Meet "Emily"

You know your children have reached a new stage of creativity when they begin making things with no help at all!

With instructions from this book, Abigail made herself a sock doll:

 Yarn hair, button eyes and a drawn nose and mouth completes the face. The book suggests ways to embroider facial features, but I think Abi was keen to complete the project.

I have it on good authority that some sock-doll clothes are currently in the works...

Everyday Madness

I took all 6 kids food shopping last week. It's not as crazy as it sounds, though I wouldn't exactly call it a sane decision, either. First we went to Aldi, and we did fairly well. With one shopping cart for Dan, Ellie and Caleb in his car seat, all the food went into a second cart. There were a couple of hang ups at first, with taking up room and getting in other shoppers' way, and of course the spilling of sour cream on the floor, but we got into a pretty good groove. We were in and out in less than an hour. Not too shabby.
We had another stop to make at Giant, though, and this proved to be just that bit too much for them. No crying, screaming or temper tantrums - that's not our style. No, my kids go the other way - they make everything into a game, and not just a normal, don't-step-on-the-cracks kind of game, but a let's-race-down-the-aisles-and-hurdle-the-displays kind of game. Today, there was hiding in the shopping cart (not a successful game, as it happens), running and sliding down the aisle, and shooting boxes of sandwich bags into the cart (okay, so that was me).
Of course, once these games begin, it's hard to know where they end, so there was also climbing through the van, under and over the bench seats, not to mention a small biting episode (and not the child you'd think, either).
All that said, this crew of mine can really work well together. We got the shopping done, van unloaded and groceries put away with no bloodshed! Plus, fun was had. How often do I get to say that about a shopping trip? I call that a win.

Finallly!

It's taken a while, but there are finally a couple (for now) of things in the shop:

 A couple of Puerperium Cardigans in brown (above) and black (below) cotton.

Perfect for any new babies on your shopping list (hint, hint).

Did you know...

...that you can use almost any kitchen appliance as a dry/wet erase board? As long as your kitchen isn't fitted out in chrome or stainless steel, you can use a dry or wet erase marker on your microwave, fridge, dishwasher, oven, etc. Write brief cooking instructions, phone messages, the day's meal plan or just a quick note. Cool beans, right?

Ways with an old sweater

Since the Christmas season has officially begun, that tends to mean that there are a few people out there trying to pull together some creative gifts on not a lot of money. Can I help?
Chances are, you or someone in your home have a sweater that's no longer in circulation. Maybe it's small, been run through the dryer, has a hole, or simply doesn't speak to you anymore. Before chucking it or running it over to Goodwill, perhaps you can repurpose it? Here's a few ideas:

Way 1 - a skirt

Pretty easy, this one. Cut a sweater off under the arms, fold over the top and sew to make a casing, and insert elastic. Cute over leggings, and warm!

Way 2 - fingerless gloves

 

Again, easy. Again, a great gift. Cut off a section of sweater that's large enough to wrap around a hand and sew up the seam, leaving a small hole for the thumb. You can hem or otherwise finish the cut end if you think it might unravel.

 

Way 3 - hats

  Had some trouble getting a photo on this one, but this website has easy instructions for how to get it done. Really good for manly gifts - it's not too hard to find a nice men's sweater to cut up, and almost all men wear winter hats, right?

 

Way 4 - baby pants

Photo from makebabystuff.com

I've made a number of pants and shorts for my kids from old t-shirts, and making warm woolen leggings from a sweater is really just the same song, different verse. This website makes them from the sleeves, which is a nice touch.
 

Way 5 - sleep sack

Photo from Rhythm of the Home

Construction is the same a for a hat, basically. Great gift for a new baby.

Need some more ideas? Check out http://tipnut.com/make-sweaters/.

You're welcome.

Thankful

It's about 4:30am, and I've just finished feeding the baby. I woke, not to his crying, but to the knowledge that my husband was changing his diaper. Right there are two things to be thankful for.

I went to bed last night with this delightful sense of having so much and being so happy. Our lives are full and busy and loud and chaotic and good and I love it. I am struck with a profound sense of gratitude for all the goodness God has poured out on my life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus

I think we must not only give thanks for the good and the not-so-good, knowing they are gifts from a sovereign God, but we must also give thanks for the details, the moments that we are in at any given time, lest we presume upon God's goodness and assume that we deserve the good we have or fail to see Him in the circumstances we would not choose for ourselves. I can thank Him for:

• the familiar nighttime sounds of my home
• my son's smile when he catches me watching him
• seeing my girls write in their prayer journals and the knowledge that they are praying for people
• filling my gas tank for less than $75(!)
• the knowledge that though I don't care for Dan's new hair cut, it'll grow back (ahem)
• the feel of lovely yarn in my hands
• my husband bringing me coffee in my favorite mug

Details, to be sure. Perhaps inconsequential to most, but these are the details and the moments that make up the life that I am so thankful for.

When you sit down to your turkey this afternoon and give thanks, don't forget what our Pilgrim forefathers remembered - whether your times are fat with blessing or feeling a little lean, all our thanks and praise can and should only go to Him, the Giver of all good gifts. How can we be properly thankful without One to direct our thanks to?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

The Schoolroom

I am well aware that our family is very blessed to have a house big enough that we have a schoolroom separate from the rest of the house. Most homeschoolers have a living room or dining room that is pulling double duty, and while we've done that and will probably do so again sometime in the future, we are grateful to have this dedicated space for all things "school".

May I show you around, mess and all?

 

Please, do come in...

We were able to pick up the two desk-and-chair sets for free when our church school closed, and the big desk and white board are items Toby found going spare at work. 

 

The pull-out couch was a freebie from a friend (thanks again, Danielle!), and is perfect for our guests when they visit.

 

I have big plans for turning those closets into useful work spaces, but that's going to have to wait for now...

 

A couple clever ideas: Toby mounted the white board on batons to give a gap between the board and the wall for storing a variety of maps that are mounted onto thick display board. If you're short on wall space and like your maps or whatnot, this could be helpful.

 

Another clever thing he did was mount an old plastic tub next to it, up high, for the dry erase markers and eraser. Some families may not need such things, but for us, storing the markers on the board's marker tray puts them within reach of Daniel. Need I say more?

 

My last clever idea was to record the kids' school assignments on schedule sheets, stick them in clear, plastic sleeves, and mount them on the wall near my desk. This is helping them to grow in self-government a little, rather than depending on me to tell them each little thing they have to do for each assignment, and they can check off when they've finished something with a dry erase marker. Then they (and I) can see at a glace whether they are done their work for the day.

 

 

The room is by no means perfect (the closets are an issue and I need to figure a better way to store toys and crafts), but it has been a great blessing and really goes a long way toward making our homeschool work that little better. I'll take that, any day.

Busy morning oatmeal

Now that it's colder in the mornings (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, that is), cooked breakfasts in general - and oatmeal in particular - make more sense than a steady diet of cold cereal. However, few of us have time to be standing over a stove to keep the oatmeal from boiling over. So allow me to share three ways to fit oatmeal into your jam-packed morning:

1. Rice cooker oatmeal - if you have a rice cooker, you're sitting on a wonderfully underused gadget. Get that bad boy out and dust it off. Put in 4 cups of water, 2 cups of oats, and a handful of raisins. Push "cook". In about 20 minutes, you'll have perfect oats that cleans up great and serves about four. If you don't have a rice cooker, get one - it's totally worth the space it takes up.
2. Crock Pot Oatmeal - Seriously, there are oodles of recipes out there for crock pot oats. Often, steel cut oats are used. They do stand up to being in the crock pot a bit better than normal oats, but if you can't find steel cut, don't let that stop you. Shave a couple hours off the cooking time and give one of these recipes a try.
3. Make your own instant oatmeal - Dump half a cup of oats into your food processor or blender and pulse a few times. You want it chopped up a bit, not turned to dust. Stick that in a plastic snack or sandwich bag along with some dried fruit. Then, in the morning, empty the bag into a microwave-able bowl with a cup of water or milk and stick it in the microwave. Kids can make their own oatmeal! Easy.

Any good oatmeal recipes floating around out there? Do share!

 

In weakness

My church's Ladies' retreat last weekend almost didn't happen - for me, anyway. After sitting in a steamy bathroom with a coughing infant at 5am Friday morning, I was having some doubts. Fortunately, my sweet husband heard and put to rest most of my concerns, wrapping them all up with "If you need to come home, I'll come and get you." So, we packed up and headed out.
There was one concern I didn't share with him, though - one I wasn't even aware of myself, at first. It was this feeling we proud women have now and then, the one where we realize that if the reality of a thing doesn't match up with our vision, then we don't want to do it. In this case, it was a matter of not being free to talk to ladies and minister to them from a position of strength and comfort. Bringing along a poorly infant meant my attentions would be divided, that I would not be free to chat with women at my leisure, that my energy would be drained, that I wouldn't even be able to take part in all the sessions. And all these concerns were not only valid, they were realistic - I was tired, didn't talk to all those I wanted to, and missed out on some things.
However, I realize how kind God has been to give me some limitations this time around. I did get to talk to a few ladies, and was greatly blessed by their care for me and for Caleb. What a blessing to have these lovely women check on me, visit with me, and pray for both of us. It's more than likely that if things had gone my way, I would have run myself ragged, trying to minister to ladies in my own strength, and doing a lousy job. This time, I couldn't even kid myself that I had anything of note to offer - I was on the receiving end of the blessing. And though it's not the most comfortable place for me, I am thankful to be the receipient of the love and care of God, expressed through a body of faithful believers.

The Lurgy Invades

So, it began with a stuffy nose...

Caleb came down stuffed up last week. The next day it was a cough.

I was due to go on my church's Ladies' Retreat, but it shouldn't be too bad. For a two-month-old, he coped manfully - better than some men I know (except for my husband, who is the best patient ever.)! We get home on Sunday, and by Monday he's doing much better, which is good, as this allows me to focus on the next batch of sickies...

By today, Ellie and Dan have coughs, runny/stuffy noses and coughs. I have a stuffy nose. It kind of feels like living in an illness thriller, wondering whose going to come down with the "dreaded disease" next...

We're working hard to keep the healthy staying that way and ease the sick. For us that means:

• lots of rest and fluids
• some cartoons on YouTube and the only the basics of schoolwork
• vitamins and cough meds and fever-reducers
• steam inhalation - steamy showers, humidifiers (when they work, grr), hooded head of a bowl of hot water
• washing hands & cups - a lot - and wiping doorknobs, taps and lightswitches
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon mixed with a tsp honey for sore throats and a preventative measure
• 1tsp each of honey, lemon juice and brandy to ease nighttime coughs
• Vicks on the soles of the feet and covered with socks to help those nighttime coughs, as well
• this homemade remedy as an all-around helper (just don't forget the water like I did!)

 

Any other helpful suggestions to kick the dreaded lurgy on it's way?