Friday, September 29, 2006

Spelling Lessons

So, A is really into spelling and is really pretty good at it too. She is figuring out though, that English is full of pesky rules that contradict themselves. She is learning when to use "ck" or "ke" at the ends of words at school and then gets frustrated when she tries to apply the basic rules to other words! Thankfully she has a good sense of humor about it all and usually comments on why do we have to speak this language?

Today on our way home from Target, she asked me what a "chev-ro-LET" is. And of course kept repeating it until I notice that the truck that just passed me has "chevrolay" (phonetically speaking), spelled out on the tailgate. Ah-ha! Mommy has the answer. I tell her the correct pronunciation and she proceeds to question why cars have names, etc. So I tell her that our van aka "big blue Stu", is also aka "Pontiac Montana". After we get home and parked (AND DON'T YOU DARE TELL HER I TOLD YOU THIS--I WILL DENY ANY & ALL KNOWLEDGE OF IT!!), I overheard her ask "big blue Stu", if she could call him "Montana" sometimes! How cute is that?!

I have hope, maybe she's not 13 after-all!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Sew Fun

Well today has been great! We didn't plan anything, don't have to go anywhere, and we're taking advantage of it! The girls have been outside most of the day, M has been out in the shop and I've been sewing.

I don't think that I have sewed this much since G was about the age R is now. It stopped being fun, so I stopped doing it--mostly because of the extra help, and of course a new baby doesn't make finding extra time very easy, and of course once you do find it, you use it for sleeping.

Today however, I finished a dress in bright purple with lime polka-dots for G, a ruffled skirt with froggy fabric for G, and a dress for A out of a pretty plaid flannel (that I cut out a long time ago--maybe two years ago) and it still fits!! Behold the power of making something yourself, you can fudge the seam allowances and make it fit! Now that I'm heady with success, I think I will cut out some bloomers for R and two of her little friends. And with all hope they will be done in time for the girls to get some wear out of them!

Here is a picture of the finished knitting project, R's dress. I finshed it a week or more ago. It has a cute (well I think it's cute), gingham ribbon around the empire waist.Thankfully it's on the big side, 'cause this kid will be wearing it non-stop once it fits a tiny bit better! :)

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

One of those days

Well, it has been one of those days, I'd say weeks but it's only Tuesday and I better not tempt fate to make it into "one of those weeks".

The day started off normal enough, a little bickering from the older girls, a relatively peaceful breakfast until G realized that Janelle was coming over on Daddy's birthday (oh the horror). She continued to give plenty of vocal complaining, bad-mouthing, that she is so good at until Janelle arrived. I managed to get breakfast dishes in the dishwasher and check email before school-time all with peace. I gave up keeping the dogs separated because Murray would not leave the screen door alone (he is systematically shredding the screen), but would soon regret this decision.

Got A started with school, good. Got G started with "school", good. R happy with sweet streets, Janelle down for nap, good good. Phone rings, it's a friend from MOPS, while chatting with her, I glance out the window to see the dogs excavating the Aspen tree! Argh! Yell at them, they feign innocence. Check on the girls with school, they are fighting and A has done one part of one page of seatwork. ARGH! Then R decides she is no longer happy and must scream and cry. Hang up call, look out the window and there are the dogs digging up another part of the yard. Double Argh! I yelled at them, got R a banana, and then squared my shoulders and marched to the school room. A had done one page of 4 pages of seatwork, and very poorly at that. Triple ARGH!! Steam is beginning to shoot out of my ears uncontrollably, however for once I ignore it and get the baby up from her nap.

Went back to the school room to find A happily finishing her last page of school work. (The following to be read with dripping sarcasm please!) Wow! Only one hour to do four pages and the final three done in 10 minutes. It is a miracle!

We take a sanity break since it is now just about time for lunch. Look out the window (when will I stop doing that!) in time to see Murray make off with Jackson's radio collar. I race out, grab the collar, see it is beyond repair and almost give into the violent thoughts that are raging through my mind. I stopped only when I look up and see my princesses on the deck watching the scene unfold!

So I get lunch on the table for my girls. Janelle doesn't want to stop playing, so I decide to eat mine while it's warm. The girls are all happy, pleasant (not burping), we are enjoying a good conversation. I decide to try and coax Janelle to come and eat, just as I get to her she starts throwing up. Not just a bit of spit up, but an honest to goodness mess! Yuck!! It's bad enough to clean up when it's your own kid, but trust me, about ten times worse when it's not. Thankfully her mom was working from home and rushed over. Now I am praying that it was cold-related and not a stomach flu. . .

Now you know all about my morning, I can only hope that this afternoon will be better. Thankfully there is ice cream cake to look forward to for dessert and I didn't put all the carmel brownies out at small group last night, so I have a little stash to get me through til dessert time!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Anniversary

Well, not only does today mark the terrible anniversary of 9-11-01, but it also marks the anniversary of the day I first attended MOPS. This morning as I was getting ready to head to church to set-up for MOPS, I was hit with the realization that 9-11-01, was the first time I ever went to MOPS!

I remember debating if I should even go, would I even need to go, would there even be MOPS, after all these tragedies were happening right now! But I'm so glad that I followed God's prompting and went. That I swallowed my pride and came out of my shell a bit to meet some new people. I have been blessed by this ministry ever since! I met people that attended First Baptist, and I think those relationships encouraged my husband and I to end our church hunt and settle in there. Thru MOPS I have made dear friends, one especially stands out, as God gave her to me just when we needed eachother most, I think.

Anyway, feeling nostalgic and glad that I have a positive memory of 9-11-01, when there are so many other sad ones tied with this date.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Meme Theme: Three

I've been tagged by Laughter Thoughts, so here goes my quick three

Three nicknames— P.B.(a nickname from my hubby), mama, Sarah-Rabbit

Three people that make me laugh—my girlfriends (especially after a long day), my girls, Mr. Monk (a loveable TV character)

Three things that I love—knitting & finishing a knitting project, my princesses and their daddy

Three things I hate—unorganization, clutter (kind of goes with the first), second-hand smoke

Three things I don't understand—how my kids somehow sense when I've been up late the night before and are up extra early and behave extra cranky; why you would complain when your mom tries out new recipes, even when you complained about the old ones; why each toy or thing that the other sibling has is so much better/prettier/more exciting than the one you've happily been playing with all along!

Three things on my floor—two flopped dogs, towel, book bag

Three things I am doing right now—typing, wondering what all the thumping is when it's supposed to be quiet time, thinking how nice it would be to shop with an unlimited budget--just once!

Three things I can do—knit (just finished a dress for R), sew (just made G a dress), homeschool my girls

Three ways to describe my personality— responsible/conscientious, friendly/outgoing (MOPS has definitely stretched my comfort zone in this area and I'm all the better for it!), optomistic

Three favorite foods— Seafood fettuccine from Olive Garden, anything from Bamboo Garden, and I have a favorite chicken/dumpling recipe--come on cold weather!!

Three foods I do not like—falafil (we made some once . . .), spaghetti o's, canned vegetable beef soup

Three beverages I drink regularly—diet pepsi, milk, water

Three shows I watch—Gilmore Girls, House, M.D., Mr. Monk (all from Netflix), I have a really hard time watching "regular" TV now, I am spoiled w/dvd's --no commercials!


I will tag The Knot and the Knest next!

Saturday, September 02, 2006

He Earned His Keep-Praise the Lord!

Well this post is two part. . . just last night M and I were talking in bed as the cats went yowling by (AGAIN!) about how nice it would be to de-pet the house. We have this conversation, oh about weekly! Murray is in the horrible, chewing, digging adolescent puppy stage and Buzzy (G's cat), don't get us started.


M had to be up early this morning to go to a breakfast at church and then when I got up with R a little later, there was a little present for me--a dead mouse courtesy of Buzzy. After my mild heart attack, I praised him lavishly for the mighty hunter that he is (this is the 2nd one he's caught). I knew there was a mouse lurking somewhere under the dishwasher/kitchen sink cabinet as I had seen his tiny calling cards the other day, but hadn't caught it! So for once one of our pets earned his keep.

And as for the second part of the post G has started using the phrase "Praise the Lord". It is so funny. Last night I finished up a dress for her, minus the buttons, and when G saw it, she said "PTL that you finished it". And then as we fished for buttons in the button box a minute later, she says "PTL we have some many buttons". We'll see how long this phrase lasts, I must say it's better than "I hate" or "stupid", which seem to be the norm more often than not!