Is It Naptime Yet

I posted pictures of the two reusable bags I’ve made on Facebook. I also created an album of things I’ve sewn, but it’s not really that exciting.

These bags are, and they were fun to make, kinda, in a why do they take so long kind of way? Oh, because I want to reinforce them and make sure Jon can haul home a watermelon week after week kind of way.

This is a bag I made for Jon. It’s a little funky and fun, though slightly girly, but he doesn’t mind.

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This bag I gave as a gift to the same bride I made the apron for.

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I bought the material thinking I would only get one bag out of each fabric, but I decided to just use white, since they had no off white canvass, for the inside I’ll be able to make two from each fabric and why I was OK making and giving the to be bride the blue and brown bag. I love the fabric and I want to go buy all they have left and make bags for people I know as gifts, but keep one for myself.

I’m thinking of selling them, though they take way too long to make at this point. I’d need to perfect them and possibly get ride of the bottom contrast fabric to shed time off, though I really like it.

What do you think?

How much would you pay for a bag like this? It’s larger than the regular fabric shopping bags and I think a lot more sturdier. On Etsy I see them priced around $35-$45, but I’m not sure if they’re made of cotton or canvass, which mine are.

Any thoughts?

… with pictures of events that took place far too long ago, but are far to important to just forget about.

So, since I got so far behind on picture posts, really just posting about normal things, while I was sewing and participating in the play, I’m slowly yet surely blogging about certain events. My goal is to do one a week, and for the last two weeks I’ve reached it. So regular posting will be interrupted with pictures that I should have put up a long time ago.

The Dolphin Habitat

The Shark Reef

The ladybug release from like April. ( Still need to find a way to stream video.)

May birthday’s

Lilah’s birthday

The Mormon Fort

The Fourth of July

swimming lessons

The waterpark fun at the cast party

Eden’s birthday

Maybe I should make my goal to do three a week so they’re posted before the year is over.

On May 29th the girls, Hannah, and I went to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. I had a free ticket for me, Eden was free and Lilah was just $8.50, and so was Hannah even though they first wanted to charge her as an adult.

They gave us these hand held devises that we would punch in the correlating code and then listen to information on the animal or animals we were looking at. Apparently if you don’t pay for that child they don’t need to listen, so they only gave us three things for the four of us. I gave Eden mine, and then Hannah let me use hers for most of the time, she had been before and apparently knew that the information was only somewhat interesting. Lilah was very intent on listening to each little recording, but towards the end, at like 32 of 36, she stopped. Eden gave up a little sooner, but still listened to most of them.

We saw so many interesting fish and the girls loved petting the sting rays. Hannah was a nice help and hopefully she had fun too.
We watched two divers cleaning one of the tanks and one even put his hand to the glass to “high five” the girls. We also saw some bait for some fish, but they must not have been hungry because they didn’t even notice it for the 5-10 minutes we watched and waited to see if they would eat it.

I don’t have too many pictures because it was not the most ideal setting. Most of the time if was too dark and then the flash would wash everything out. It was still fun and I will try to get a free ticket next tax season so we can go again.

Some giant fish from the Amazon.

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Eden watching another giant fish from the Amazon.

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Lilah is listening to the recording about the giant fish from the Amazon.

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Learning about the piranhas. They had a staff member stationed at the tank. No doubt to keep idiots from putting things, or there own hands, in the tank.

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Hannah helping Lilah pet a sting ray.

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Gross fish water!

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Eden’s turn to pet the sting ray. Hannah actually had to pull her arm down so she could reach.

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I thought this was a tiger fish, but it’s actually a lion fish.

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Lilah looking at the jellyfish.

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Eden ready to go home.

1.  A clean living room….even if it only lasted a day or two, at least it’s less dusty.
2. Jonathan who worked so hard cleaning and doing laundry while I was gone with the girls. He folded everything too, which is usually my downfall.
3. Facebook. I was so not liking it at first, but now I find I probably need to stop spending time on it. It’s fun to connect and see what’s going on in friend’s lives.
4. A happy child. Eden was so happy to open her Aladdin DVD, thanks Carolyn, and you could see the excitement in her eyes even if she was reserved and not easily showing it. I guess that goes with having a shy child.
5. Children who share, though it’s not easy for them all the time, when they’re willing to it’s wonderful.

I’m not sure why anyone would want to see my huge cold sore, but since Sara doesn’t believe my previous description and would like me to send this most lovely picture into cyberspace forever, I guess I’ll show you.
Than you can:
A) Feel sorry for be.
B) Be prepared to see me in person with the cold sore.
C) Run screaming from your computer because it’s so disgusting.
D) Tell me that I should go into seclusion until the monstrosity goes away and you can teach my lessons and pretend to be me at a bridal shower and CEC on Saturday, which I can’t miss anyways.

Just remember I have no make- up on so I’m wearing glasses and have my hair pulled back so it doesn’t touch my contaminated face.

Also, I saw the doctor. She prescribed me a pill that I have to take 5 times a day and an ointment. I think she felt really bad for me. I also had x-rays done on my toe so she can tell me if I fractured it, but the treatment is still just tape the toe and wear hard souled shoes. I hate shoes and don’t have any summer hard souled shoes. So much for cute toe nails.

…if your toe looked like this?

I know not too bad, and those are some dang cute toes, but look closer at that funky one next to the baby toe.

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I stubbed it on Lilah’s sandaled foot this evening and now, just 3 hours later, this is what it looks like. Would you visit your doctor or just wait to see what happens?

There’s irony in here too.

I have a bridal shower to attend to this weekend, a lesson to teach in church and for my family gathering on Sunday, and we’re going to Chuck E’ Cheese’s to celebrate Eden’s birthday and yesterday I had a zit right on the border of my bottom lip, and I popped it. (I am a zit popper, especially when they’re big and white.)

Yesterday I was sad that I had a zit, since I have all these public things going on, but I thought, at least it’s not a cold sore. Then this morning I felt a tingle in my lip and I thought it was the zit healing, but when I looked closer I could tell that it was not the zit that was making my lip tingle but a cold sore. Great! I’m going to have a cold sore this weekend when I have so much going on and I get the mother of all cold sores. The left side of my bottom lip is swollen and will be perfectly gross by Saturday.

Then, as I looked at my pink toe nails this afternoon that I had just painted last night I thought to myself, well I may have a cold sore, but those can’t be completely helped, but I do have cute toes that will match the shirt I’m wearing on Saturday.

Maybe I’ll wear a purple shirt instead.

I think this is irony for you.

Man, if only I wasn’t so darn skinny. (Do you think if I think this I’ll lose the ten pounds I want to?)

Update: It’s 5 am and I am so sad because my mother of all cold sore as decided to give me a fat lip and is the mother of all cold sores. My whole left bottom lip is swollen and has the potential to get even worse since it hasn’t been 24 hours since the tingle began. My once not so purple toe is completely purple and I have a 10:20 am appointment with a doctor. So grateful for online scheduling, though it was the only appointment for the 24th out of 6 doctors.

I’m going in for the toe, but I hope there is something they can give me for my lip. I usually just smother it with a Lysine ointment because the other things don’t work, or I can’t smoother them, and I tried something different and my face is swelling like I was hit with way too much novocain. It’s not nice to wake up to such a horrendous cold sore and then stub the hurt toe once more after you write a note to your husband telling him he’s going to need to stay home so you can see a doctor.

My sobs woke him up.

Sorry to be a downer on what I wanted to be a funny post. The irony has left and I’m left with the reality that I hate cold sores and this one is disfiguring my face. It really stinks.

I am not good at schedules. At least self imposed schedules or tasks. You give me a deadline and I will do it. If I give me a deadline, I might do it.

As we get back in the grove of our normal life I find myself craving a schedule. Mostly I think I want something to anchor me, something to help me anchor my children. I’ve never really had a schedule, or stuck to one, at least for long. I suppose I’m good at getting up and feeding my family at specific times of the day, and having the girls go to bed at certain times, but that’s it, and even Jon and I have disagreements about when they should go to bed since we don’t always stick to a schedule. Some nights it’s 9 some nights it’s 9:30.

I think part of the reason I’m not good at sticking to a schedule is my home never had one growing up. It wasn’t for lack of trying, but with six kids it can be hard to implement something and have us all follow through, especially when both parents work and weren’t there to supervise all the time.

In my house it was both a group effort and a fend for yourself environment. We all helped with dinner, though one person was assigned the main meal on a certain day of the week. (Mine was Wednesday  for a long time because I didn’t go to mutual or the youth activity, and yes I was cooking dinner before I was twelve.) The person in charge of dinner would then assign the different dinner assignments. One always wanted juice and vegetables because it was the easiest and then dishes was the least desirable. We worked together, but the goal was to get the easiest task possible.

I feel this has stuck with me. Try to accomplish what you need to the easiest way possible.

It was that way at home and it was that way at school.

So now that I’m a mom and one of the two providers of my children’s education, I find that I need to change my mindset. Schedules should be empowering, not a struggle. I should help my children learn in whatever way necessary, not the easiest or the quickest.  I should have my girls help me around the house more because in the end it will help me, even if it takes longer now.

So I’m asking for advice. What schedules work for you, or don’t work for you?

Jon’s told me to start out small. Do just one task and make it a habit and then after a week or two add something else. I think it will take me two years if I implement that to it’s fullest, but I think it is good advice.

If it helps, my goal in scheduling isn’t to fill every moment of my day, but to make time for the things I want to do and to limit my self indulging which takes away from my family. I find myself on the internet entirely too much, and sleeping too much also. Both are to avoid doing work, though sometimes I’m just tired.

I want to make time to have my girls help with making lunch, and make time for me to do things to improve me and work alongside of them as they do work too. Not just assign them to do things and go off and do what I want or need to do. So if Lilah is writing in her journal, I should be writing in mine, not blogging. 🙂

So what schedules work for you? Both in keeping your house organized and your children occupied.

Eden turns four this week. FOUR! I really can’t believe it, but it’s been fun. So my five things will be centered around Eden this week.

1. I love the way Eden talks. She uses phrases like : “Hey guys….!”, “Uh, I don’t think so.” and “Yiyah” (Though this is more because she can’t pronounce her sisters name just yet.)
2. I love that Eden is a Mamma’s girl and is mostly willing to give me cuddles anytime, though she does love her daddy and chooses him at times over me.
3. I enjoy our afternoon nap time together. We play and sing songs and get some needed rest, though this time is fading since she won’t need naps for much longer.
4. I love her sense of humor. I think Eden is so funny and she reminds me of Carolyn. If it weren’t for the fact that Eden looks like me, I would say I got the wrong child.
5. I love watching Eden’s imaginary play. I love listening to the situations she makes up and I love the cute shy look she gets on her face when I catch her playing. (Anther reason I think she takes after Carolyn, she’s shy.)

Happy Birthday to my Eden Bee-den. I’ve enjoyed our four years together and hope to enjoy watching you grow some more!

On March 25th we went to the Secret Garden and Dolphin habitat with a homeschooling group. Sadly the group has dissolved and it was our last trip with them.

Our friend Hannah came with us. The girls adore her and she adores our girls. Even though I didn’t really need the help, since they are so well behaved and rarely get into trouble in public, Hannah came along and lent her hand to also hold while we walked around and her arms to pick up the girls to see things. It was nice and the reason we invited her to also come to the Shark Reef with us in May.

Here’s just a few pictures of the girls and our activities. I can’t believe it had been two years since we had gone with our old Mommy group and almost to the day.

The underwater observatory.

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The girls loved when the dolphin swam right by the window.

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Above watching them feed the dolphins.

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There was a 6 month old baby dolphin, though it was pretty big for being 6 months old. I’m happy my girls grow slower than a dolphin, but it’s still too fast.

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Cute Eden.

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Hannah helping Lilah look at the map.

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There was also a baby jaguar to watch.

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Hannah with the girls.

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A tiger taking a bath.

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Sisterly love.

I stayed up till 2 am Thursday night making this:

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Why did I stay up so late? Because it was fun and I was excited. FYI I never stayed up till 2 am making the costumes, why because those were not fun, they were a burden. I also started it at 10 pm, so I knew I would be up late, I just didn’t know how late. I think I’m a slow seamstress and I will never hire out my talent because I take too long.

Two of Kate’s color’s are teal and brown, I’m hoping she notices that I chose these fabrics deliberately.  I’m undecided whether I like so much of the print, it looked great on the bolt, but I just couldn’t see it the other way around. It does remind me of some 70’s kitchen and it’s growing on me more as I look at it.

Also, I have one more sewing project to add to my list. Lilah wants to give Eden a Jasmine dress up outfit and guess who will be making it. I think it will be cheaper than buying a Disney one, and I can make it a little more modest.  I probably won’t have it done by Eden’s official birthday, but I know I can have it done by her birthday party. I figure it’ll probably be her Halloween costume too, that’s if it doesn’t get too worn out by then.