Just truckin' along with daily life. Today when we got on the car to go to school, Claire said it was cold outside - it was 80 degrees. Still praying for rain, but the cooler morning temperature is a blessing. And hilarious that it is considered cool.
The kids got all scared this morning because I stopped the car on the way to school to help a little girl who had fallen off her bike. Some dad was offering to give her a ride to school. I couldn't even look him in the face because, basically, that is an off-limits offer from men. Sad, but true. There was no way I was going to let that girl get in his truck even if his own daughter was strapped in there. Luckily, her mom was driving by and saw us all, so it resolved. I felt sad that this guy wanted to help but, really, nobody was going to let him. It ain't worth the risk. Anyway, the kids were scared because I left them in the car for a whole whopping 5 minutes while I was on the sidewalk with the girl and the guy and the crossing guard. Claire was trying to get Charlotte to get out and walk the rest of the way to school. Hello - I'm right here on the sidewalk. You can see me. Calm yourselves. They weren't even tardy, by the way.
Gabe is bored with anything inside this house. He wants a playdate every single day. No. The end. Learn to cope. You have toys, crafts, tv, computer, books, and me. That should cover all your needs.
Andy isn't home much these days. I feel like I never see him. He leaves early, gets home late, and often travels. When did we get to this stage in life?
My library books are overdue, but I'm not willing to drive out there, even if I do want something to read. If I didn't have Gabe, maybe I would. Kids change the library drastically. I always imagine it as me sitting in one of the comfy chairs by the window, browsing magazines for a couple of hours. Then browsing the books for another couple of hours. Then me checking out a dozen. Then me reading for another hour or two at the library before coming home. Okay, even if I shrunk all of those activities down to one hour total, it is drastically different than library-with-kid. Reality consists of me dragging him by the hand to the specific books I already looked up and then hurrying back to the kid section to watch him play on the computer, watch him play with toys, watch him play with puzzles, and then, when it is finally time to check out, watch him frantically grab 10 books he doesn't even look at. Then either finding a penny for that swirly thing or dragging him past the swirly thing while he complains in order to leave. Not nearly as relaxing.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
You know that tired feeling?
I have it all day. I blame the crow. I am about to go downstairs and launch into the homework-dinner-activity days-bedtime roller coaster that, once started, you cannot get off until the very, very end.
I feel like this year is very different from previous school years. The kids aren't having as much fun with their work. I understand that is to be expected. Except I didn't expect it. And I'm a little sad about it, too. On the flip side, they work more independently than ever before. Hey, wait, maybe I don't feel as important and crucial! Whatever it is, it is different. I remind myself we are only a couple of months into school, and routines take time to gel.
We have been getting rain finally during this record drought in Texas. I thank the Lord daily for it. It's amazing that mankind, with our best efforts and intentions, can only pray for the Lord to make the elements work for our good. I'm grateful to Him and hopeful the rain keeps up until the land is healed. I'm also grateful for the experiences I've had with my kids praying and growing our faith.
It has cooled down to a tolerable 95 degrees, and I never thought I'd feel like that was bearable. And yet, after a summer in the hundreds and drier than dust, I feel like it is almost fall weather. It's all relative, eh?
Speaking of real fall weather, I wonder if we'll get any. I wonder if winter will hurt as much as summer did. I dread the cold ever so much more than the heat. Heat hurts, yes, but cold makes me want to cry.
I feel like this year is very different from previous school years. The kids aren't having as much fun with their work. I understand that is to be expected. Except I didn't expect it. And I'm a little sad about it, too. On the flip side, they work more independently than ever before. Hey, wait, maybe I don't feel as important and crucial! Whatever it is, it is different. I remind myself we are only a couple of months into school, and routines take time to gel.
We have been getting rain finally during this record drought in Texas. I thank the Lord daily for it. It's amazing that mankind, with our best efforts and intentions, can only pray for the Lord to make the elements work for our good. I'm grateful to Him and hopeful the rain keeps up until the land is healed. I'm also grateful for the experiences I've had with my kids praying and growing our faith.
It has cooled down to a tolerable 95 degrees, and I never thought I'd feel like that was bearable. And yet, after a summer in the hundreds and drier than dust, I feel like it is almost fall weather. It's all relative, eh?
Speaking of real fall weather, I wonder if we'll get any. I wonder if winter will hurt as much as summer did. I dread the cold ever so much more than the heat. Heat hurts, yes, but cold makes me want to cry.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Fabric Obsessed!
Note to self: DO NOT start looking at quilting fabrics online. You do not have the money to feed the raging beast.
I like making baby quilts. I'm only okay at it, but I really like it. The BEST part is picking fabrics. And there are SO MANY CUTE ONES, and they aren't cheap, so I can't buy any at all because I won't be able to stop myself. I will be floating in a sea of cotton fabric that probably won't ever get made into quilts at all. I'll show you a few, and I'll try to stop myself from putting a million pictures on here.
I like making baby quilts. I'm only okay at it, but I really like it. The BEST part is picking fabrics. And there are SO MANY CUTE ONES, and they aren't cheap, so I can't buy any at all because I won't be able to stop myself. I will be floating in a sea of cotton fabric that probably won't ever get made into quilts at all. I'll show you a few, and I'll try to stop myself from putting a million pictures on here.
Lovely Owls and flowers and checks!
I love these fabrics. They are just so wonderful and happy together.
SOCK MONKEY QUILT!
Birds and Chairs quilt.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Keeping the Sabbath and Passing the Final
So, you may remember a year ago I started taking a New Testament course online from BYU. FINALLY, today, I took the final exam! Woo hoo! I feel good about it.
Okay, so the thing is, here's the thing, that I'm not a finisher. I completed all my assignments in maybe December or January. So why the long delay before the exam? I kept getting discouraged by the lack of success in finding a proctor. Don't tell me it's easy. I called a multitude of places as well as requested a personal person to no avail. FINALLY, though, a place picked up the phone. And I made the appointment and ordered the final and took it and paid for it and it is DONE!
Because of the long break between classes and final, however, I had to basically go through the entire course again in order to study and prepare. Which leads me to keeping the Sabbath. Yesterday I spent the entire day reading the Bible. I went to church, took a short nap, made food for my kids, and read the scriptures. All all all day. I wish I were so faithful a Sabbath keeper all the time. Alas. It was a good experience, though, and so much easier to do with clear goals and objectives to my studying as opposed to just reading along on my own.
Just so you know, this weekend I read 100 chapters and 44 Bible dictionary entries along with the course material. A. Maze. Ing.
Conclusion: The gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ. I love the scriptures.
Okay, so the thing is, here's the thing, that I'm not a finisher. I completed all my assignments in maybe December or January. So why the long delay before the exam? I kept getting discouraged by the lack of success in finding a proctor. Don't tell me it's easy. I called a multitude of places as well as requested a personal person to no avail. FINALLY, though, a place picked up the phone. And I made the appointment and ordered the final and took it and paid for it and it is DONE!
Because of the long break between classes and final, however, I had to basically go through the entire course again in order to study and prepare. Which leads me to keeping the Sabbath. Yesterday I spent the entire day reading the Bible. I went to church, took a short nap, made food for my kids, and read the scriptures. All all all day. I wish I were so faithful a Sabbath keeper all the time. Alas. It was a good experience, though, and so much easier to do with clear goals and objectives to my studying as opposed to just reading along on my own.
Just so you know, this weekend I read 100 chapters and 44 Bible dictionary entries along with the course material. A. Maze. Ing.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Pinterest Obsession
At first, I wasn't sure about this pinterest.com thing. What is it? Just like a picture and they save it for you? Okay, fine. See what other people like? I guess, could be interesting.
And then something happened. I realized that pinterest is akin to looking at magazines with my friends and exclaiming over all the stuff we like and then ripping out the pictures to save. Now that I've done. That I like.
And so I have been spending way too much leisure time browsing around the internet looking at floorplans and home blogs and furniture websites, just clicking my little "Pin It" button and writing a phrase or two about what's so great about this picture.
And here's where it gets gratifying - some stranger repins it. Which means I am not the only one who likes that thing, and how fun is it that some lady somewhere found something she liked on my board! Even better than that, a friend of mine repins it, and I think, "We have that in common!"
It feels very much like looking at wedding magazines in high school and preplanning the entire event. I have heard both of my 13 year old nieces do the same thing. Dreaming is fun.
The very best part, however, is that now I have an online file of all these home ideas that I love. Never to be misplaced. Never to forget what website I saw something at and try to find it again. And in order to include a picture on this post, here are a couple of things I've pinned:
And then something happened. I realized that pinterest is akin to looking at magazines with my friends and exclaiming over all the stuff we like and then ripping out the pictures to save. Now that I've done. That I like.
And so I have been spending way too much leisure time browsing around the internet looking at floorplans and home blogs and furniture websites, just clicking my little "Pin It" button and writing a phrase or two about what's so great about this picture.
And here's where it gets gratifying - some stranger repins it. Which means I am not the only one who likes that thing, and how fun is it that some lady somewhere found something she liked on my board! Even better than that, a friend of mine repins it, and I think, "We have that in common!"
It feels very much like looking at wedding magazines in high school and preplanning the entire event. I have heard both of my 13 year old nieces do the same thing. Dreaming is fun.
The very best part, however, is that now I have an online file of all these home ideas that I love. Never to be misplaced. Never to forget what website I saw something at and try to find it again. And in order to include a picture on this post, here are a couple of things I've pinned:
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