Just a Sample of my Life

Been neglecting

2012-01-20T19:27:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much. I don't think I have anyone that really reads here, but I like to be able to go back and look at things I've posted over time. I've just been busy since Christmas. (Still need to add the last few Elf pics so we'll have them all together to look at next year)

Christmas was great. We woke up early Sunday morning to see what Santa had brought and then hit the road to SC to see the family. The kids enjoyed spending time there and then Monday morning we drove back home. I had the week off of work so it was nice to relax and enjoy some time off.

My latest projects have involved power tools and lumber. I've been building. I got the itch to build a side table for the kitchen when I couldn't find one in my (cheap) price range and it turned out great for what I had. A miter box and a hand saw and a drill. I cut all the wood with my hand saw with the exception of the top board. I did use my jig saw for that one. I had to buy treated 2x2s so I've been waiting on the wood to dry out and I'm hoping for clear weather tomorrow so I can paint. I'm staining the top board and painting everything else black to coordinate with my kitchen table. Then this week I build a skinnier and taller version of my side table to go behind my couch. It literally took about 30 minutes thanks to the nice guys at Ace cutting the 2x2s to length for me. Unfortunately it ended up being shorter than I wanted (they cut it where I asked them too but when I got it made, I decided I wanted it taller). I'm going to get some more wood cut and replace the legs with the taller ones.

I've also been upcycling stuff for the house. I used a scrap piece of wood to make a sign with our last name on it. And found a cute plate and candle holder that I painted black and glued together to make a cute stand for the kitchen.

I'll have to get off my butt and post some pics of all the things I've done when they're finished and all set up. I can't wait to show them off.

Dec. 18-22

2011-12-22T19:51:00.001-08:00

More Patric pics. This little guy only has 2 more nights with us before he heads back to the North Pole until next Christmas season.

Dec. 18

Dec. 19

Dec. 20

Dec. 21

Dec. 22

Dec. 9-17

2011-12-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've gotten behind in posting the pics of the elf's adventures so I thought I'd combine them into one post. LJ has really enjoyed looking for Patrick each morning when he wakes up. I'm going to miss this little guy after Christmas.

Dec. 9

Dec. 10

Dec. 11

Dec. 12

Dec. 13

Dec. 14

Dec. 15

Dec. 16

Dec. 17

My little brother

2011-12-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

My little brother is all grown up. Married and now expecting his first child. Ricky and Chrissy make such a cute couple. Last weekend they asked me to snap a few pics of them and I just thought I'd share some of my favorites. The third picture was us picking on studio photographers. You know the way they always make you pose with your hand on the other person's chest and your heads leaned in touching? It was a silly picture, but it turned out cute.

Letters to Santa

2011-12-16T21:11:00.000-08:00

Maxwell Elementary had a Breakfast with Santa last Saturday morning and LJ went. He had a great time. First he enjoyed a pancake and sausage breakfast from McDonalds. After breakfast he typed his letter to Santa and then went to get his picture made with Santa. The last thing he did was decorate a picture frame. It was a great event and I'm glad I was able to take LJ.

Everyone wrote a letter to Santa (LJ and Alyssa were there to type their own letter and I typed Trinity up one. I knew what she wanted). They had a mailbox set up at the school for everyone to put their letter to Santa in, but we decided to bring ours home so Patrick could deliver them to Santa when he flew back to the North Pole for his daily report.

Christmas fun at school

2011-12-16T20:59:00.000-08:00

I came across a cute idea for a goody bag on Pinterest. It's a packet of hot chocolate mix, mini marshmallows, candy cane and hershey kisses. SNOWMAN SOUP. I decided to make up enough for Trinity and LJ's classes and a few for Alyssa's friends. I didn't have time to make a fancy tag, so I just printed this simple tag and attached them to the bags.

For teacher gifts this year I decided on monogrammed fleece blankets. I got a sweet email from one of the teachers this afternoon telling me how much she loved the blanket and that she was ready to get home and snuggle up under it. I'm so glad I'm able to do things like this for the special people in our lives.

All wrapped up and ready for the teachers

Mr. Cook, Mrs. Hayes, Mrs. King

Mrs. Poss, Mrs. Land, Mrs. Howard

And LJ filled out the envelopes for the cards that we attached to the bags. He usually writes butter, but I had given him a sharpie pen to write with and I think that messed him up a little.

We have truly been blessed with teachers this year for the younger two. Alyssa had Mrs. Land and Mrs. Howard last year and they're great. I know Mrs. Poss and was excited to find out she was teaching Trinity this year along with Mrs. Howard and Mrs. Land. And LJ's teachers are fantastic. I told Mrs. Hayes that the group just needed to move on up to teach 1st grade next year so LJ could have them all again.

Dec. 8

2011-12-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

Patrick decided to be a little naughty when he returned from the North Pole today. That crazy little elf.

Dec. 7

2011-12-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

I didn't even hear the little guy come back in the house as I slept on the couch right next to the stockings. He perched himself in LJ's stocking when he came back from the North Pole.

Dec. 6

2011-12-07T06:31:00.001-08:00

Patrick resting on my Merry Christmas blocks.

Dec. 5

2011-12-07T06:30:00.001-08:00

Patrick decided to hang out in my wreath. Glad he sat on the side opposite my bow...I worked hard on it.

Patrick is here

2011-12-07T06:23:00.000-08:00

Well, Santa sent an elf our way. He was given the name of Patrick (because Spongebob was vetoed...hehe) LJ calls him Pink Patrick because of Patrick the starfish on Spongebob. Silly boy.

He arrived Sunday with breakfast and what a breakfast it was. He brought snow covered donuts, blueberry muffins, red and green elf milk and peppermints. He also left each kid a special little gift (the girls got fun socks and LJ got a magnetic face toy like I used to play with as a kid!) He even brought snow from the North Pole in a can. Amazing stuff.

Wonder where all Patrick will hang around while he's visiting us this year?

I'll be posting pics everyday of where he decided to hang out around the house. I will simply label the post with the date. This way I can have the pics together and have them printed for a keepsake for this year's fun.

Cookies!

2011-12-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year for cookie making and baking fun. I bought a big tube of the sugar cookie dough the other day at Walmart and thought I'd let the kids have a little fun with it. I looked up a recipe for cookie icing too because I've been wanting to try it. (not especially happy with the result...may try another recipe) I don't have many christmas themed cookie cutters, but the kids had fun anyways.

Our elf arrives tomorrow

2011-12-03T21:25:00.000-08:00

I cannot wait until tomorrow morning. Santa is sending us our very own elf to watch over the kids. He's bringing breakfast with him from the North Pole.
This is our first year with an elf (Elf on a Shelf).

Will post pictures tomorrow of our breakfast.

7 Years

2011-11-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

Joe and I recently celebrated out 7th wedding anniversary. This year we decided to plan to trip somewhere for just the two of us. After some thought, we decided on Savannah, GA. Neither of us had been there so it would be new to us.

We arrived in town on Thanksgiving day and we're staying until Sunday. So far the trip has been wonderful! Today we did an on/off trolley tour. We got to see the major historic sites of Savannah and got lots of great pics. Tomorrow we're going to check out the Railroad Museum where I hope to get good pics for LJ. We'll also see the Nutcracker Ballet at the Lucas Theater. Isn't my hubby the best for taking me to a ballet on our vacation? I love this guy.

Thankful

2011-11-18T09:27:00.000-08:00

I have so much to be thankful for in my life! A lot of my friends on facebook are posting each day about what they are thankful for. I didn't do it, so I thought I'd post here.

1. My parents. Without them I wouldn't have made it were I am today. I made mistakes in my past but they always stood by me and encouraged me. I love you Mom and Dad.
2. My siblings. I am so thankful to have 2 sisters and 2 brothers to go through life with.
3. My husband. Thanks to my oldest sister, I met my husband 9 years ago. Life hasn't always been easy for us, but we've stuck through and we just celebrated out 7 year anniversary.
4. My kids. I pull my hair out many days, but my world is complete with my three beautiful babies in it.
5. My family. I value family very much and love having most of my family close to me so we can see them often.
6. My job. I have a wonderful job and am very thankful for that. I love the staff and my boss and feel right at home.

I have tons more to be thankful for, but for now this will do. I know I feel like I am always wanting more of something, but when I really think about it I know that I have everything I need and am thankful to God that He has blessed me with my rich life.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Freezer Paper Stencil

2011-11-02T20:59:00.001-07:00

Print or draw your image onto the non shiny side of freezer paper. For this image, I just cut a piece of freezer paper to 8.5 x 11 and printed the image on the paper. Then using an Xacto knife, cut out the pieces you want to be painted.

After you have finished cutting the image out, iron down the freezer paper onto your shirt.

Then, using fabric paint, paint the shirt. Be careful not to go outside the border of the freezer paper (learned this the hard way when I was on a roll hurrying through a shirt)

You may need to do more than one coat of paint. After the paint starts to dry, check for spots that you might have missed. I had to do two coats on this shirt. When the paint is completely dry, peel off the freezer paper. Follow the directions on the paint you're using for finishing the paint. The one I am using directs that you let the paint air dry for 24 hours and then heat set with an iron.

Sewing for my nephew

2011-10-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yep...it's a BOY! I found out yesterday and I immediately had ideas running through my head for things I could sew. I knew I wanted to make a quilt. I've been bitten by the quilting bug and itching to sew one. I chose a pattern to use last night and today I started cutting some fabric up. I'm starting with these fabrics, but I will be adding some more as I go. I was just picking from my fabric stash (which I realize has way too much girly fabrics). I'm waiting on my white fabric to finish washing/drying so I can cut those squares too. Can't wait to post a pic of the progress.

(don't know why blogger is rotating my picture but I can't fix it)

Fall has arrived

2011-10-02T07:02:00.001-07:00

I woke up this morning to a very cool house and a craving for pumpkin bread. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the cool weather and the beautiful colors of fall. I decided to try a homemade pumpkin bread recipe that I found online last night. You can find it here on Skip To My Lou. This site is fabulous.

I wanted the bread to be pretty so I pulled out this bundt pan that I bought at a thrift store years ago. I've never used it...it still had the price sticker on it! It came out of the oven about ten minutes ago so I'm waiting on it to cool so I can taste it. It sure does look yummy! (It made enough for this bundt pan and a loaf pan--which I overfilled so it's still baking)

Little man is worn out

2011-10-01T17:35:00.001-07:00

LJ spent the night last night with his Aunt Mitzi. Today he tagged along while she went yard saling, to Stephanie's house and then to the Oliver Hardy Festival. He got home about 6pm. I could tell when he got home that he was sleepy but he wouldn't admit it. He played a little in his room then layed on the chair. I was in the kitchen and when I peaked into the living room I saw he'd passed out. I knew as soon as he got still he'd be gone.

Gotta love his accessories...a silly band, a lei, a shark's tooth necklace and one glove. I love this boy!

Couch to 5K

2011-09-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I was inspired by a fellow Sewing Mama by her post of her new slimmer, fit body. She started with the C25K a year ago and she's down 3 pant sizes!! I know I need to get in shape and I'd like to try to shed a few inches so I am diving into the C25K! Went for my first run tonight.

Five minute warm up walk followed by alternating cycles on 60 seconds jogging and 90 seconds walking for 20 minutes and then finishing up with a five minute cool down walk. I wanted to give up around the halfway mark, but I stayed with it and I feel great (by great I mean even though my poor legs are screaming in pain at me right now I feel awesome). I'm going to do my next run on Saturday and I'm going to have to get me some running shoes. The shoes I have now are NOT going to cut it. Hoping Academy will have a pair that won't break the bank.

Tonight I did 4 1/2 laps around the track (2 1/8 lap= 1 mile)

First Day of School

2011-08-18T03:19:00.001-07:00

Today is the first day of school for 11/12. I've got all 3 kids going to different schools this year! What an adventure open house was. And this morning my insides are in knots. I'm nervous for Alyssa because she's going to middle school and I know she's a little nervous about getting lost. Once she gets to her homeroom class she'll be fine because all the kids in her homeroom go to the same classes until the last 2 periods when they have electives. And she's only got gym on another hall...everything else in on the same hall. That makes me feel good, but I'm still nervous for her.
Trinity will be fine. She's at the same school she's been at since K with all the same friends and teachers she knows. LJ will be going to a new school for a special class. He's been to the school twice and he knows his teacher and what color hall he's supposed to be on. I'm just worried that he's going to cry and not want me to leave him when it's time.
So, pray that my stomach unknots itself soon...though I know I'll be worried about them all day.

New Blog

2011-06-14T20:27:00.000-07:00

I've started a separate blog that focuses on LJ and his therapy. I was encouraged to do this blog by LJ's occupational therapist so I've decided to take the plunge. This will also help me keep track of the progress of the therapy room that I'm taking on.

Please check it out.

Memory

2011-06-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about memory? My memory...well, it's about gone. I can walk in the house and put down my book and then 10 minutes later go to get it and realize I can't remember where I put it. Yeah, I've warned my husband that I'll be a mess when I get to the age where I supposed to be having memory issues.

LJ's memory though is fabulous. The other day I told him that he was going to go to the dentist and have his teeth cleaned. He wanted to know if I was going to clean his teeth. I told him no and explained that Mrs. Andrea would be doing the cleaning. He then wanted to know who Mrs. Andrea was. So I said "Remember that party you went to at Jump City with the firetruck slide?" He said he did. "Remember the little boy's mommy?" He said he did. "That's who is cleaning your teeth...that's Mrs. Andrea." He said he knew who it was and then offered the extra information. "I got a scratch on the firetruck slide?" he asked. Gee..now that I think about it...he did get a scratch. This party was 6+ months ago. And he remembered a little scratch he got.

This happens all the time. I dropped Alyssa off at a pool for a birthday party and then picked her up. LJ was with me. Months later we were heading over to my brother's house and we passed by the pool (running the speed limit of 55 so we passed fairly quickly). As soon as we passed the pool LJ said "We took Alyssa to a party there?"

And the most amazing one is him remembering his Popa Wyman. He saw him when he was two and then didn't see him again until he was three. We don't have pictures up of him so there was no way for him to be seeing a picture of him and asking who he was to remember his face. But one day Joe had him at the store when they run into Popa Wyman and LJ called out "There's Popa" He'd not seen the man for a year and he was two the last time he did see him. I thought that was just amazing that he remembered him.

Maybe I should start telling LJ where I put my book/keys/bag/mail when I walk through the door so he can remind me where they are when I can't find them. :)

Finished!!!

2011-05-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

This quilt is for LJ's room. It took me an hour to choose the 9 different fabrics and several days to convince myself that this pattern was the one I wanted to use. I started cutting and sewing and cutting and sewing some more and I finally finished it up tonight.

I'm already getting started on my next quilt and I have the quilting bug now!

My List of Books

2011-05-11T13:57:00.000-07:00

A Thousand Splendid Suns by: Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner by: Khaled Hosseini
No Greater Love by: Danielle Steele
Mirror Image by: Danielle Steele
House Rules by: Jodi Picoult
For Pete’s Sake by: Geri Buckley
Love Under Cover by: Jo Edwards
Summer’s Child by: Diane Chamberlain
Sickened; The True Story of a Lost Childhood by: Juli Gregory

I've read more this year, but I wasn't keeping track of them. I'll update this list as I read more.

Books

2011-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

I love to read. I always have. If it's a book of my choosing that is. I was never fond of the books they required us to read in school. They weren't my style. I do remember reading one book about a war that was very interesting and I cannot for anything remember what the name of that book was. I'd like to re-read it now and see if I find it interesting still.

About 8 years ago I joined a book club. I wasn't reading as much then as I do now, but enjoyed a good book every now and then. It was one of those clubs that would send you a couple books every month and you could keep or decline them. Well, I'd placed an order and when the box arrived, I opened it thinking they were the books I'd ordered. But they weren't. They were the 3 books that were automatically shipped out. I decided to keep them instead of going through the hassle of trying to return the already opened box. I ended up reading Stuart Woods' 2nd Chance. It was a book about a group of women who solved mysteries. It was extremely interesting and I got hooked on reading Stuart Woods' novels. I then discovered James Patterson. His books were quite similar to James Patterson. And for a couple years I read Woods and Patterson exclusively. Over the last several years, I have broadened by library. I've discovered the fun in reading Danielle Steele. And Nicholas Sparks....boy oh boy can that man put some real feeling into a novel. I didn't think a MAN could have that much emotion. Maybe Nicholas Sparks is just a cover and it's really a woman writing. HAHA

I go to Salvation Army here in town and buy most of my books. They're dirt cheap and at the rate I read it means I won't go broke buying books. I picked up The Kite Runner for a measley .75c and loved it. Who knew I'd enjoy a book based on Afghanistan. I then read A Thousand Splendid Suns and kicked myself in the butt for not reading it sooner. I've picked up books from authors I've never heard of and have enjoyed most of them. I have run into a few loser books but at .75c or $1.75 I don't feel like I've wasted too much money.

I'm trying to keep a list of books I've read now. I wish I'd started this a long time ago. I can only imagine how long that list would be now. My goal is 500 books before I turn 35. I've got 5 years and 20 days!

Mother's Day...Just another day

2011-05-08T15:13:00.001-07:00

The kids bought me some great gifts. They picked them out themselves and I truely love them. However; There was really only one thing that I wanted for Mother's Day. I wanted my girls' minds to be brainwashed so that they'd never argue again.

I complain to others about this all the time, but I seriously doubt they understand just how much my girls argue. It's constant. And it's about the dumbest stuff just like in the comic above. I used to buy each one of them the same thing but recently I quit. It's just not logical. Sometimes one needs something and the other doesn't. Take for example today. I went shopping and bought Trinity a skirt, a shirt and a pair of sandals. She needed some more dressy stuff and a few more shirts for summer because a lot of hers from last year are just worn out. She needed some white sandals for church. I bought Alyssa a formal dress. She wanted a fancy new dress for her 5th grade graduation. She was all excited about her dress until she realized that it was the only thing I'd bought for her where as I bought Trinity 3 things. So, she got all sour and started stomping off to her room.

And if they each pick out a box of poptarts they'll argue when the other one starts eating them.

I'm just slowly losing my mind. By the time they're teenagers I'll be put away in a mental institution with a straight jacket and a room with padded walls.

I don't understand

2011-05-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

I've taken almost everything out of the girls' room. They don't play with toys so there are only a couple of stuffed animals in their room that they want to hang on to for sentimental reason. The thing that confuses me is the room is always a mess. I have told them for a couple weeks that if they don't clean up everything will be gone once I go in there. So, I've started on their room, but I needed a break. I looked on the side of the bed (the bed sits against the wall) and there was a huge pile of stuff. Clothing, candy, paper, drink bottles (they're not supposed to eat or drink in their room!), shoes and blankets. I seriously have an entire load of laundry JUST of the things that were under/beside their beds. How rediculous. They'll be unhappy to realize when they get home that they'll only have a bed and their clothes in their room. I'm taking out the computer, the desk, the purses and accessories....everything that isn't necessary. They'll have to earn it back and I have a feeling that it'll be a while before they do.

This post really doesn't have any meaning...just needed to vent somewhere!

I was fretting for nothing

2011-05-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

I was going to make LJ a quilt for his bed because I couldn't find a quilt ready made that I liked. I bought all the fabric and got started on it when I found a solid green quilt at Target that I liked. So, I bought the green quilt and decided I'd do a throw size quilt with the fabric that I'd bought. This was great because 1) it would go quicker and 2) it wouldn't be quite so scarey to quilt it.

Well, I got the top sewn together this morning and then went to JoAnns to get the fabric for the backing and binding. I got both the front and back done and started sandwiching everything together. I thought I'd gotten it just right and pinned it all over but when I looked on the back I saw a bunch of wrinkles! I smoothed it out and re-pinned and everything was fine. I decided to do a simple straight line stitching on each side of the seam. It went fairly quickly thanks to my walking foot that came with my new machine. Around the borders I also stitched straight lines...I did 2 rows.

Now I just have to cut the strips for the binding and get that finished. That'll take an entire day itself. Hand sewing the binding is no easy task! I'm so glad I've gotten the most of the work finished and I'm looking forward to making some more quilts to donate.

35 things to do before turning 35

2011-04-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

I was prompted by my best friend to make a list of 35 things to do before I turn 35. I've been thinking about this list since last night when she suggested it. I couldn't really think of more than 5 things I might want on the list.

Have no credit card debt
Overcome my social anxiety or at least have it under control
Make 3 new friends that I form a good bond with

okay well, I could only think of 3.

Then tonight I was helping Alyssa do her extra credit social studies project on jazz music. We were looking up videos on youtube for swing music to add and we came across a video of 2 young kids dancing to swing music and I realized another thing I wanted to add to my list. I want to learn to dance. I want to learn some ballroom dances for sure. My only problem is that I know I want be able to convince my partner in life to be my partner on the dancefloor. Hmmm...Wonder who could be my dance partner. I may need to find a gay guy soon...LOL

I'll keep thinking on those 35 things!

Self diagnosis myself

2011-04-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since LJ was diagnosed with Aspergers I've been wondering if some of my issues didn't mimic his social awkwardness from Aspergers. I really started thinking about it a lot a couple days ago and started researching social anxiety.

According to Wikipedia:
Social anxiety is anxiety (emotional discomfort, fear, apprehension, or worry) about social situations, interactions with others, and being evaluated or scrutinized by other people.[1] The difference between Social Anxiety and normal apprehension of social situations is that social anxiety involves an intense feeling of fear in social situations and especially situations that are unfamiliar or in which you will be watched or evaluated by others. The feeling of fear is so strong that in these types of situations you may be so worried that you feel anxious just thinking about them and will go to great lengths to avoid them. It is the third most prevalent psychiatric disorder according to the US National Comorbidity Survey (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). It can occur at different times of life, and for different reasons.

And on the Wiki page I was linked to a Social Phobia Inventory questionaire. When I answered the questions (which were answered by a scale of not at all to all the time) my results came back saying:

According to your score, you are rated as having modering social anxiety disorder. You should consult a health care professional for possible treatment.

So now I'm thinking about calling my doctor. I'm sure I'd be sent to a psychologist or phsychiatrist for a full evaluation. Maybe not..maybe the doctor can diagnose that. I don't know. But the thought of being able to live a more normal life makes me really want to seek help.

Social Anxiety Disorder Symptoms:
Meeting new people
Fear of criticism or being teased
Drawing attention; being center of attention
Feeling like you are being watched while doing something or fearing you may be watched
Intimated by people of authority
Staying away from social situations with strangers
Being reserved at parties and fearing starting small talk with others
Performing on stage
Public speaking
Being called on in class
Going on a date

I found the above list on another site. I've italicised (sp?) the things that seem to apply to me. I have a hard time meeting new people because I don't know how to talk to them. I feel like I'll say something stupid. And often when I do say something and I don't get the reaction I thought I'd get I'll repeat the thing I said over and over in my head wondering why I even opened my big mouth.

I've never learned to drive a stick shift vehicle and only because I was afraid that whoever was teaching me would laugh when I stalled the vehicle and wasn't succesful. I don't like to do exercise videos with my own husband watching because I don't want to hear him laugh at me doing some funny position.

When I go to get togethers with family or friends I often stand in the background. I don't feel part of the group for some reason. Joe has a cookout for the staff shooters for a bow company he shoots for this weekend and I'm a little anxious about going. We almost didn't didn't have a sitter for LJ and I was going to suggest that he just go alone but we have a sitter now so we're going together. I've asked him to please include me so I don't feel so alone during the evening.

I've tried a few meetups with mom groups and I went twice with one group from meetup.com and both times I just stood watching LJ play. I couldn't make myself start up a conversation with the other ladies and I just stood around waiting for someone to talk to me. I must look like a total snob.

And I never liked being called on in class. I'm visiting a new church and I thought about going to try the sunday school class too, but the thought of a small group where I won't blend into the crowd as much makes me anxious.

Whew...I feels good getting this all out. The more I read and type this the more I really think it's an issue. I sure would be nice to make this better.

More work on LJ's room

2011-04-20T18:38:00.001-07:00

LJ has been sleeping in his room all night by himself for a little over a week now! I'm still working on decorations and the final touches. I still haven't decided on a theme so I don't know what route to go for the decoration. I'm thinking maybe guitars and music and I can cut out a couple of guitars from wood and paint them. Maybe--time will tell.

My sweet little brother helped me build the new headboard. Okay, I lied, he didn't help. He did all the work himself. All I did was find the plans over at Ana White's site and pay for the wood. He did all the cutting and putting together. I did paint it after it was all together though! I started to second guess my navy paint choice, but once it was finished I fell in love!

Then I spent a lot of time looking everywhere (in stores and online) for a quilt or comforter to replace the worn out quilt that was on his bed. I couldn't find anything that I liked. (Did you know that most quilts in stores are girly?!) I had seen these quilts at Target in different colors but they didn't have any in Twin that would go with the navy headboard. Well, after searching more, I'd forgotten all about the Target quilts. So, I went to JoAnns and spent at least an hour choosing 9 different coordinating fabrics. I'd decided I would just make a quilt so that I could get the colors I wanted together. It was a huge undertaking that had me quite worried. I got 10 main blocks sewed and they're cut now and ready to be pieced into the quilt top. But I went back to Target and they had the green quilt in Twin that I'd wanted before. So, I swiped it up. I'm still going to make the quilt, but now I can make it throw size and put it at the end of his bed and I want feel so intimidated by the idea of quilting a twin size quilt. I'm not big on the light green side of the reversible quilt and I didn't realize that the sham was the light green color. I'm planning to make a new sham for the bed because of this. And I'm going to do a couple of accent pillows for the room too. I also have plans for curtains made from navy and green fabric.

And today I was cruising around Etsy and I came across these adorable letter blocks. I ordered them! The color combination will be the same as the picture below, but the size combo of the blocks will be slightly different to make it look good. I'm not getting the accent pieces on the blocks either. They're cute, but they don't seem suitable for LJ as he gets older. They look more baby or toddlerish to me. I can't wait to get them in! They'll sit on a wooden shelf that I painted to match the headboard.

P.S. I Quilt giveaway

2011-04-13T13:59:00.001-07:00

P.S. I Quilt is a blog I follow. I've gotten so much inspiration from the blog. The writer of the blog is hosting a give away for a gorgeous bundle of fat quarters. Go check it out for a chance to win!

LJ's new bedding

2011-04-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ricky helped me build a new headboard for LJ's bed. Okay...I'll be honest...Ricky built it and I just helped by calling out the measurements. haha I got it painted and Ricky came over and attached it for me. So, I decided it was time for new bedding. He's got a quilt that's quite faded and in need of a replacement. And after looking at nearly every online store I could think of and seeing nothing I liked, I decided to dive into a project that scares me. Making a twin sized quilt.

I settled on a disappearing 9 patch quilt pattern. I bought 1 yard of 9 different fabrics and cut my squares tonight. I've got 10 large blocks, but I'm thinking I may need more. I'll have to lay them out and see. I've got plenty of fabric left though. I'm hoping that I have enough left over to make a sham and a valance. It would be super if I had enough for a pillowcase as well. We'll see. That's hopeful thinking. I know I need to go back and get more of one fabric for a border, and I'm betting they won't have anymore. Just hoping they get more in or they can order it for me. I bought what was left on the bolt but didn't see if they had more in stock. I was too busy deciding on 9 different coordinating fabrics that I didn't think about the border fabric.

I'd post a picture, but my computer seems to be fighting against me pulling up pics. I'm quite annoyed with it right now.

Keeping Busy

2011-03-30T20:42:00.000-07:00

Life has me running these days! Between work, sewing, kids, therapy and household stuff I just can't keep up. I've been staying up late in order to have some time to relax, but then I pay for it the next day at work when I'm half asleep and assisting the doctor.

Lemon Tree Boutique is doing well so far. It was a real confidence booster when I got several orders in a month's time. I'm hoping it continues to grow. I'm putting the profit towards paying off some debt! It'll be a weight lifted off my shoulders when it's paid off!

I'm looking forward to next week. Master's week. Spring Break! I have to work 3 days of the week but the 3 kiddos will be with my mom Sunday night through Thursday so I'll be able to sleep late those days and only have to worry about getting me, myself and I ready for the day. That's vacation enough for me right now.

And speaking of vacations..We have a couple planned already. We hardly ever go on vacation. We went to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood years back when LJ was about one and that was our first and only family vacation so far. But we're planning a trip as a family to Columbia, SC in May. We plan to go to the zoo one day, spend the night in Columbia and then visit the museum. LJ has been asking to see dinosaur bones and I haven't been to a museum since middle school so I thought it would be a fun opportunity. Then in July I'm taking a girls' trip (+ one adorable and sweet little boy) to Helen, GA. Me, Mom, Aunt Beth, Aunt Debra, Krystin, Alyssa, Trinity and LJ are all going. We booked our rooms today! I can't wait. Sight seeing, tubing, water slides, waterfalls! It's going to be so much fun. July...where are you?!

In LJ news, I decided to try something new. I was flipping through the therapy catalog last week while LJ was seeing the PT and OT and I came across some neat ideas. One was a tent type box. I got to thinking that it might be a neat thing to make for LJ to go into when he needs time to cool off. At school there is a desk for the students who need a little time out or break during an activity where they go and sit and do a puzzle or look at a book for about 3 minutes so they can calm down and then return to the activity. I bought some 3/4" PVC pipe and the fittings today. I got the pipes cut and the framework all put together. Then LJ picked out a lime green sheet tonight at Walmart that I'll use to make the cover for it. I'm going to put a basket inside the tent with books and squishy balls and maybe a flashlight. Small items that can be calming to him. And we'll just say "go take a break for a minute until you relax" until he eventually can do this without being prompted. At least, that's what I'm hoping for...that he'll go without being prompted. He's getting frustrated really easily these days and I just hate that he's always so irritated with things. I couldn't imagine. I'll post some pics when it's all finished. Hopefully during that kid free time next week, I can get the cover made for it.

Well, it's midnight here in the country so I better get some sleep. 6am will come all too soon.

Trying something new

2011-03-26T20:05:00.001-07:00

Since I've been a member over on Sewingmamas.com and Sewforum.com I've seen lots of adorable doll clothing that people have made. I've always wondered how it would be....easy or hard? That's a lot of little seams and tight spots. I decided to give it a whirl. I have purchased many patterns from Carla C on Youcanmakethis.com for children's dresses, shirts and pants and they always include the doll version. So I printed them all out today and got started! I even bought a doll to use as my model at JoAnns yesterday. She's not American Girl, but she's cute anyways. And with my 40% off one item and 25% off my total coupon I got her for only $9.20! I wish I would've picked up a doll stand though because she won't stand up on her own. I'll have to get one next time I'm at the store. That'll probably be soon...I've got a quilting project in mind that I want to do for Spring and I need the fabrics.

Pet Peeves

2011-03-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

I was working on a patient today. She's one of THOSE patients who can't swallow their own spit while they're in the dental office. I'm just wondering what the heck these people do while they're outside of the office. Do they spit all day or swallow? When you sit there with your mouth open while we're looking in your mouth, then saliva will pool in your throat. And this may come as a shock, but it's the same dang saliva that comes out any other time of the day! Geez people...you can swallow it. LOL And I understand not wanting to swallow if we've been doing a filling and there are bits of stuff in your mouth, but I'm talking about the people who have nothing other than their own saliva in their mouth.

Another one is people eating while they're on the phone. It's the most annoying sound. I just have to end the conversation right then and there. My mom always warns me now when she's about to eat. haha!

I have others, but those are two that annoy me most often.

So there's my pointless post for today.

Update on LJ

2011-03-14T16:12:00.001-07:00

I couldn't remember if I'd posted about our diagnosis, but I went back and saw that I had. LJ is doing well these days. He's started meds for the ADHD which seem to be helping his focus. He's doing PT and still wearing his AFOs (though not as often as he should be...bad mommy keeps forgetting about them!) and he's started OT with a new girl. She's really nice and I'm praying that her methods work better than our last OT. I was not impressed by her at all. I didn't feel like they made a connection and I didn't feel he was progressing any with her.

Here's LJ and Ms. Jan (PT)

and here's LJ with Ms. Megan (OT)

His teacher has been great this year. Honestly at first I thought I was going to go crazy with all the phone calls and her calling out every LITTLE thing he did during the day that was "out of sorts". But she's calmed down now and I'm thankful for that. We now have an answer to WHY he does the things he does and we just strive for finding solutions to the problems. Like when he has meltdowns because he's not ready to go in from recess. Problem: changing from one activity to the other. Solution: giving him reminders that the change is coming 5 minutes before and then again 1 minute before the change. This helps him realize that change is coming and he can prepare for it. The teacher prepares him all during the day when they change from one activity to the other. And if something out of the ordinary happens (like him riding the bus home without his sisters or picture day) we give him plenty of notice and reminders about the change. He gets very anxious when things like this happen. I remember the day he had to ride the bus alone. He kept talking about it the night before and on the way to school that day. I felt so bad that my baby was scared. He did great though.

His "hand flapping" is still very much active. He does this quite frequently. And he gets fixated on things. He's had a sore on his head for months now because he picks at it all day long! He once had a scratch on his face that he constantly picked at. I'm about ready to get his hair cut very short so that I can kept some antibiotic cream on it and hopefully it'll go away.

He won't talk to anyone on the phone. Mom kept him last Friday because school was out and when I called to check on him he wouldn't talk to me. I have no idea why he won't talk...he used to. When he gets embarrassed or is being shy he'll lick whoever is holding him. We saw a cousin in Walmart and LJ was in the buggy. When I said "Tell Daphne hey" he promptly leaned over and licked my hand several times! LOL Just a nervous tick. He did it to his daddy a couple weeks ago (Joe had taken him to see a friend that works at the archery shop and LJ always likes seeing Mr. Casey...but he acted shy and licked Joe!)

He enjoys lots of different things. He loves his video games. He got a DSi from his Nana Ann and Popa Wyman for his birthday and he plays that a lot. He also plays the Wii. He can scan through the movies on Netflix through the Wii like a pro and can operate my Ipod Touch better than I can :) He loves to read books and I'm working on sight words with him. I know I, a, big, so and am. We just started with them. He also loves to be outside. Swinging is his favorite outside activity. His teacher says he'll stay on the swings during the entire recess time. We signed him up for Tball this year. We're just waiting to hear from the coach to see when the practices and games start. I'm anxious to see how he does. It'll be his first team activity. I too him to buy his cleats and glove last weekend. He's all set.

He's such a wonderful little man. He's so smart and is always asking questions and learning new stuff. He's requested a trip to see dinosaur bones so we're going to take him to the museum soon. I can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Wow...talk about neglect!

2011-03-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting my blog big time. I've had so much going on and I just haven't kept things up.

I will have to make sure to update more often for sure!

Here are a few pics as a mini update.

LJ had his 5th birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. It was a great party and he had a blast. He even got up and danced with Chuck E. and the crew during the Happy Birthday song. He was the only one!

And a pic of the girls with Caroline during her visit to GA. It was a good long visit and we enjoyed getting to spend time with Marie, Caroline and Howie!

And a couple pics from our first lake trip of the year. It was a little chilly but it was a bit overcast so a great opportunity for pictures.

Tacky Outfit Day

2010-10-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Red Ribbon Week this week. Today is tacky outfit day.

We've got our diagnosis

2010-10-27T18:12:00.000-07:00

I picked up the diagnosis report from Dr. Turner today and we now have our official diagnosis.

Aspergers
ADHD
some oppositional symptoms

I looked up the definition of Aspergers as I wasn't sure what the main differences in autism and aspergers was and found this line:

Unlike those with autism, people with AS are not usually withdrawn around others; they approach others, even if awkwardly. For example, a person with AS may engage in a one-sided, long-winded speech about a favorite topic, while misunderstanding or not recognizing the listener's feelings or reactions, such as a need for privacy or haste to leave.[5] This social awkwardness has been called "active but odd".[1] This failure to react appropriately to social interaction may appear as disregard for other people's feelings, and may come across as insensitive.[5] However, not all individuals with AS will approach others. Some of them may even display selective mutism, speaking not at all to most people and excessively to specific people. Some may choose to talk only to people they like.[21]

Now we'll start the journey of OT, ST and PT full time again.

2010-10-26T04:07:00.000-07:00

Kackleberry Fun

2010-10-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

We took a trip to Kackleberry Farm in Louisville, GA yesterday. We all had a really great time! It would have been more fun if it wasn't 85 degrees! Not October weather!!!

I have so many pictures that I wanted to share so I made a slideshow out of them.

We're on the road to a diagnosis

2010-09-26T20:33:00.000-07:00

We visited a new pediatrician on Friday. She was recommended by Chrissy (my sister-in-law). She was great. I had taken tons of papers from me and LJ's teacher about past and current issues and she read through everything. She observed his actions while we were there. Then when she was done reading, she told me that she is certain that he is autistic. Autism spectrum disorder with ADHD and SPD. I'm so glad to finally have a diagnosis. It's not official yet. We'll be seeing a child psychiatrist for the official diagnosis. Hopefully we'll get in quickly with him.

I started a journal today and I'll document everything I can until we go. Today I walked through the living room and found a line of cars. I just smiled and then grabbed my camera. He's not obsessive with lining things up but yesterday he lined up the chairs at his Nana's house and then today I saw the cars lined up.

We started a positive reinforcement sticker chart today. Chrissy recommended this when I asked her for alternative discipline methods. She first suggested every hour, but then thought every half hour might be better for a few days to get him to realize what the system is about. I gave him a sticker for every 30 minutes that he didn't pitch a fit or throw things. For every 30 minutes that he used his manners and played well with his sisters. I gave him a goal of earning 5 stickers in order to get a prize. I figured he'd earn more and wanted to start small so he'd actually earn a prize today and be rewarded and realize that this is a great thing.

He earned 5 stickers today. It probably should've been 6 or maybe 7 but I lost track of time at one point when we were trying to nap. He had chosen his prize this morning and it was a water gun. So tonight, after his bath and teeth brushing, he got his prize. Thought I'd take a pic of him holding his chart and prize. I hope this will work to reinforce the positive and have him strive to behave better.

I'm also trying a method that combines something I saw on Supernanny and the picture scheduling that works well for autistic children. Using signs for labeling off limit things. I saw the idea for keeping younger kids out of the older kids' rooms by putting up a sign on Supernanny. One sign will have a picture of a STOP sign and a hand knocking on a door. This means: Knock and ask if you can come in. The other sign will have a WELCOME sign on it. This means: Come on in and play! I also printed out some NO signs (you know..the circle with the line through the middle) and placed them on things I don't want LJ to touch. My printer screwed up so I only got it to print two signs, but I stuck one on the stove and the other on the front door. I explained that the signs meant that it was dangerous if he opened these things so it was important to remember not to touch them. I hope it'll work. I'm so tired of telling him to stop opening the oven door. I'm so scared he'll do it while it's hot and burn himself.

Cancer really sucks!

2010-09-24T22:48:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we're celebrating the life of my mother-in-law Deborah. Her birthday is on Monday too! She's a wonderful woman...very kind and loving. I'm so happy to have her as my mother-in-law.

She was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer last year and went through a round of chemotherapy. She did well through the treatments. The doctors told her everything looked good and the cancer was at bay. They didn't expect to see it start growing again for about a year. She went back for a follow up roughly 7 weeks after the good news. She'd been having some pain and was concerned. They found fluid buildup from the cancer. It had not stopped growing as they had originally thought but the fluid was masking the cancer from the scan. She started another round of chemo...this time in a pill form. No going to the office to have it done. She went back for a follow up 3 weeks after starting the new meds. The cell count had stayed the same. She was scheduled to go back 3 weeks later for another check. The news wasn't good. The cell count had gone up which meant the chemo meds weren't working. Her other option was another pill form of chemo. The side effect was constant sickness. She'd already decided that she didn't want to live her life being sick everyday. She wanted to enjoy the time she had with her family and friends. The doctors had told her the alternative pill would only prolong life by a month or two and she didn't feel it was worth it if she wouldn't be able to enjoy the life she had left.
The doctors gave her 5-6 months at best without chemo. We're praying like crazy for a miracle! The world just won't be the same without her!

She wanted me to make her a colon cancer awareness shirt for her birthday. So, the shirt was designed and embroidered and it turned into a family affair. Everyone will wear their shirts tomorrow at the cookout in honor of the world's best Mother-in-law!

Who says boys can't pull off pink?

2010-09-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

LJ's rockin some new pink hair!! We went in JoAnns the other day to pick up some thread. LJ spotted this hot pink wig sitting on top of the books on the shelf next to the thread. He wanted to try it on and I just knew it was a picture op! I grabbed my phone and snapped the pic. It's my new wallpaper on my phone. It makes me smile every time I look at it!

Wanting a Nook

2010-08-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

I've been going back and forth trying to decide if I really wanted an e-reader. I saw the commercial for the Kindle and saw that the price had really come down so I started researching. Trying to decide between the Kindle and the Nook. I asked around on a couple forums and did searches for reviews and finally decided on the Nook. And of course, the fun bonus of the e-reader is the cute covers I can sew for it! Won't that make reading more fun?!

I got a pattern from etsy.com here. The pattern was great and easy to put together. I can't wait to make more. The seller was SUPER fast delivering the pattern. I ordered it around 1:30 am and it was in my inbox within 10 minutes. Now, I probably just caught her up late or maybe the time zone made it not quite so late for her, but that's the fastest pattern delivery I've ever had and I was super excited. Took the pattern to work with me and cut it out during my lunch break. Then came home and started sewing. I used fabrics that I liked, but not my 1st choice just in case it didn't turn out. And since I didn't have a Nook yet, I got the measurements and cut pieces of cardboard out to mimic the Nook in my cover.

Going tomorrow to buy mine!

What a weekend!

2010-07-05T17:16:00.001-07:00

We headed to Edisto River for the weekend. The family and friends always get together for July 4th and have a huge cookout. I convinced the husband to go with us this time and it turns out it's really good he came.

We got there Friday night and it was quiet. Mom and dad were there and me and Joe and all out kiddos. Saturday morning everyone else started to arrive. We had bikers and family and friends. We had a great cookout with delicious food. The kids all swam and had a ball. Then we saw some great fireworks on Saturday night. LJ was a little frightened all over again. I'm not sure he'll ever get used to the fireworks. At least he'll sit outside and watch them now. The first year he cried and we had to stand inside with me covering his ears!

Sunday we ended up all getting in the water. There had been big fun having the older guys throwing the younger kids in the water on Saturday so that started up on Sunday too. Well, Ricky decided to jump in and try to splash the kids sitting on the dock. He jumped a couple times and then as he was sitting on a float in the river he looked down to discover that his wedding band was missing! One of the kids said they remember seeing it on his finger before we all got in the water so we assumed that it had to have come off when he jumped one time or the other. Ricky was devastated. He searched everywhere and didn't find it. And we were banking on the fact that Skyler said she'd seen it on his hand earlier.

Turns out we rounded up some dive equipment and Joe went in looking for it. It was almost dark by the time he got in the water but he got a good 45 minutes in looking for it I think. No luck. He did find a pair of sunglasses that one guy had lost the day before but never found the ring. They decided to give up and they'd try at low tide on Monday. So around noon today Joe got into his borrowed dive gear...set up a plan of action and he dove in again. He searched on the left side of the dock first (where he'd been searching the day before) and found nothing. So, he moved to the right side of the dock. Dad kept saying his gut was telling him that's where they'd find it. He searched for about 10 minutes or so (maybe a little longer) on that side and when Ricky went to tug on the rope (it was there sign that he was at the point he needed to turn and sweep back the opposite direction) Joe tugged back really hard to let him know he's seen something and to wait. He came up out of the water gripping with all his life to the diamond wedding band that Ricky had lost in the Edisto River the day before!!! Now my brother has a huge smile and always has, but I think the corners of his lips ACTUALLY touched his ears when Joe handed him that ring!

I think it's amazing that the ring was found! But Ricky was glad and it made a great show for everyone at the river. A great story too.

Then we went down to the sandbar to celebrate and end our weekend and as we were leaving (had to take 2 trips to get everyone home)Ricky turned the boat around and made the motor do a rooster tail and sprayed me, Joe, LJ, Mama, Kevin and Laura. So Mom said that if he did it when he got back that she was going to make sure he got thrown in the river. And sure enough he did it when he got back. So as Ricky was trying to tie up the boat to the dock, Mom hurried off and pushed him in the river. It was perfect timing. He went in easily. But he got out quickly and chased Mom upstairs. She got in the house and tried to lock the sliding glass door. Ricky was trying to open it as we all watched. All of a sudden we heard the sound of shattering glass. Yep..the glass door had shattered! It was a mess! Luckily everyone found it quite humerous. We got the glass cleaned up as good as we could and duct taped a piece of plywood to the doorframe! Talk about redneck living! That'll be the second time the door to the that house has been shattered. They'll be replacing it with french doors this time!

So, we can't say our weekend was boring at all! It's the most fun I've had at Edisto yet.

Changes ahead

2010-06-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

We've started a new experiment in hopes that we can calm LJ down. First was something I've been wanting to do for about a year now...and that is install a swing indoors! I bought a chin up bar (on clearance from 100 down to 20!! Score one for me!) It screws into the doorway and I just attached the swing to it. LJ loved it and I have to admit that I took a few turns too and it's fun! Excuse the dirty swing..I grabbed a swing from the swingset outside! I'll be buying a new swing for indoors soon.

The second change we're making is to LJ's diet. We are going gluten free for him. I spent way too much of my paycheck to purchase certain foods (Earth Fare...you're great for what I need but must you charge so much...just be glad I saved so much on that chin up bar!) I bought gluten free cookies, crackers, bread, pancake mix, pasta and pasta sauce. Also got gluten free cereals and peanut butter and jam. We should be set for the week besides a few things I want to pick up Wednesday. I wanted to buy GF waffles, chicken nuggets and frozen dinners but I had another stop to make before heading back home and I didn't have a cooler so I couldn't get the cold stuff.

I sure hope we see a change in him with this. I read another blog and the mom stated that after starting her son on a GF diet for SPD she saw a change. His "mud" poop went to normal and his stimming was reduced. LJ has both of these issues as well as crazy hyperness so we'll see if anything changes. I plan to make it at least 3 or 4 weeks before I say for sure if there's a change.

We also picked up a play-doh playset today on clearance (I love clearance). I got almost an hour of calm sitting down playtime out of LJ. I did sit with him while he played. It was a miracle that he sat for that long. I plan on doing activities with him like this to get him used to sitting for longer periods before school starts.

Update

2010-06-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of photos to post and lots to write but I just haven't had the time. Or maybe I've just enjoyed being lazy a little too much.

We went to the beach last week. Myrtle Beach. It was LJ's first time ever seeing the beach. We all had a great time but since we were camping I was ready to leave when we did. We got home and sat around doing nothing the rest of the week and weekend. It was great.

LJ had a dentist appointment to get a tooth filled on Thursday afternoon. I wasn't sure how he'd do. He does great for cleanings, but I wasn't sure how the shot would go over. But he was wonderful! No tears and not even any objections. The whole thing only took about 20 minutes. He's got 1 more small filling to do but I know he'll do good with that too.

LJ gets his braces on his legs Wednesday. His appointment is at 12:30. He's excited, but I think he'll get irritated after he has them on. We'll just do an hour or two for the first few days and gradually work up more time each day. That'll help him get used to wearing them. And I'm getting some vinyl cutouts so he can add a sticker on the back for fun. That way it won't clash with what he's wearing like the prints they offered.

I'll update in the next few days with some pictures.

Heart Attacks for 500 please

2010-05-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

What do your kids do when they visit their grandparents? Go outside on the swing? Play board games? Ride their bikes? My girls plot and plan new ways to give their mama a heart attack!

Evans C/O 2010

2010-05-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

My little brother graduated Evans High School yesterday! I'm so proud of him. He got College Prep with distinction, Technical Prep, National Vocational Technical Honor Society and Beta seals on his diploma! Way to go Benjamin!

Here are some pics.

Casting

2010-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

Today went well. Everyone at the office was super sweet and LJ enjoyed the whole experience. They marked some areas on his legs and feet with a blue pen (probably his favorite part of the whole thing) and then put a sock over his leg. Then Ms. Jackie started wrapping his legs up. She did one at a time. It didn't take but a couple minutes for it to dry and she cut it off. He was a champ...he sat very still and only asked 100 questions. hehe

Here are some pics of our casting adventure.

Waiting in the car before the appointment. We got there almost 30 minutes early!

LJ just being LJ while we waited on Ms. Jackie to come in and cast him.

Sitting in Daddy's lap after Ms. Jackie made her blue marks. This pic shows the sock on his foot and the plastic tube is put under there so no slips of the knife are made when cutting the cast off.

This is after the first wrap. The stretchy wrap helps position his foot like they want it.

This the the second wrap. This wrap isn't stretchy and it helps it all dry solid and in place for the mold.

Cutting it off. Really high tech here with the box cutter.

This is what the mold looked like. I didn't get a pic of both of them...they're the same..you get the idea.

You can see the pic of different prints in the background. Those are the girly option. The boy options were awful. Trains and planes, american flags and some horrid camo print (that I'm not sure could even be defined as camo). We went with clear to make them less noticeable and we let LJ pick the color straps he wanted. He chose blue straps. You can see the AFO in the background too. This is what his will look like (minus the ugly print). We go back on June 9 to get them.

AFOs

2010-05-18T16:43:00.000-07:00

What are AFOs? Ankle-Foot Orthotics. LJ started seeing a physical therapy (in addition to speech and occupational therapies). At our second visit, the PT recommended AFOs for his legs. I was happy to hear that we're progressing to treatment that will fix his legs while he's still young. Joe is worried that people will pick on him so he's not so keen on the idea. I keep telling him that 4 years olds are a little young for picking on kids. Maybe I'm just naive but I don't think they will. I told Joe we'll tell LJ they're superhero legs...they make him run faster...or something goofy like that. We'll really talk them up and say how cool they are so he won't feel like there is something wrong with him.

The PT sent me this 4 page work up of her notes. Most of it I don't understand. Basically it explains that his range of motion is limited. His Achilles tendon is shortened because of his toe-walking and his calf muscles are very tight. His left leg is worse than his right leg. Maybe I'll sit down with dictionary.com and go through the letter looking up every other word so I can understand exactly what it says. LOL Or maybe I'll just ask my sister-in-law...she's an OT, she may know the terminology.

Our appointment for the casting process is tomorrow at 10am. I've showed LJ videos and pictures of other kids having their feel/legs cast. He doesn't seem worried about it or scared at all. He saw one picture of a girl writing all over hers while they were drying so he got excited. I think I'll pack a Sharpie marker just in case they let him write on it. :) They'll cast his foot, wait for it to dry, and then cut the cast off. Then they'll use that to make the AFO. We return on June 9 for delivery of the orthotic. They'll make adjustments if needed and then we'll see the PT for our regular visit.

Then the fun comes....shoe shopping. (Where's the running like mad away from the insanity smiley?) Shoe shop with LJ is already a difficult task. Not we'll not only be accommodating his fat foot, but also the AFO. I just hope we'll be able to find regular shoes in a size larger and not have to look at orthotic shoes. They are okay but they LOOK like orthotic shoes in my opinion. LJ prefers Sketchers! Hehe I swear that kid can spot Sketchers a mile away. When did my 4 year old learn brand preference? Silly boy.

I'll update tomorrow with some pictures. Joe thinks I'm crazy but I told him I wanted to take some photos of the casting process. He said it's not something to remember and I tried to explain (once again) that unless someone tells LJ that this is a bad thing, then he'll never know any different. He'll just know it's something that'll help him walk better...and he'll be glad for it. When I said something about LJ being "special needs" Joe quickly piped up and said "LJ isn't special needs" to which I responded that yes, he was special needs. Any person with a special need is a special needs person. Which makes all 3 of my children fit that category. LJ with sensory processing disorder, Trinity with ADHD and asthma and Alyssa with asthma. And I said again that unless we make him think that means something is WRONG with him, then he'll never know he's any different than other kids. Heck, most people already blow off this SPD stuff and say "He's just being a boy"

Off to give my crazy man a bath and get him ready for bed. I've got a bag packed for him to keep him busy during our (at least) 1 hr. appointment tomorrow. I hope he finds this all cool and exciting but we'll have the "busy bag" just in case he gets bored.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:47:00.001-07:00

Nana and the kids

Granny and the kids

The kids playing on the golfcart

And my mother's day gifts from the girls

From Trinity

From Alyssa

From both girls together

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T04:58:00.001-07:00

I woke up to gifts and flowers from the girls. It was very sweet. I even got breakfast in bed (well, the couch).

It just arrived!

2010-04-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

My new sewing room that is! The poor guy that delivered it had one heck of a time getting it back where I wanted it, but he did it. You would've thought they'd send some help, but he had to move that thing alone. I'm so excited. I'd be more excited if I could go out right now and buy the insulation, electrical stuff and drywall and put it all up and move in! I'm so ready.

Here is the space just waiting for the building.

And here she is! Just waiting for my stuff to fill it up.

I put the table in there to try and see how many shelves I can put above my sewing desk. I'm glad I can get 2 shelves above it. It'll be great and I'll have enough space to store all of my notions and stuff above my machines. Then I'll have room on the end of my desk to put a large bookcase for storing my fabric on. And maybe a tv and dvd player. It'll be my retreat away from everything. The other side of the building will have all shelves for storing out of season clothes and a few things I just can't bear to part with. And I'm going to put a table and chairs in there for the kids to do arts and crafts while I'm working.

In a perfect world I'd put down flooring, but I don't know if I can afford to do that right now.

Just for me

2010-04-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

I needed somewhere to write down my to be made list so I thought I'd post it here. I have several sewing projects I need to get started on.

car seat cover
embroidered bibs
embroidered burp cloths
embroidered shirts for the girls and LJ
shirts for myself
diaper bag
curtains for sewing room
ironing ham
mother's day gifts
seat protectors

I think that's everything. Hopefully I can knock a few out tomorrow.

Adding more

felt play scenes (printed on fusible fabric)
sewing machine covers
thread catcher bag
Caroline's dress embroidered

My Little Brother's Senior Prom

2010-04-18T12:59:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little brother is a senior in high school. I can remember sitting in the hospital room right after he was born holding him. I was in 5th grade and I'd just gotten glasses. Now he's graduating high school!

Here are some pictures of him and his beautiful girlfriend Katie.

My New Toy

2010-04-17T07:58:00.001-07:00

Found her at Salvation Army about a month ago. Her price tag was a bit too steep for me so I passed on her. I went back yesterday and told myself if she was $30 or less I'd get it. I didn't really expect it to still be there. But there she was...sitting in the back corner still. The price tag was gone so I asked the lady there. I told her I'd seen it about a month ago and was waiting on the price to drop on it. She asked if I remembered the price...I told her it was either 50 or 60 and she said $29.99! Yipee. I plugged it in to make sure it worked (the tag had said it did) It took a while to figure out how to make it go (no foot pedal but a bar you push with your knee). It seems to work smoothly. I haven't threaded it up yet to sew anything but I will be doing that this afternoon. She'll be so pretty in my new sewing building that I just ordered today!

Finally sewed something for myself!

2010-04-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

I was purging some craft stuff today and came across a magazine with this adorable knit dress in it. I thought it would be cute as a woven top so I went on the search for a tutorial or pattern that used woven fabrics instead of knits. Found one and got started right away. And now I have a new shirt! I can't wait to make more of these for my summer wardrobe! Best of all, it hides my tummy! hehe

I'm going to try the next one gathered in the front instead of the pleats.

Proud of my Husband

2010-04-11T07:10:00.000-07:00

Joe went to an archery tournament yesterday in Social Circle. He'd been to another one earlier in the day and didn't do well at all. He was totally off of his game. So he went into the second tournament feeling a little low.

As he was packing up his things to head home his friend called him over to receive his 2nd place prize! Way to go hubby!

Sewing for my niece

2010-03-14T20:33:00.001-07:00

I was in the mood to sew some girly stuff today so that means Miss Caroline gets new stuff. I hope she likes them. I have another dress planned with embroidery but I need to make sure my pattern size fits her before I monogram her initials on it.

First is an a-line dress with matching bloomers. I made the bloomers with shirring around the legs to prevent that annoying too tight elastic mark issue that some bloomers have. They're nice and stretchy and not tight. Comfy! And I did buttonholes! Buttonholes scare me and I usually try my hardest to avoid them. But I really wanted this one to look classic so I dove in. I was slightly off on the placement but once they're buttoned you can hardly tell. (This pic doesn't show the buttons..I took it before they were put on)

Then I shortened the a-line dress pattern to make it more like a shirt. I wasn't sure how much to shorten it so Miss C will have to try it on and see if the length is good. I had a pair of small denim shorts in my box so I put them with the shirt for the pic. They should fit her too so I'm sending them along with the dresses. I love the bunny embroidery. I've had it in my files for years and never used it. Not sure why because it's ADORABLE.

No rest for the machines

2010-02-25T17:12:00.001-08:00

I've been on a kick lately. I keep staring at all of this fabric and I decided it was time to get rid of some of it. LJ likes having me make blankets for him to use at daycare so I made him a few blankets. Alyssa's teacher is having a baby so I sewed up a few things for her too. It's nice to get some things out of here. The cute little bears fabric I used for one of LJ's blankets has been in my stash for over 2 years.
Bought it and couldn't "bear" to cut into it until now. I just couldn't think of the right project for it. The back is chenille. The other blankets were what I'd call a simple quilt. It's just a quilt top with a backing sewn and then topstitched. No batting and no quilting. LJ's favorite is the bug quilt.

My cousin is supposed to find out the sex of her baby in a couple weeks and I can't wait. I'll be starting on her baby stuff as soon as I find out. I just hope the baby cooperates!

Here's the pics of the things I've been making.

baby boy gift. I added 2 flannel washcloths, an embroidered burp cloth and paci clip to the package but didn't get a pic.

Thomas the Train quilt. Yes I meant to add the red border to only one side!

Bear blanket with chenille back. My favorite!

Isn't this the cutest fabric?!

LJ's favorite quilt. The first one I made him.

Alyssa and Tony..sitting in a tree.....

2010-02-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hehe. Remind you of elementary school? Alyssa told me that she has a boyfriend. Tony Stewart...no not the race car driver, but this kid is a dirt bike dare devil. The kid broke his leg and was riding again before the cast was off. He's one tough cookie.

I picked her up from school the other day and walking down the hall she says "Mom, I gotta tell you something when we get to the car" I knew it had to do with Tony. We get to the car and she begins telling me about her day.

Apparently a guy in the class (DJ) was being rude to her and saying disrespectful things and Tony heard him and got very mad. Alyssa told him to calm down and they walked away from DJ. When Alyssa asked Tony if he was mad because of what DJ had said Tony replied by saying "No, I don't care what he says, but he's not going to talk to my girlfriend that way!"

Isn't he sweet?

LJ's new bike and camera setting

2010-02-21T05:09:00.001-08:00

Yesterday LJ and I had a day to ourselves. The girls were at their dad's house and Joe was at work. Our first stop was to the park. LJ wanted to play and I wanted to play around with my camera and try to stop shooting in automatic. I really want better shots! We headed out to Dearing park and LJ had so much fun. A couple came up with a little boy and two dogs so LJ had playmates. He really enjoyed playing with the tiny puppy. The little thing followed LJ around wherever he went.

After we left the park we headed to the ice cream shop. LJ decided on mint chocolate chips with gummy bears as a topping and I got chocolate chip cookie dough. We sat in the shop and watched the Olympic games while we ate our ice cream.

Then we went to Walmart. Joe needed us to pick something up and I told LJ we would look at the bikes while we were there. It's time he learned how to ride one. So we found one that was his size and I decided to go ahead and buy it. After the bike was in the cart, he had no intentions of looking around any longer...he was ready to go pay. hehe We had to get a few more things and I don't think he took his eyes off the bike the entire time I shopped! We rode out to the fire station so Joe could see him try it out for the first time. He didn't do so well. He can't quite get the concept of peddling. He'll get it after much practice I know. He enjoyed pushing it around though.

All of these pictures were shot using a semi-manual setting. These were the best shots I got and they're straight out of the camera. No post processing done to them.

I played around a little at the fire station with the hoses lined up. I love these shots.

You have how many eyes?

2010-02-17T16:48:00.001-08:00

Alyssa's glasses came in today and she's already planned out some great comebacks to anyone that calls her four eyes. Goofy girl. They look so cute on her. She doesn't act like she's excited, but I think she kind of is.

Now I'll just keep my fingers crossed that she takes good care of them and doesn't leave them at school.

Can you believe it?!!

2010-02-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

It's snow!!! In Georgia!!! It started with a few tiny flakes around 2pm and then by 3pm it was coming down steady. And it didn't even start out as rain! It's 7:20 now and it's STILL coming down. Last time I measured on top of the trashcan it was 3" and that was at least an hour ago. The kids were psyched. We build a huge snowman and had a great snowball fight. Can't wait to see it tomorrow after the snow continues tonight.

And the progression (measured on the garbage can)

My little sister is growing up!

2010-02-06T14:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe she's already 13! She's such a sweet person. She's going to a Valentine's Dance tonight and she came over for me to fix her hair. I'm no hair person, but I think it turned out pretty cute. She had this style she wanted to copy. We came pretty close. Her hair doesn't take curl very well so we used plenty of hairspray. Can't wait until I get pics of her with the dress on too. I'll post those when she sends them to me.

Okay...I just got the pics of her with her dress on. Doesn't she look gorgeous?!

Something just for me

2010-01-29T22:24:00.000-08:00

I wanted a new wallet...and a new purse. I always spend forever looking around for one that's just right and I never find what I'm wanting. So I tried out a pattern I've had for a while for the wallet. Then everything else fell into place. I made the purse, wallet, checkbook cover, zippered bag and key fob. Wish I had more of the quilted fabric because I wanted to make a cover for my calendar. I'm excited to use it tomorrow and show it off when I go to my sister's house.

The wallet is big enough that I can lay the checkbook cover inside of it! Perfect!

Saving my sanity

2010-01-27T20:30:00.001-08:00

This mama has had enough! I do it all around here and no one seems to appreciate it. So I've created a chore chart for the girls. It's about time they learn some responsibility! I've thought of a few chores for them to do daily and weekly....including washing their own clothes. They've been shown and I'll double check their sorting to make sure they're not washing the wrong things together.

And I'm tired of mail sitting on the counters, so I put up a corkboard in the kitchen with pockets (made from envelopes) to hold mail..sorted by stuff I need to take care of and stuff Joe needs to take care of. I've also put up a calendar so everyone can jot down when something is going on and I can see it when I need to.

Now...if anyone wants to come over and help me sort through these bags and bags of clothes this weekend I'm up for the company. I've got to sort through the things to carry to Kid to Kid and what to carry to another consignment shop. If I'm lucky I'll get back enough money from Kid to Kid to pay for Alyssa's new glasses. And if I'm even luckier enough stuff will sell at the other shop to buy a lot of the kids' summer clothes. The girls love shopping at this particular shop with their stepmom so I figured that's where I'd take the clothes. Kid to Kid is kinda picky on what they take and of course all the adult clothes I have can't go to them.

Oh the joy

2010-01-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

Alyssa had an appointment with the eye doctor this morning. She's been having some difficulty reading things far away at school and she's been having headaches. Turns out she has a sluggish response when adjusting from near to far. So she'll have to wear glasses while she's at school and while she's doing homework or reading. She's not exactly thrilled but totally bummed either. She's a little worried she'll get the typical "four eyes" jokes but I think she'll be just fine.

It took us a good hour to choose the right frames and then another ten minutes to choose just the perfect eyeglass case. Silly girl. They'll be ready in about a week so I'll be back to post pictures!

Happy Birthday LJ

2010-01-16T14:52:00.001-08:00

We had LJ's party today. Just a small party with family and a couple friends. LJ really racked up the toys though. He even had 3 christmas gifts from his Papa Wyman and Nana Ann to open along with the birthday stuff.

We had a firetruck themed party and I made LJ's #4 shirt for the party. The flames fabric was perfect!

His favorite gifts were the dinosaur from Aunt Mitzi and Uncle Mickey and the huge monster truck from Papa Wyman and Nana Ann.

Here are some pics from today

Everything he got:
Mom and Dad: VTech cyber pocket game system with Toy Story and Thomas the train game
Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Ricky: Toy Story toy with Woody and Bullseye
Aunt Sam and Bob: Matchbox cars
Nana and Popa: Toy Story rolling bookbag and $25
Mimi and Pop: Remote control car and $25
Aunt Mitzi and Uncle Mickey: Dinosaur
Granny: Planet Heroes figures
Popa Wyman and Nana Ann: Monster truck, big rig with trucks and Duplo legos
Uncle Preston: Truck with trailer and ATVs
Mrs. Andrea and Tanner: Color wonders finger paints and markers

Been a slacker

2010-01-13T18:00:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting much lately. The holidays were a busy time and I haven't quite gotten over the hussle and bussle I don't guess.

Christmas was wonderful. All the kids enjoyed their gifts and the Wii has been a huge hit with everyone. I played a few games of bowling and the next morning woke up to an aching shoulder and arm! Wow..what a workout...or maybe I'm just so out of shape that I'm pathetic!

We had a great New Years party over at Ricky and Chrissy's house. They throw a fine party. Unfortunately LJ had turned into Little Ike and I was in a very ill mood. But I made it through the evening by staying indoors away from the crowd so as to not let my ill mood rub off on anyone. I'd have to have ruined a good game of beer pong with my sour mood. The kids all slept late the next morning so that was wonderful. LJ slept until 9 which means so did I and the girls were in bed until 10:30!!! Wish they'd do that every weekend!

Going back to work was hard. After having a week and a half off it was hard to start waking up at 6:00am. I was a little scatter brained the first week but I think I'm back in the groove of things this week. Countdown to the next day off though...One day in February I think I'll have a 3 day weekend and then again in March.

Well, if you're reading this hello and I hope to be around her more often. I need to post a major butt-load of pics!

Ready for Thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T18:37:00.001-08:00

I've finished everything that I needed to do before tomorrow. And that banana pudding in the fridge is screaming my name! I must resist.

I finished up my Mother-in-law's quilt today. I don't think I'll get the tote bag finished like I had hoped, but if I can stay awake I'll work on it. I can't wait to give it to her tomorrow--not looking forward to tears that I'm sure will flow.

I'm calling the quilt "Hold my Hand"

And just because it's so yummy...here's the pudding that I made for tomorrow.

Comments welcome

2009-11-24T04:27:00.000-08:00

Hey...see that little comments button right below this writing. It's neat. You click on it and then you're allowed to leave a comment on anything I post. I love reading comments...

Thought I'd share

Just a sneak peak

2009-11-23T21:46:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a special gift for a special woman in our lives. I'm rushing to finish it before Thursday so I can give it to her at Thanksgiving dinner with all the family around. It was a spur of the moment decision this past weekend to work on it and it's coming together nicely. Can't wait until Thanksgiving!

Here's a sneak peak of it...

It's getting to be that time

2009-11-22T07:46:00.001-08:00

Well, Christmas is nearing and the lights are going up. It's such a fun time of year (besides the crowds in the stores of course).

We met up with the Tapley's last night for a hayride through Lights of the South and drank hot chocolate and saw Santa. I got to meet Joe's grandma for the first time and LJ got to spend time with his other grandparents. I really enjoyed the evening.

Halloween Block Party

2009-10-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the McDuffie County Chamber of Commerce we all went and enjoyed a halloween party tonight. Lots of games for the kids and trick or treating. They even had a haunted house.

Just a few of the pics I took while we were there.

Trinity (Hannah Montana)

Alyssa (Rock Star)

LJ (Firefighter)

This slime looked really nasty!

LJ starts school soon

2009-10-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

Well the time has come. The little monster gets to go to daycare. He's gone to an in-home daycare this week and he's done fairly well but we will be needing to find him a center full time. I think it'll be good for him for the social skills before he starts real school next year.

Now to find a good center. There aren't many to choose from here in the country.

Almost complete!

2009-10-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share the pics because several people have asked to see them. I've got to paint the small bookcase next to the twin bed white and make a picture for above the full bed. Alyssa has requested a horse or horseshoe so I'll be working on that tomorrow...my plan is to have everything finished before the birthday party on Saturday.

Pics of the progress

2009-09-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Just finished one thing so far for the girls' room. A peace sign clock. These are super easy to do and fun to match to the decor of the room. (I had to take the picture sideways because of the glare I kept getting from the flash)

Then I got a mini wallhanging done that says "LJ's Room". My very first quilt binding ever and I'm wondering why I always thought it was difficult. I'm no longer afraid of quilts now that I realize how easy the binding is. Maybe I'll finish that quilt I started a few years ago and quit at the last step...the binding.

I also made 2 pillow cases for LJ's bed. Regular size pillow and an accent pillow. I found a cute embroidery design and I didn't want to spend the $5 on it so I put my own together using letters I had and the train embroidery. I like how it came out and it was free! I already had the pillow form around the house. So far LJ's room re-do is costing me $40. And I'll hopefully get the pillows, curtains, wallhanging and quilt out of that $40. I love bargains.

Adding more! I just finished up the valance for the window. It was easy but time consuming doing all that hemming. Thank goodness for my serger though...shaved off a good bit of time with it.

I told LJ to close his eyes in the model pic and he kept rolling his eyes..so I told him to hide and this is what I got! Silly boy.

Getting a start

2009-09-25T20:48:00.000-07:00

Today was moving day. Furniture moving that is. I switched the kids' bedrooms. I had ordered several yards of Thomas the Train fabric for LJ's room decor and I was trying to figure out how in the world to make the best use of what I had to make him some sort of quilt and kept thinking how easy it would be if he had his toddler bed still. So I decided the girls could go back to each having their own bed but only if they were in LJ's room because there is one full usable wall in that room and not in their room. So the furniture got a swap and now they have new rooms. I'll be putting the shelves and everything in the girls' room next week along with painting the walls and their dresser.

I made a pillowcase using the Thomas fabric tonight and I'm working on an embroidery for an accent pillow right now. I plan to use the same design for a wall hanging that says "LJ's Room" with a train. I'll post pics as soon as things are moving along. I need to get some coordinating fabrics for the quilt but it should be fairly easy to do. I'm planning a strip quilt for ease and simplicity. And because I'm scared I won't be doing a binding...instead I'll do turn and topstitch to finish it. I really need to do a small baby quilt and practice with a real quilt binding. I don't know why it scares me so much..something about hand sewing that really freaks me out. LOL

Gotta get back to the embroidery machine. Got lots of ideas pouring out tonight and I'm taking full advantage of the creative spirit!

Ready to redecorate!

2009-09-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a beautiful bedroom?

When I win the lottery I'll spend the $5,000 it cost to have it! But until then I'm going to borrow the idea of the bookshelves around the bed and make my won. I'll buy 2 shelves from Walmart and paint them white then attach a shelf between the two going over the bed. I'm excited to see how it looks. The girls are ready for a more grown up room so we'll be redecorating soon. I think I'll do it next weekend for a surprise...they'll be gone to their dad's.

I'll post pics when I'm finished with the room. Gotta find the right color paint too. I'm thinking turquoise blue.

Dinnertime Fun

2009-09-21T17:28:00.000-07:00

I went to see Julie and Julia the other day with my little sister and got the urge to cook new things....so I searched high and low online for new recipes. I found a few. Tonight we had Quick Fix Beef Burrito Skillet from the Kraft Foods website. Quick and yummy. Alyssa didn't like it because of the beans but everyone else liked it. LJ and Trinity had seconds!

Last night the girls cooked pizza for us. Prebought cooked pizza crust. They spread the sauce and added the pepperoni and cheese. They ended up with a little too much cheese but it was still good.

What is wrong with this world?

2009-09-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

I heard about this story today and thought I'd look up the article to read it. A woman handcuffed a child (I believe it was her nephew) to a table and beat him with a belt...UNTIL THE BELT BROKE IN HALF! A neighbor heard the child screaming and called the cops...when the cops got there the lady was going to find another belt because the first one broke. Why? Because he was misbehaving at school. Seriously? The woman should be handcuffed to her jail cell and let the other cellmates go at her with a belt.

http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/59466077.html

I just wonder what wired gets screwed up in their heads..these people who do awful things to other human being..especially innocent children. That poor little boy...imagine what he'll go through now because of this...thank goodness the neighbor heard him and called the cops.

2009-09-13T15:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted last...not that anyone reads this. I have been keeping busy with little Ike running wild. He's been quite a handful lately and has really been pushing my buttons.

We're trying to get him to sleep in his own bed now so I've ordered Thomas the Train fabric to make curtains and pillowcases for him and we found a huge floor puzzle to put together and hang on the wall. Hopefully the Thomas things will make him want to stay in his room. He's a Thomas finatic. Last night he slept in the girls' bedroom because he wanted to watch his movie he rented (Alvin and the Chipmunks) and his tv doesn't have hookups for a DVD player. He spelt for a while in there but before the night was over he was in the bed with us. Hopefully it'll just take some getting used to and he'll be back in his bed for good.

I've been looking for new recipes...I'm in a cooking rut. I just haven't been in the mood to cook because it's always the same old thing. So I hunted the world wide web and found some yummy looking recipes so I just gotta make a grocery list and get to the store. I'll use this as an excuse to find some new cookware too. I've been wanting some new pots and pans for a while now. Mine are looking pretty rough after 10 years...they don't make things like they used to. I'm also looking into Once A Month Cooking. I'd spend an entire day or weekend cooking and preparing dishes and then freeze them so all I'd have to do is remove from the freezer and pop in the oven after work. That would make dinner so much more enjoyable since I wouldn't have all that preperation after a long day at work.

Speaking of dinner...I better go decide what I'm cooking tonight. I'm thinking Baked Tilapia and sweet peas.

He's finished!

2009-08-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Isn't he cute? I put my glasses on him to see what it would look like. I can't decide whether to make him a young puppet or an old puppet. The glasses and the white hair make him look old. I'd need to find some old glasses to use though if I go that route. So for now he's just got his eyes and his red nose. I didn't like the sweater he was wearing until I decided on the red nose now it all goes together. Tell me what you think? I like comments you know. hint hint. hehe

What he looks like now

With glasses

With glasses and white hair

My new project

2009-08-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

I don't have everything I need to finish him but I thought I'd show a progress picture anyways. I'm excited. Tried one before and he came out all wonky so I gave it another go. Glad I did! Isn't he looking so cute?! I see a family of puppets in the works for the kids. They'll be great to use with LJ for his school lessons.

I gotta the rest of the supplies I need. Eyes, nose and a tongue and then he'll need some hair. I don't like the sweater he's wearing all that much so a trip to Build-A-Bear for a snazzy t-shirt is in order too..maybe even a cool hat or sunglasses. I'll take him in the mall with me to try on clothes! Won't I get cute looks? Hehe

2009-08-09T18:34:00.001-07:00

The kids have started school

2009-08-09T17:34:00.000-07:00

All 3 of the kids have started school now. They started Friday. The girls in public school and LJ homeschooling. LJ wanted to go into school with his big sisters so bad but he won't start public school until next year for PreK. This year we're doing homeschool for him to continue his OT and get a head start on learning.

Here are some pics of the girls' first day at school.

And here are some from LJ's lesson today. He got to paint a picture of his house. He had a blast painting and wanted to paint more but we had to get the table cleaned off for dinner. The girls got in on the action too and painted ocean scenes.

LJ's artwork

Trinity's artwork

Alyssa's artwork

Alyssa's new hobby

2009-07-30T04:02:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Alyssa got her first bow. It took about an hour to get everything right for her. Once everything was ready she got to practice with it and on her 3rd shot ever she got a bullseye! She's a champ.

and one of LJ just because....he's shooting a bow.

LJ is starting school soon

2009-07-26T16:15:00.000-07:00

I made the decision to homeschool LJ this year. I'm sure it will be a challenge since I work full time but it will be good for him and especially good when his OT appointments are over. He's only got a few more weeks left.

I'll be using the curriculum from ABC Jesus Love Me. It's online and it's free. I will have to purchase a few books to go along with it. Some of the books I'm sure I can find at the library...there are number and letter books to go with each lesson. I bought one of the bibles he needed tonight at Walmart and I'll look for the other one next week at the bookstore.

I have a lot to get in order so it'll take me a couple weeks to get everything together but I'm excited to start. Reminder...get new printer cartridge. LOL

I picked up a cookie sheet tonight also. I plan to use it as a magnet board for activities. I've got mangetic numbers and letters that we'll use and I am going to make weather magnets and days of the week as well as months of the year. He's gonna learn a lot <<< and I'll be working on my grammar there..no more gonnas. HAHA

Off to research.

Kitchen Makeover

2009-07-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Awful outdated wallpaper was on the walls. I was so sick of looking at the burgandy/navy/hunter colors so I finally got around to painting.

I chose a beige color but the flash really washed it out on the pictures. I'll try to take some new pics when I'm completely finished. It's very pretty with the white cabinets!

Photo shoot with Caroline

2009-06-30T20:19:00.001-07:00

I'm in Boston this week and Chip and Marie took off tonight for a date night. Caroline and I had a little fun with the camera. Isn't she a doll?

1 week to flight

2009-06-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

and I'm nervous as H-E-double hockey sticks. The more I think about it the more nervous I get. Hopefully once the plane takes off it'll be a smooth flight and I'll realize I've worried for nothing. I'm praying that's how it goes. I watched a youtube video shot out the window of a plane taking off and that made the butterflies appear in my stomach. I'm such a wimp.

I've got lots to do to get ready. And I totally regret not requesting to take Friday afternoon off work. I'm going to be worn out by the time I get to the plane. (Note to self...no matter how tired I am...remember Benadryl!)

Gotta get the clothes washed and go ahead and pack what I can. Off to see what's restricted in my bag..darn airline rules. Can I take my razor? lol

Just like Daddy

2009-06-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post these a couple weeks ago during a trip to the fire station. LJ loves to stop by and see his Daddy at the station. He gets to drive the firetruck every time!

This is my favorite picture. I just love the look I captured.

It's official!

2009-06-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

My trip to Boston that it. I just bought my plane ticket! Who knew buying a plane ticket would be so confusing. Way too many options and not enough smarts to figure it all out. Hopefully when I get on the plane I'll be heading in the right direction. LOL

Fun with pics

2009-05-31T20:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Me!

2009-05-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to me
Happy birthday to me
I'm queen for the day
Happy birthday to me!

Sure wish this was really my birthday cake

I had a great day today. Joe and LJ took me out to lunch. We ate at Applebees. Joe thought he was going to embarrass me by telling them it was my birthday and having them sing to me but he was disappointed. They gave me free ice cream..but no singing. I was prepared though...wouldn't have been embarrassed. Hehe.

Then we came home and I headed out to the mall. I picked out a new suitcase and a few new shirts. Happy birthday to me! I got me some new fabric to make myself a new Vera Bradley wannabe purse. My day is almost over though. We're going to get LJ down to sleep and then watch Mall Cop. I've heard it's very funny.