quiet lunch for Mommy's birthday!

Feeding the animals.

Checking out the guinea pigs.

A trip to Whataburger after the zoo!

Jessica "helping" Daddy fix the draws....I think they need to go to Lowe's on a Saturday for the kid projects!

John also "helped" Daddy fix the drawers!

This was not taken today, but this is about what our first day on our own looked like! I couldn't ask for better!!

A Few Things...

2010-05-26T17:56:00.003-05:00

I was going to "tweet" an update, but realized I had too many random thoughts to communicate using Twitter.

1) I had to go to the doctor today (yes we have been to a doctor every day since I have been out of the hospital) because I was having pain on my lower right side. It was suggested that it might be my appendix, but apparently my pelvis is just trying to glue itself back together and I have been over doing it. Imagine that... Oh and apparently I have a hernia (that should right itself) because all of my abdominal muscles got stretched completely out of shape!

2) The newborn diaper covers I bought for baby John (which are supposed to be some of the smallest they make unless you buy preemie) do NOT fit. They are enormous!!! Of course we found this out at 1 am when we ran out of disposables! We are currently using disposables, but he tends to be a hotbox like Jessica so I do need to find something that fits better...

3) Last night John decided to wake up every couple hours. I was having that pain on my side after resting on the couch all night. David had to get up and get John for me. Neither of us got any sleep until Jessica got up at which point I got to sleep but David did not. Currently the rest of the family is napping, and I am doing my best to stay on the couch!

4) I think David is ready to return to work. Jessica loves her baby brother, but I think she is ready to have her mommy and her routine back! And I am ready to get back to being "the Keeper of our Home."

5) I just ate a large (and I mean large) chocolate brownie!

6) I "should" be addressing all of those thank you notes I wrote...

I feel great and am ready to be off the couch....our home just runs much more peacefully when I am not stuck on the couch!

Susie Home Maker: Floors Part 2

2010-05-26T17:32:00.004-05:00

I just saw this on Design Mom and totally love it!! (yeah...no one is more surprised than me that I enjoy the blog of a designer...)

It's a potholder rug! I had to add it to our Susie Home Maker: Floors Edition! Maybe some day when I have more time...

Finally Home!

2010-05-24T20:11:00.008-05:00

Well, it took me a little bit longer than I anticipated to get some more pictures up! Let me go ahead and catch you up to speed on what has been going on since Friday! Thursday night we had dropped Jessica off to stay with her best friend. She waved and said "Buh-Bye!" to us from the tub. Friday morning we got up at 4 am to go to the hospital to be induced.

Completely worth it!

By 6:30 am they were ready to start the penicillin for the strep group b and the pitocin. At 8:00 am my doctor came in and broke my water. For the next hour, I felt pretty good and was able to move around the room. Then about 9:00 things got a little more intense but still manageable. My nurse felt like we would be delivering very shortly so she went ahead and gave me some Nubain. I did well until about the last hour when I started to feel a lot of pressure on my previously broken tailbone.

Me and John shortly after birth (be glad I did not post the picture David took of me after birth).

David was very helpful. All of the nurses were commenting on how impressed they were with him, and I don't think I could have done it without him! At 10:30 am John David made his grand entrance into the world (and I did not experience any tearing this time)! The cord was wrapped around his neck once, but they were able to get it off before he was born. My nurse gave me some pain medication after the delivery, but I felt kind of nauseated so after that I stuck with Tylenol.

Both of us looking much more refreshed!

Overall, I really can't complain. The most difficult part was the last hour of labor and delivery, and I had a very smooth recovery. I was able to avoid the epidural; however, it was more difficult this time having broken my tailbone previously.

Looks like David and Jessica to me!

I am not sure what I will do next time. Either way though, I bet it will be really short! Jessica's entire labor and delivery was 8 hours from the first bit of pitocin, and John's entire labor and delivery was 4 hours from the first bit of pitocin.

Look at that big yawn!

There are pluses and minuses to all of the different options when it comes to labor and delivery and each experience is different, so I guess we will just have to wait and see! I do wish someone had mentioned that after your first child recovery is more uncomfortable!

Look at that smile (probably gas)!

Saturday Jessica came to visit, and she was absolutely wiped out!!!! David ended up taking her home and getting her back on her normal schedule. It ended up being a great decision! She was back to her cheerful self Sunday morning!

Me with both of my babies! (Hopefully the beginnings of a lifelong friendship between Jessica and John)

David dropped her off at church and went to pick up me and John while Jessica went out to lunch with friends from church. Apparently, while at lunch, she got very quiet, and then announced to the entire table that she pee-peed!!! I guess at some point we will need to work on what is and what is not appropriate table conversation.....she probably gets that from her mother!!! When she got home from lunch, she completely bi-passed me so that she could go check out the baby! She thinks John is absolutely wonderful! In fact, today she tried to pick him up off my lap and carry him off!!!!

Hanging out with Daddy after a long day! (By the way, I can't dress him in anything but onesies now without him developing a low grade fever....apparently I have another hot box on my hands!)

David has once again been absolutely wonderful about taking turns at night getting up with John, taking care of Jessica, etc. We have also really appreciated all of the help we have gotten from friends the last few weeks! Things are going very smoothly, and John is a very sweet, sleepy baby! Now if I could just get him to eat all of the massive amounts of milk my body is producing!!! Hopefully, I'll be able to post more pictures in the near future with more stories about Jessica and John!

David's favorite onesie!

John David

2010-05-21T11:58:00.004-05:00

John David was born this morning at 10:30 am. He was 7lbs 11 oz and 21 inches long. Just a tad bigger than Jessica and definitely a little longer! They started pitocin at 6:30 am this morning, broke my water at 8:00 am, had some Nubain at 9:00 am, and then he arrived at 10:30....so it was quick!!!! I will post more pictures after lunch, a quick nap, and a shower! The entire staff thinks he looks like David...but then again they never saw Jessica! Looks like he has blond hair, brown eyes, fair skin, and no dimple in his chin. He is a sweet boy! Isn't he precious?
Love to all,
David, Amy, Jessica, and John

Last Time....

2010-05-19T22:26:00.005-05:00

Tonight was the last time David and I will tuck Jessica into bed for several days. Not sure if it is the pregnancy hormones or the fact that the longest I have ever been away from Jessica at a time since she was born is 12 hours. Being away from her smiling face is going to be the hardest part of the entire labor, delivery, and hospital stay!

I had to settle for this picture because my husband deleted my favorite picture (and yes it was one purpose).

I couldn't ask for a better place for her to be though! She will be staying with her best friend and one of my best friends. I know she will have a wonderful time!! Friday they are going to play in the pool, and Saturday they will go to Sabbath School. We have also arranged for her to come visit Saturday afternoon, so I am really looking forward to that! She will come home either Sunday or Monday, depending on how tired David is.

We have really been fortunate to have so many friends to offer to take care of Jessica, bring meals, etc. I am so very excited to meet baby John and could not ask for a better way to bring a new baby into this world than in the company of such loving and thoughtful friends!

Envibum Giveaway

2010-05-18T18:02:00.005-05:00

My friend, Lisa was sent these diapers to review for a giveaway, but she ended up sending them to us because she had trouble with her son's chunky thighs. I have to say I am super impressed with this company! It is run by a team of Work-at-Home Moms, Dads, and Grandparents! Rachel, who started Envibum, is a mother of 3 (with a fourth due next month)! She has been sewing for 20 years and felt God calling her to create Envibum to not only help other parents cloth diaper their little ones but also to compassionately give to those in need.

In fact, $2 of every diaper sold through their company goes to organizations like: Food for the Hungry, Living Water International, Crisis Pregnancy Center, or Salvation Army. For every diaper cover sold, one is given to a mom in need. In fact, their diaper cover is designed with moms in third world countries in mind!

Obviously washing cloth diapers can be a problem if you are in an area with a very limited water supply. That is actually why the velcro used is brown. If you rinse it in muddy river water, it will not leave the diaper looking filthy! Their company is also built on a strong foundation of integrity. They are definitely a company I feel comfortable supporting with my business, and they offer high quality products using natural fibers, suitable for the most sensitive of tushies! Check out our giveaway at mommyandmegiveaways.com!

Susie Home Maker: Floors

2010-05-15T14:27:00.009-05:00

"Now take your hands, the tools you work with, you'll be thrilled when you build something nice." from the 1951 movie, Here Comes the Groom

Well, I was going to do the next post in our Susie Home Maker series (inspired by my cousin Susie who is moving into her first apartment this year!!!) about bathrooms, since they can be rather challenging to decorate in an apartment. However, I realized that I had neglected a few other essentials...one of which is floors! The floors of most apartments are not that great. They typically have stains, holes and frayed edges in the carpet, chips in linoleum (or tile if you are lucky enough to have it), etc. I have no earthly idea when the floors in our apartment had last been redone but they were pretty gross!! The best thing you can do to hide these eye sores outside of being careful how you place the furniture is to use lots of rugs! You may be able to find some cute rugs for a good deal that match the other things you already have, but in the event that you don't, here are a few different ideas I have seen for making some really cute rugs!! (I have been really wanting to try some of these! I just have not had the time! Maybe when I start working on our bedroom...)

When I think about homemade rugs, one of the first types that comes to mind is a country braided rug! My parents used to have some of these in their home, and I have seen them in several relatives home. You can make them in almost any shape or size! To make them you just braid long strips of fabric (usually from a durable fabric like old jeans) and then stitch them together into the shape you want.

However, if minimal handstitching sends you into panic attacks, I have also found a pattern that has absolutely no sewing involved!!!

Along that same vein, if you are looking for something that involves fairly minimal sewing/needlework skills, you might also find these ideas pretty neat!

This is a pom-pom rug. You make lots and lots of pom-poms (very easy), and then you sew them (or potentially knot them) onto a rug canvas (or you could use some type of durable fabric like denim or burlap). I personally really like this rug because you could use yarn scraps instead of buying specific types of yarn!

This is a hook and latch rug. While it is another no-sew option, I do NOT recommend it! I have had one of these since I was in elementary school and I still have only completed a couple inches of it! It just takes a really long time to knot each little piece of yarn onto the rug canvas!

While this rug will involve a minimal amount of crocheting, it would make up much quicker than a hook and latch rug!

This rug would require a minimal amount of knitting, but once again would make up much quicker than a hook and latch rug!

Another option that would require minimal sewing would be a Recycled Shag Rug. The only sewing involved is straight stitches on a machine. The instructions recommend bunching the material; however, if you wanted to leave out that step, I think you probably could. It just might be a little less shaggy!

The other kind of homemade rug I typically think of is a woven rag rug. My grandmother has one in her house that I have always loved! If you ever managed to use one of those potholder loom kits as a child, you can probably manage this!

There are several different sets of instructions you might try depending on what sounds easiest to you: 1 and 2!

Finally, there is what we refer to as "Floor Clothes." Basically, you sew anything you want on a durable piece of fabric and place it on the floor! You could attach it to a rug canvas or use some of that carpet tape they sell at Lowe's to keep it in place better.

If you want more ideas to get you started, then you might take The Rug Tour. The great thing about making rugs is that you can 1) Make exactly what you want or 2) Use scraps of what you have so that it doesn't cost you a thing!

One Way or Another

2010-05-14T22:43:00.002-05:00

One way or another, by Friday, May 21, 2010 we will cease to be a family of 3 and become a family of 4 (although really....I think we are close enough you could go ahead and call us a family of 4!). I had my last doctor's appointment today. We are at a solid 3 centimeters. He gave me the option to schedule an induction for Friday, and I took it since it was the absolute best timing we could have asked for given David's off-time situation and the fact that we will not have the benefit of my mother this time. (However, we have many, many awesome friends who have offered to help out in so many ways!!!) My doctor plans for us to arrive at 5:30 am, start pitocin for several hours, and then he will come in and break my water. I am not so sure about the last part. I didn't have my water broken until 9 centimeters with Jessica. After some introspection in the hospital on Mother's Day, I am still planning to avoid an epidural. I realized that the reason I don't want an epidural has nothing to do with fear of needles, wanting "the experience," or feeling the need to prove something. The sole reason I don't want an epidural is because I can't stand sitting still....at all!!!!!!!! I also do not focus terribly well, and it seems like giving birth to your child would be a good time to focus on what you are doing!! As I experience more pain, I tend to go into myself. All other stimuli is blocked out. For someone who has never been able to focus on ANYTHING, that is really amazing. That being said, I always sign the epidural form because you never know how things are going to go. Each labor and delivery is completely different! The thing I keep thinking to encourage myself is: "Well, you had pitocin, broke your tailbone, and had your water broken at 9 cm all without an epidural when you had Jessica. You can do this too!!" If I get in there and decide that I really do want an epidural, I will not be disappointed because let's face it: "Pregnancy, labor, and delivery is not all about me! It's all about the new little life coming into the world!" However, I will gladly accept all forms of encouragement towards my goal of an epidural free delivery....I really think I would feel like someone was putting me in time-out!!!!! :-)

Update

2010-05-13T16:54:00.004-05:00

As you may have noticed, I have not posted much this week. I have been rather lacking in motivation since being told that we were going to have a Mother's Day baby and then finding out that we were not having a Mother's Day baby. I have also been rather uncomfortable this week....lots of contractions and now pains in my thighs followed by my legs giving out from under me....lovely! We have also been staying home a lot this last month due to heat and me not wanting to get out with a very busy two year old when my body is behaving so unpredictably! On the upside I have finished all of the projects I wanted to get done, organized all of the pictures to print and stuff into Jessica's photo albums, and gotten the house in order (not exactly clean but that is beyond my physical limitations at this point)!

I also managed to sit down and watch Food, Inc last night. I have heard a lot of people talking about it so I finally sat down and watched it. I think it is less of a commentary on the food industry and more a commentary on society at large. We have gotten to a point as a society where people prefer to relinquish responsibility for themselves and their families to other people, and when that someone else gives them less than they believe they are entitled to, then they bring a lawsuit against the individual or company that they relinquished their responsibility to! It's not the fault of capitalism, big business, the food industry, or elected officials. It is the fault of "the people." When we choose to let others make decisions for us, we should not be surprised when the decisions they make are not necessarily in our best interest. Food, Inc. and a cookbook review I was reading the other night have definitely made me excited about having more energy after baby John arrives to do more cooking from scratch and to learn more of the culinary skills we have lost in favor of convenience. I hope to be able to pass a better understanding of nutrition and how to prepare food from scratch on a shoestring budget to my children, so that they will KNOW how to safeguard their health. Knowledge truly is power.

Mother's Day Surprises

2010-05-09T16:38:00.002-05:00

First off, let me say Happy Mother's Day to all of the mother's out there, most especially our wonderful mothers! Let me also say that I have never had a better occupation than that of being a mother! I absolutely love my precious baby girl and our soon to arrive baby boy! I have never had a more challenging or more rewarding job....ever!

Typically, for Mother's Day we go to church, have lunch, and enjoy a quiet afternoon at home. That was NOT how Mother's Day went this year! Last night, I thought my water might have leaked. I walked around for a while and didn't notice any further leaking. We called the doctor, and he said to go ahead and get checked just to be on the safe side. We got a friend from church to watch Jessica and headed up to the hospital. We got there, and the test came out positive that my water was leaking so they admitted us, had us fill out all of the paperwork, and told us that we would have a baby on Mother's Day! That night the contractions got closer together but not close enough so they put me on pitocin. Several hours later the doctor ordered the test to be given again because he was surprised that we were not making any more progress than we were. That time the test came back negative! Apparently, the first test had been done incorrectly!!!!!

I was a wee bit annoyed because the nurse who did that test was also the one I had when I was dehydrated and put my iv in without gloves, wiped up my blood without gloves, and stabbed one of the valves in my veins so that I have had a nice bruise for weeks!!! Also the nurse we had in the middle of the night could not get the monitors adjusted so that I could sit up so I had to lay on my side or my back the entire time....which was VERY uncomfortable!!!! Not to mention....I had gotten excited about the idea of having a Mother's Day baby!

Later on I discovered that most of the patients at this hospital are induced Monday and Tuesday mornings and about 90% have an epidural, so apparently the night staff does not have a lot of experience with delivering babies, much less naturally. Overall, I liked the hospital, my doctor and the daytime nursing staff; however, I think I would prefer to deliver in the bathroom as opposed to having the night staff!!! At any rate, this morning (at 3 centimeters and 1.5 hours of bad sleep later) they took me off the pitocin and sent us home.

We went by church to check on Jessica, and our wonderful friends offered to keep Jessica this afternoon while David and I took a nap, so we went straight home and slept for several hours! Apparently Jessica had a wonderful time....she was playing Rock Band and talking up a storm when we went to pick her up!! (She apparently also refused to eat pizza and instead ate green peppers, onions, and fruit!!) We are so thankful to have so many friends that are willing to step in as family when we need them! We've had more offers than we can possibly use and that is a wonderful problem to have!

Now to enjoy what is left of Mother's Day, write some thank you notes, and contemplate some thank you gifts! :-)

Susie Home Maker: Walls

2010-05-06T20:35:00.014-05:00

"You can hang the dreams you want as pictures on the wall." from the 1951 movie, Here Comes the Groom

The next installment of our Susie Home Maker series (inspired by my cousin Susie who is moving into her first apartment this year!!!) is "Walls." I mentioned in Susie Home Maker: Windows that our apartment had cracks on the walls (not to mention a lot of other blemishes). While some places will let you paint the walls, stencil, put up a boarder, etc., not all of them will. My advice: Get something up on the walls ASAP!!! It is amazing how such a simple thing can make your apartment feel so much more like home (especially when every single wall is the same, bland, neutral color)!! Getting something up on the walls does not have to be an expensive or time-consuming venture. The only wall hangings I have purposefully gone out and bought were posters for the kids' room. All of the rest were either gifts or created relatively quickly from something I already had. Below are just a few of the different ideas I have used over the years.

1) A nice poster, that is well hung, can add a splash of color with little cost or effort! I usually laminate my posters before hanging them to keep them looking nice and protect them from being damaged.

A set of creation posters I bought for the kids' room. I added the white numbers from a package of mailbox numbers as well as the ribbon to tie it all together!

Another colorful poster I bought for the kids' room (notice there is a definite theme).

A poster my mom gave me that I have always kept by the washer and dryer. It doesn't go with a lot of the decor in the rest of the house, but I have always liked it! It was looking pretty rough from years of use until we laminated it!

A poster I made to hang in my office (when I was working with junior high students) using a FarSide comic I had saved from a tear off calendar. I actually made several, and I have to say I like how it ended up looking with large black and white comics hanging around the room! It also had some sentimental value because I worked for my dad for several years, and he always taped FarSide comics from tear off calendars to the cabinets in his lab.

2) Shelves can add both a splash of color and solve some of those space issues so prevalent in apartments!

I got these shelves from a craft store, finished them, and hung them in our living room to hold my Noah's Ark collection until they came to their final resting place in the kids' room!

This mirror with hooks and a small shelf was a wedding present, and I have to say it has been a real lifesaver! I cannot remember where I put my phone, keys, jacket, purse, etc. to save my life, but since we hung this by the door, I haven't had to make extra sets of keys!!!

3) I grew up loving to play games and work puzzles. My husband does not really like playing games (I am hoping at least one of the kids will), but he does enjoy working puzzles with me from time to time! These are two puzzles that we worked together that went particularly nice with the decor of the house. My mother had them framed as a gift. Don't they look beautiful??? Using puzzles you could have the beauty of Thomas Kincaid (or someone similar) in your home without paying an outrageous amount or ending up with a cheap looking copy!

A puzzle we did together before we got married that has always hung in our den.

A puzzle we did before Jessica was born that hangs in our dining area (with all of the other French pictures).

You can hang/frame all kinds of items that mean something to you: t-shirts, artwork, awards, clothes from childhood, pressed flowers, doilies collected from antique stores perhaps on a dark background (I hear this is an up and coming trend....not that I usually know much about such things), etc.

4) You all know that I love homemade items! However, I have had to make very few items to hang on our walls because we already had several nice pictures, posters, etc. that we really liked! Here are a few of the homemade wall items we have in our home.

A scripture my kindergarten teacher cross-stitched for me when I was a senior in high school. She also cross-stitched us another framed item when we got married.

A painting a family friend did for us when we got married. She was truly gifted and has since lost her fight with cancer.

Name plaques I made for the kids' room using some nice looking paper, the computer, and some classy looking frames from Wal-mart.

A cute name plate my sister-in-law made when Jessica was born! Isn't it adorable? (I hear she is making one for John too!)

I am also working on another framed item at the moment, using the poem "Children Learn What They Live." Some day I would like to embroider it and frame it, but I think I will have to settle for a nice computer-printed version at the moment!

4) Something I have been doing since I was in junior high is picking out souvenirs when I travel that I would keep in my home when I grew up for a long time!

I bought these prints at the bottom of the Eiffel Tower when I was in high school. My mom later framed them as a gift!

I bought this print in Gatlinburg, Tennessee on a vacation in Junior High. Once again my mom had it framed as a gift!

Prints can be relatively cheap. What makes them look like something special is how they are framed!

5) There are all sorts of other types of wall hangings such as wreaths, quilts, shadow boxes, etc. Especially if you have a large space to fill and not a lot of money, I would try to find a quilt to hang! It will also help absorb sound!

This is a wall hanging a friend's mother (who is Ukrainian) made and gave to my mother, who gave it to me when I got married. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?

My dad once studied English with a college student from Taiwan. This is a wall hanging he gave my parents while he was living in the United States. It says something about a happy marriage. My parents gave it to me when I got married. (If I am correct, I am not only the one who remembers him the best, but I am also the only one who remembers how to use chopsticks.)

6) Once people know that you have a collection of something, you will probably get lots of gifts to add to that collection! The decor in the kids' room came from my Noah's Ark collection, which started when I was teaching the infant Noah's Ark class at church for several years in a row, and people just started giving me Noah's Ark stuff. (And yes, I learned that story very, very well. My grandparents' favorite Bible trivia question to give me is "What are the dimensions of the ark?")

Actually, they did not all come two by two, but it looks cute over their door!

Two other pictures I was given as gifts for my collection.

Another popular time to give wall hangings as gifts is when you have a baby. These are some wall hangings my sister gave us for Jessica's room, but they ended up in her bathroom because they looked perfect there! The ribbon again was a nice touch!

7) Then there is always the old standby of hanging up photos. I do love to hang photos. In our apartment we had a staircase going upstairs that was very bare and echoed. I took large photo frames and filled them with pictures to look at as you went up the stairs. It really helped make the space less bare! I have set out frames in our house, but I have not hung very many photos yet mostly because I am going through and redoing each room one by one. I typically like to hang photos in hallways, but we don't really have any hallways at this house so I will probably hang several photos in the den, once I get around to finishing that room (The bedrooms needed the most work, so we started there.)

The real trick to wall hangings is not so much what you are hanging but how you choose to hang it!

1) Build/Buy (or ask for as a gift) a nice frame. The cheap frames will make whatever you are hanging look cheap, but if you use a nice frame, it can make something cheap look really nice!

2) Use the correct hardware. First, you do not want your wall hangings falling off the wall! Second, it looks a lot less temporary when you use the correct hardware as opposed to just tacking everything to the walls! This especially applies to quilts. See this website for more information on how to hang a quilt.

3) I also try to be careful where I choose to hang different items. For example, all of the Noah's Ark stuff goes in the kids' room. All of the pictures from France go in the dining area. FarSide and airplane posters usually go in the office. Most of the photos usually go in a hallway (if we have one). Start out by figuring out what you do have and how you could use those items. Then figure out how you will fill in the gaps.

Feel free to leave any suggestions of ways you might fill wall space in a classy way without spending an arm or a leg!

Bathrooms tend to be a more difficult space to work with in apartments. Their walls are usually much taller than they are wide! We'll look at what you can do in there from a frugal and self-sufficient perspective next!