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  • Yesterday was H-U-M-I-D and reminded me of another reason why I stink at being southern....I can't handle humidity. When you are doing nothing in the way of physical activity and your clothes are sticking to you it might be time to consider relocating.

    I did endure it for a little bit so that Emi could get some practice learning how to ride her bike with out training wheels! She is doing great and is almost ready to take off without any assistance from anyone else. She did crash into the side of the van but she and her bike were both fine. The van is a 1999 Chrysler, one more ding is just going to add more character.

    Ace has just started copying letters down onto paper. She brought me a piece just the other day and showed me her O and a B. She was super proud and I had a moment of realization that she is really fast approaching 5! She is a snuggler and will not allow anyone to leave the house without a hug and kiss.

    Z is Z. She recently went through a phase of hiding on us and then not answering when we called. She thought it was great fun.....I was almost needing anxiety meds. It only took us 5kids to get the one kid that really keeps you hopping and causes you to have to be uber creative in your parenting.

    SiSi is going to be a teen this year.  I have been calling her one for a year now anyway. She just seems older in a lot of ways. She loves horses and wants to work with them. I am hoping after we get back from a visit to the in laws that we can find a place for her to work in exchange for riding time.

    Aly is now 16! She still loves photography but on her terms. In other words she doesn't really feel comfortable taking pictures for other people at this stage of life.  I do feel special though because she takes pictures of the littles quite often.

     

    I am blessed beyond words!

  • I have decided that it is time to get back into blogging. A three month break is about all I can handle. To jump back into things I thought I would restart with an entry that is, as the title states, all about me. Not because I am self centered but because as I was thinking about this blog post I realized that who I am today, at this very moment is not who I was 10yrs ago, or 20yrs ago, yet I am who I am because of my life 10yrs ago and 20yrs ago. So if you are here for the first time welcome! If you have been here before thanks for coming back.

    And because I like bullet form listing that is how I will do this.
    WARNING this is going to be very honest with a hopefully somewhat humorous twist. As I approach 40 I realize that I am who I am and that is all I am ever going to be. Yes, I just quoted a country music song...don't hate.

     

    • I am from the South but I suck at being southern. Translation...I own nothing that is monogrammed, I do not have stationary with my initials on it, I lack the ability to write thank you notes in a timely manner and my girls do not wear bows the size of small dogs in their hair.
    • My dad was in the Navy so I traveled a lot growing up. I have lived in several states and two countries overseas. Scotland was my favorite place to live.
    • I have 5 girls and while I live in what sometimes seems like a state of fluxuating hormones, I will take the daily drama roller coaster ride over boys and all their penis issues any day. ;)
    • I used to be a parent that spanked. Our second child brought us to gentle parenting.
    • Not spanking is easy...NOT yelling is a whole other story. I am working on that daily.....my 6yo reminds be to take deep breaths often.
    • I am the daughter to a recovering alcoholic. When I was a teen I used to say that if you looked up the definition of dysfunctional that you would find a picture of my family. As a 30something adult who has now met a lot of people I realize that while our picture would still be there we are sure as hell not the only ones!
    • I cuss(sorry Grandmother)
    • I don't cuss in public(hope that makes you feel better Grandmother)
    • I am fiscally conservative....my husband owns a small business.
    • I am socially liberal.....I have friends that are gay.
    • I HATE politics period and somehow I wound up married to a man who likes to discuss this and a teenager who does as well.
    • I love to read and when I walk into a library I am sometimes overcome with a since of sadness at the fact that there are so many books and I only have so much time.
    • I like to sew. I would be a much better seamstress if I had decided to take lessons from my Grandmother when I lived with her rather than trying to obtain her help from thousands of miles away...hind sight is 20/20.
    • All of my girls are home schooled. Since I know my oldest two very well I know they would like me to add that they are in no way sheltered. This can be proven by their ability to quote SNL, Madea, and The Hangover.
    • Our children are allowed to disagree with us on politics, religion, social issues, and the definition of cleanliness.
    • I am a Christian, meaning that I love Jesus and I try to live for Him...I fail often but am grateful for grace.
    • I believe that my kids' relationship with Jesus is theirs. I do not interfere, push, persuade or judge.
    • I am severely cell phone inept....so of course I have a droid.
    • I often leave the house without my cell phone. It drives my husband crazy.
    • I would like to think I drive him crazy with my vivacious body but I'm pretty sure it's the cell phone issue that does it most often.
    • Then again we have 5girls so maybe it isn't the cell phone.
    • Scooby Doo is my favorite cartoon of all time followed by Phineus and Ferb. Someone just needs to put Barney down.
    • I love shrimp....boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp gumbo, coconut shrimp, you get the idea.
    • I lost my dad to cancer in 2007. Life has not been the same since. I miss him terribly.
    • I have been able to  sing Kenny Rogers' song "The Gambler" word for word since I was 6yo. My daddy taught me.
    • I fix my hamburger the same way every time I have one. Mustard on the bottom half of the bun, mayo or miracle whip on the top half, top the burger with onion and tomato and add the ketchup to the top of the tomato. Save a change in toppings this is how the condiments are place every single time.
    • I also wet my toothbrush before I add toothpaste and then again after I add the toothpaste.
    • I weaned my last daughter in Feb. of this year. At the conclusion of our breastfeeding relationship I had been nursing for 6yrs and two months. I nursed through two pregnancies and tandem nursed for a year after each baby was born. Her sisters both weaned at 36months.
    • I can be a smart a**......I got it honestly. If you knew my dad you understand.
    • I have given birth in the hospital 3 times, 2 attended by certified nurse midwives and I have had 2 homebirths. I wish I had had 5 homebirths.
    • I love to knit and I have been known to decorate with yarn.
    • I don't have many nick nacks in my house. I firmly believe this is because I was responsible for dusting all of my Grandmother's as a teen. I truly believe she had enough to fill the Titanic. ;)
    • I love mystery books, mystery shows, shows like the Closer, Blue Bloods etc.
    • I haven't peed by myself since late 2004. I don't forsee that changing until 2017.
    • I am grateful for underwire bras.
    • I am a better person because of my children.
    • I wish someone would invent a self cleaning toilet.
    • I love being organized....my children do not possess this trait.
    • I love to hike, ride my bike and my new fav is Zumba.
    • After trying running as a means for exercise several times in the last few years I have decided that I hate running.
    • Along with running, I hate oatmeal.
    • I don't go to church. At this point in my life I like God outside of the church a whole lot better than inside the church.

    And I will end there since lightening is striking like crazy outside.

     

  • I'm still alive. Have been busy working through a low(mood) period, revamping some things within our family, establishing much needed routine for my younger three, planning a garden, enjoying the sunshine and praying that the warmth decides to stay for good.

    I hope to be up and blogging again soon.


  • Sewing Bee and Getting Fit

    Joining Julia at Happiness Comes for this weeks sewing bee.

    This week I created these pillowcases for the little girls for part of their valentines gift.

    And these headbands as well.

    The pillowcases weren't hard but when you don't have a proper space to cut fabric your measurements can be a bit off. We live in a small house that offers no extra space for my sewing. I have to take out and put back everything I use between projects. Well, I should, but it doesn't always happen. Here is a little tour of the space I create while sewing.

    Ta Da! That's it! One end of the table that is in the kitchen. I have a nice cosy space for the iron and ironing board right next to the wall organizer for all the pots and pans. It's not much but it's all I've got...for now. One day though I want a sewing room all my own. A room where I can have my fabric out on shelves and all my notions in mason jars displayed in cool ways.

    Now for the health part of the title. It all starts back in 2007 when I lost my dad to cancer. I went home to be with him hoping that I would leave with him on the path to beating the evil disease. Instead I wound up having to shop for clothes for a funeral while I was there. Prior to coming home my husband and I had been walking two miles every night. We only had two littles at the time. One went in a backpack with my husband and the other in a stroller that I pushed. We didn't own a scale so I wasn't watching the numbers and while I new my clothes were looser I had not gone out to buy any.

    So while out shopping for pants to wear for the wake and funeral I discovered that I was a size 8. Then I got back home and promptly got pregnant with our 5th daughter. So long size 8 hello size........13. 

    So I have somewhere between 30-40 lbs to lose.

    We are walking at night again. Just my husband and I so we can move at a fast pace. We did 1mile last night and are working back up to the 2 that we used to do. I am also doing the Walk at Home DVD with Leslie Sansone. It's the Walk Slim one. I did two miles this morning. My goal is to walk 3 miles everyday for a week. Then I will evaluate where I am and add more. Oh and I am doing an 8min. ab workout that is on our on demand exercise channel. Nothing too intense but a good solid 8min. Got to start somewhere!

    I have five children to keep up with and if I don't do something to get fit now I know I never will.

    I'm off to down some water and shower. Be glad we don't have the ability to insert smell into blogs. ;)

    Have an awesome Thursday!!

     

  • Yarn Along

    Joining Ginny at small things for today's yarn along.

     

    I am almost finished with this hat for Emi. She requested a new hat in blue and purple. I was afraid I was going to have to buy two different colors to fulfill her request. Fortunately this yarn from "I love this Yarn" at Hobby Lobby was sitting on the shelf waiting for me. I'm typically a yarn snob and prefer to knit with natural fibers but this yarn does not have that harsh feeling like some acrylics do. A bonus is this is completely machine washable. No special care instructions for me to remember!

    I am not currently reading anything. I often choose to knit instead of read. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things I want to do! I did make a long list of books to look for at the library yesterday. I took my oldest two to the mall to spend some gift cards they had and we wound up in Barnes and Nobles for over an hour. I made a list of all the interesting books I picked up and thumbed through. There were some interesting ones on the bargain table but I just couldn't bring myself to spend the money. I can get them from the library. If it is one that I want on my shelf then I will probably buy it. I am not a rereader of books unless they are really good. And even then I have to have had a lot of time pass since the last time I read it before reading it again. Yeah, I have issues! LOL

    Oh and the scarf that never ends is FINISHED and on it's way to it's new owner. It should arrive today or tomorrow.

    I am looking forward to sitting here tonight with my hot tea and browsing through the links to see what everyone is knitting and reading!


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  • Happy Valentines Day

    I hope your family had a wonderful Valentines Day.

    We crafted yesterday.





    I sewed into the wee hours of the morning. I used this tutorial and this one as well.
    These are the results.



    There were more decorations.



    Cupcakes were baked and consumed

    (that is her big sister's make up on her face.)


    And over the last two days there has been OUTSIDE TIME!!! Precious wonderful outside time.




  • This Moment

    "A Friday ritual. A single photo -no words- capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember."

    Inspired by Soule Mama

  • Yarn Along

    I love the yarn along! Joining Ginny over at Small Things  to share what I am knitting and reading.

    I don't actually have anything on the needles. Ok well, the scarf that never ends is just a block and a half from being done but I didn't want to post that picture again. ;) This pink Cascade 220 is going to be the fourth and final bowl in the set of  felted nesting bowls I am making for Z for easter. It will knit up quickly and I should have plenty left over to knit Ace a hat. Pink is her favorite color.

    The book is about the authors safari adventures. It is full of great photographs, stories and facts about the animals he has encountered. Emi really enjoys it and I hope to add it to her birthday gifts this year.

  • I am a yeller. A talk through clenched teeth, tense my entire body, way too easily frustrated , go all cowboy talk mom. I don't want to be that way. I have prayed about, talked about it with my kids, my husband, close friends. I can handle stressful situations outside my home with grace and calm. Why do I struggle so much inside my home where in all honesty, it matters the most? Where my kids are watching me and as much as I don't like to admit it, are learning how to do the exact same thing.

    I have seen the word breathe a lot on line lately. In people's status on face book, in blogs, in articles, places I can't even recall but know I read it. And then tonight I was catching up on some blogs that I follow and came across this post.

    It was an ah ha moment. I am not a scientific person in the least. But something about the 90 seconds, the chemical reactions, the short cuts, the habits of our brains. It all just clicked and made sense.

    I just have to wait 90seconds. A minute and a half. Half the time it takes to cook a package of ramen noodles(organic minded friends just forget you read that), the time it takes to warm water in the microwave for tea.

     90 short seconds to collect myself, BREATHE and be successful. 90 seconds to wait and show my girls how to be kind, gentle and dare I say it patient?

    90 seconds.....I can do that. I can.


  • Math Naturally

     

    Friday night a creative bug hit the house and all of us were doing various things. You can see what was created in this post.  One of the creations was this drawing done by Emi.



    It is a house that has a path leading up to it and there is a person walking up that path to the house. If you look closely you will see that there is a pattern in the path.  Red, blue, red, blue etc. When she showed me the picture and was telling me about it she said “See my pattern mom?” I had seen it, it was the first thing I noticed because patterns are something that she has recently begun to notice and create in her play.

    I have watched her pattern play develop naturally out of her  fascination with putting things into groups.  I first saw the grouping happen when she had a bag of skittles. She was about 4 maybe and she dumped the entire bag out on the table and grouped them together by color. I don’t recall if we ever talked about groups before that day. I do know we had never sat down at the table with work sheets to learn about putting things into groups.  One day, after  I gave her a jar of seashells I found her in our room seperating them into like groups.  I have seen her do this with blocks, beads and other colored candies. It is just something she does and it is fun for her. She has no idea that it is math and I haven’t told her that it is. That doesn’t mean that it won’t come up and that I won’t give this as an example of math at a later date...maybe. I just don’t see a need to tell her right now that it is anything other than something she likes to do.