"Recent" projects

I don't have much extra energy these days, and what little bit I have is often spent tap-tap-tapping away perusing the internet "for just a few minutes", while an hour (or more) quickly slips away.  Two occasions in the past few months gave me the opportunity to put my creative juices to a more useful purpose than cataloging projects I would "one day work on." 

One was when a dear friend had a sweet little baby.  I'd been wanting to make this particular type of blanket for a while and Asher's impending arrival prompted me to finally do it.  I love, love, love the look and feel of this blanket. 

 I did not so much love, love, love how it took 10,000 times longer than I anticipated. (Which is why Asher was 4 weeks old when he finally got it.  Even though his arrival date had been scheduled months in advance.  [Side note: when I started working on this, Jared was all, You'll never finish that in time.  And I was all, What do you know? Obviously I've given myself ample time to finish this project that will take me no time at all.  Wellll, apparently he knows better than me.  Don't tell him I said that.])

 At one point while making this blanket, I was surrounded by my sewing machine and multiple stacks of fabric circles and a friend (the recipient's father, to be exact) commented that it was a little weird for me to be giving a bunch of homemade nursing pads as a baby shower gift.  Uhhhh, yup.  That WOULD be weird! 

The moral of this story is if you want me to make you one of these sweet blankets, tell me as soon as you find out you're pregnant so I have plenty of time.  Better yet, just let me know when you're trying to conceive.  Just don't be weird about it.  

The other opportunity that prompted some craftiness was Anna's Christmas gift.  Years ago, a friend's mom made some quiet books for her grandchildren.  I admire them every time I'm at their house, and I decided Anna needed something like it.  Even though I kept it fairly simple, I still just barely finished in time for Christmas.  I used fabric that I already had on hand for the entire thing, and had to purchase a few random things to put in the book (tassels, elastic, grommets, ribbon).  Have you ever looked at these kinds of books on Etsy?  They are expensive.  Now I know why.  

(Quick note-- some of these photos refuse to rotate, no matter what I do.  Sooooo, you will have to deal with it.)

 I kept the covers simple and without her name because I knew they'd be passed to other siblings one day.  And this way I wouldn't be required to make another.  :) 

 The petals are removable.  Anna can't do the buttons yet, but she does like to spin the petals around them.

 I do love these little jellies that move along the strings. 

 I tried to keep everything that was removable from the page attached by a ribbon so it wouldn't be lost forever.  

 Anna's second favorite page-- the letters are attached by snap buttons and can be tucked in the pocket below.  

 There's some soft, wooly fabric inside the mittens for her to feel. 

 You know how when you get new sheets and they come in those clear plastic thingies?  I always saved them, thinking I would surely have a use for them.  I had been waiting for this moment for years, and here it is:

 A slip in pocket for photos.  

 Do you see how the tie-closure is not in the center of the covers?  That's what happens when you stop measuring and just start eye-balling because it's December 23rd and this just.needs.to.be.FINISHED.  Like a week ago, so I could actually enjoy the days leading up to Christmas. 

Now.  Does this make you think I am super crafty or competent or capable of having things together enough to use time to do these fun things? 

BAAAHAHAHAHA.  Don't be fooled.  

If I was going to share the good stuff, I figured it was only fair to share the not so good as well.  Below are some photos of my kitchen and living room area earlier today.  There was stuff EVERYWHERE in our house.  Nothing was in its proper place, and to be honest, it's been like that for a few days.  But when I take the time to work on projects that are fun for me, this is what happens to our living spaces-- they explode. 

Dirty dishes in the sink.  Two compost bowls needing to be emptied. 

 A sweet view of our dining room table.  Clearly not used for dining, but more so for puzzles, school work, laundry folding, and apparently a place to put your to-be-planted pansies. 

For what it's worth, I did use the afternoon to tidy up.  We'll see how long it lasts. 

School Time

It's only been half of a year that we've been officially homeschooling our kids. From what I've gathered of it thus far, the fact that we homeschool is fairly interesting to most people.  When many folks find out we do, I generally get one of two responses: 

"Oh, I could never do that.  We'd be at each other's throats."

or 

"How does that work?"

Lest anyone think my children and I have some sort of super powers of love and patience towards one another, let me just say that some days we ARE at each other's throats.  It is hard.  There are days when Jared comes home and I say, "This is it.  We're not doing it with multiple kids at a time."  But those are the days when I am trying to keep an agenda of ridiculous structure and I forget-- these kids are 5 and 3.  And really, those days are few and far between. 

When I remember that the beauty of homeschooling is the freedom within it, those are the days we have fun. 

 Telling time.  I dragged their little bodies around the rug, tick-tocking the whole way.  They thought 12 o' clock was the most fun.  Naturally. 

 Leah really likes memorizing verses.  And she soaks it up waaaaaay quicker than I do. 

Last Friday, I scrapped our standard plans of handwriting, reading, and math to do more of an interactive activity.  We started off the day at the library, and then followed up with a sewing project for both of the kids.  They've been begging me for months to learn how to use my sewing machine and I'd been dragging my feet doing it.  Sewing is one of my relaxing breaks.  It's always been something I haven't had to share with anyone.  And I was worried if I taught them how to do it, they'd be asking to use my stuff all the time.  It sounds pretty selfish when I type it out like that, but I am pretty sure that any mom out there can understand the need to have something that is just ours. 

At any rate, I came up with a simple scarf for them to make on my basic sewing machine.  And in that simple activity, we covered all the standard lessons I usually do.  They practiced using rulers and measuring lines on paper before they measured the fabric itself (Hello, Math!).  They then followed step by step instructions on how to make scarves (almost) all by themselves (There's Reading!).  The result was two incredibly happy kids who love to show off their scarves to anyone who will look at them.  

 Pinning the fabric...

 Leah wrote out her steps and once she was done, she put together a "How to Make a Scarf" booklet, complete with illustrations (There's that handwriting practice!).  I think this one will go in the files forever. 

 Yes, we had to use a bucket for them to reach the pedal. 

 I love these little hands. 

 Sir Grumpy Pants does not like having pictures taken.  I tried to make him smile.  It clearly didn't work. 

Final products.  They worked super hard on these and were into the project from start to finish.  If you see them wearing their new scarves, I'd love it if you could comment on how much work and patience it must have taken for them to finish the scarves.  Because it really did! And I was really impressed with their determination. 

As far as the "How does it work?" question?  It varies, day by day.  Sometimes we sit at the table for 2 hours straight banging stuff out.  Sometimes we trail blaze through the woods, filling our journals up with pictures of plants to compare to plant i.d. guides upon our return home.  And some days we just curl up on the couch with a really good novel and I read to them.  All. Day. Long. 

Again, I will say that it is hard.  And yet, I really, really love it.  (More than I ever thought I would.) Sometimes I worry that I am slighting them in some capacity because they aren't learning Spanish or doing crazy art projects on a daily basis, but then I remind myself that they have time to play with each other and friends, that they are being taught by someone who loves them beyond comprehension and that they are just 5 and 3.  And in the end, they are going to be fine. 

Baby Steps

Since I never followed through with my idea of daily posts about Anna (big surprise!), I figured I would just keep the theme going for a little while.  And why not?  She's full of all things cuteness. 

Last Thursday, October 17th, Anna took her first steps.  There were only a few; 4 to be exact.  And it was one of those moments when my heart almost burst into a million pieces.  Partially from the absolute joy on her face as she realized what she was doing.  (Anna literally laughed out loud with every step she took.  She was so proud of herself.)  And partially because I recognized that this might be the last time I watch one of my babies take their first steps.  While Jared and I had always anticipated having 4 children, God has changed those plans for us and we're more and more feeling as if Anna will be our last biological baby.  And since I don't know how old our little Ethiopian children are going to be when they arrive home, I view all of Anna's baby milestones through somewhat of a bittersweet lens because it could be the last time for us.   

For this particular moment, I was able to focus on the joy Anna felt in her new "ability".  On the excitement of Leah and Isaac as they cheered her on.  And on the absolute love I have for this sweet baby girl.  It may sound dramatic, but it was one of those times when it felt like the clock slowed down for just a few moments.  I could literally feel myself soaking it all in.  I am so thankful I was there to witness it.  (One of the joys of being home all the time.) 

I did notice the shift in my thought process when picking up the phone to announce Anna's big accomplishment.  At almost one year exactly from my mom's death, my brain is learning not to automatically think, "Call Mom!" when there is something I want to share.  Naturally, instead I thought, "Call Dad!"... these things take time.  Baby steps, right? 

All of those emotions from 4 teeny steps.  Isn't it funny how for a family with young children, a baby's first steps are as celebrated and monumental as Neil Armstrong's walking on the moon?  This is big stuff, people.  Big stuff. 

 Taken on the beach in North Carolina.  She got a good bath after this.  Ya know, to wash ALL THE SAND off all of those places. 

 Because not everybody wants to spend their first birthday at a soccer game.  

 I am often struck by her beautiful eyes and delicate features. 

Dimples!

I know these pictures are flashy and not really well done composition-wise as far as any decent photographer is concerned, but I don't care.   They show such a glimpse into the personality of our big-eyed, dimple-cheeked little girl.  See for yourself.

*Photos taken in August 2013*

Milestones, Shmilestones...

Anna, I will do my best right here to document the "milestones" of your first year.  They are already a bit foggy on the exact dates, but you get the idea.  

• You've been little in size since the beginning, but you've also been our chunkiest baby yet.  And also our shortest. So while you might look chubby with those sweet baby rolls, you've maxed out at the 30% for weight... and stayed around 4% for height (latest stats from your 9 month check up). 
• You slept through the night for the first time around 5-6 weeks.  It was GLORIOUS.  But after about 3 weeks, you decided sleeping all night was for the birds and you went back to waking me up.  Over and over and over again.  You didn't officially start sleeping through the night for the long haul until you were about 9-10 months old.  (I definitely felt like BNL had created the theme song for my life-- Who needs sleep?  Well, you're never gonna get it.  Who needs sleep?  Tell me what's that for?)
• You hated, hated tummy time.  And we didn't push it because you would just spit up and then lay your head down in it.  And that's gross. 
• You rolled over at 4 months, and sat up unassisted at 6.  But since we have hardwood throughout the house, we never really wanted you to sit without a menagerie of pillows around you. 
• You have always been content to sit and watch what was going on around you.  Which was fine with us, so we never coaxed you to move.  And that's why it took you until you were almost 9 months old to start crawling.  It was only a few weeks later that you started to pull to stand up.  And then at 10 months you started cruising along the furniture.  You've been content with crawling, since you're pretty speedy at it, and it wasn't until just last week that you discovered the fun in walking while someone holds your hands.  It's only a matter of time now...
• You had your first big trip when you were 3 weeks old.  We drove to Texas so I could say goodbye to my mama, your Oma.  We placed her gentle hand on your head just once so we could know that she'd met and touched her newest granddaughter.  She loved you, Anna girl.  I could hear it in her voice over the phone when I called to tell her just how beautifully perfect you were.  On that same trip, you got to meet your Opa, and he loved on you and held you for a little while.  He used to take pictures of you to his work and show them off to his co-workers, saying, "Isn't she absolutely adorable?"  I'd have to agree with him.  
• Just one week shy of your first birthday, you finally got your first tooth--bottom left.  I've had the joy of looking at that gummy smile for almost an entire year, and I've loved it!  
• But being toothless hasn't held you back at all.  You've eaten normal foods for a while now, and your favorites are cheese, grapes, green beans (well, beans of any kind, really) and broccoli.  
• You've just recently started attempting to say words.  And I use that phrase loosely, because all you really do is just make noise after I say something.  It's ok, it's pretty cute. 
• You are super duper ticklish.  
• You think peek a boo is the best game ever.  
• Sleeping without your pacifier and mimi (taggie blanket) is not an option.  They are essentials, and you love to rub your face in the blankie while you're falling asleep.  
• There are all kinds of campaigns about making babies sleep on their backs.  You didn't pay any attention to those, as you've slept on your belly from the minute you could roll onto it on your own.
•  Almost everyone who meets you comments on how happy and content you are because you are!  Almost all the time.   

*Pictures taken in June 2013*

*Pictures taken in August 2013*

 So happy to be standing!

 My watermelon girls

 It doesn't matter what you are doing, as soon as that camera comes out, you MUST HAVE IT.

 It's a little bit crowded in there. 

 Your happy, snorty face.  

 I love that gummy smile. 

Sharing a snack with the big kids.