Absenteeism

A few days ago I wrote a fascinating post that started something like this: Here I sit, fingers poised over the keys waiting for an incredibly clever and catchy title to pop into head, but all I've got is this, "Fill in the blank. Fill in the blank." rolling through my head. My fingers tap out the word absenteeism.

I remember that my internet was having issues that day and the post was lost. All except the title. A tragedy to be sure.

I remember that it was very clever.

I remember that I googled "absenteeism" to check my spelling, and found myself amused by the various reasons for absenteeism. Most of which seemed applicable.

I remember that the only reason I got on to blog in the first place was that I was giddy with excitement over a most wonderful [small scale] project idea I've decided to embark on.

I remember that I was not willing to give any specific details about said project.

I'm still not.

Girl Friday

This girl knows what she wants. And she's got the fashion thing down. Three things to remember: Pink is pretty. Princess = perfect. A tutu makes everything better. Even pajamas.

This momma is going shopping today. Normally this doesn't go so well [possibly the problem is that these jeans look like they fit my nine year old son]. I'm thinking that if I go in with a plan it will be more enjoyable. But I could be wrong. Here's to hoping.

Source: polyvore.com via Lisa on Pinterest

  

Source: polyvore.com via Heather on Pinterest

I always feel self-conscious when I dress up. I guess accessorizing the jeans + t-shirts is a nice place to start. And I do wish those boots had a bit of a heel.

Girl Friday

This girl gave herself her very first haircut on Monday. I was really hoping that by never mentioning hair and cut in the same sentence that we would just tip-toe past this phase that kids seem to go through. I was really, really hoping. We were cutting out letters from paper and it must have been when I turned to scan them into the computer she worked her magic on her hair. I didn't even notice until quite a bit later -- she had walked away from the project while I was busy with the scanner. When I saw her pretty little blonde curls on the table my heart fell. I immediately went to inspect the damages. Thankfully it wasn't too bad. Especially with the rest of her hair down around her face. I pulled it back for the photo. She seemed to only cut the parts that tend to hang in her face. On Tuesday I took the girl to get her hair fixed. After it was washed and combed the stylist informed me that she had cut quite a lot in the back as well so a pretty big trim was necessary. Hmm. I wondered where all that hair went? On Tuesday night *B* found quite a large pile of cute little blonde curls under his fishing bag. The Girl hid the evidence. Sheesh.

This mom gets her hair cut approximately once every three years. I just don't have the patience for it. The benefit to doing it this way is that, by the time I get around to cutting it, my hair is long enough to donate to locks of love. It really does grow insanely fast. So here I am. Shopping around for a cute haircut. Suggestions welcomed.

ps. That's blueberries on her face.

Girl Friday

This girl was thrilled when one of the neighbor grandmas let her borrow a huge box of Barbie dolls. Thrilled. I love that she hates it when they're naked. She likes to change their clothes, but is quick to let me know that running around naked isn't okay. They need to get dressed. Did you know Barbie is evolving? There's quite a variety here. Some with the typical big chest/ skinny waist/ big hips, some with not so big chests, some with not so defined waist/hips. It's kinda nice to see that they're making new molds. Her favorite is Erika from Barbie in The Princess and the Pauper movie. She sings. And The Girl sings along. I love that.

This momma was inspired by an intriguing question [asked by the fabulous, and always inspiring, Kal Barteski] that was right up my alley. How are you evolving? Life is constantly changing. I am regularly trying on new hats, wearing them around for a while, taking note of what I like and what I don't, so that hopefully the next hat will be a better fit. Right now I'm making more of an effort to take our food back to basics. I've started making my own yogurt. We're implementing the use of more whole grains like amaranth and millet. We've bottled up loads of vegetable soup/salsa from our garden. Oh, and we got chickens. I think I might be evolving into an urban farmer. It makes me happy. 

ps. We survived our trip. More on that later. I'm working on a video...

pps. If any of my favorite thrifty yard sale ladies ever stumble across a batch of Barbies that are in good condition for what you consider a good price [I haven't the foggiest] I would love you forever if you'd snag it for me. The girl will love you forever as well. Promise.

Girl Friday

This silly girl will occasionally have breathing issues. It started when she was 5 months old and hospitalized for three days with pneumonia/dehydration. Since then we've run the gamut of nebulizer treatments and doctor visits with the occasional trip to the ER. This weekend we rushed down off the mountain after we ran out of medicine and she was not breathing any easier. After getting her blood oxygen level checked we were advised to go home, give her a breathing treatment and take her to the ER if she didn't improve. A few hours later we found ourselves in the ER. Girlie has pneumonia. She also loves blueberries.

This silly momma will occasionally have issues that involve awareness/backbone. After putting The Girl on oxygen, giving her the appropriate medications and waiting for what I am assuming to be an appropriate amount of time, the doctor came in and said he was taker her off the oxygen for 10 minutes to see what her blood oxygen level was holding at. After about 6 minutes her saturation level was 92 or 93%. He put her back on the oxygen, stating that her level was dropping too fast, and said he was admitting her to the hospital. Now here's where the awareness/backbone part would be helpful. Good questions to ask: At what point does her blood oxygen saturation level become unacceptable? Is admitting her to the hospital really necessary? Could we wait a bit longer and check it again before proceeding? All excellent questions I thought of after being with her in the hospital overnight and into the afternoon [while we waited for our pediatrician to make his way over and discharge her]. On the children's floor her blood/oxygen saturation level hovered around 89-90%. They monitored her levels but never once put her on oxygen - when I asked if she needed it [I believe my exact words were - in reference to the tiny oxygen mask the ambulance transport people left, "So, does she not need this?"] they said her levels were fine. And here I though the only reason she was admitted was because she had to be on oxygen. Silly me.

ps. I like blueberries too.

pps. In case you were wondering, the girl is fine. Wild and crazy, as per usual.

Girl Friday

Me, I have a love for hats. I used to buy hats all the time. I realized that I never wear the hats I buy. I quit buying hats. Recently I went shopping with my dear sister. I always buy stuff I never wear when I shop with my sister. I bought a hat. I love the hat. The Girl loves the hat. I love the hat on The Girl.

The Girl has started saying, "Oh dear!" Randomly, she will come to me and say, "Momma, lets laugh and sing!" So I start singing and three or four words in she busts up laughing. Which makes me laugh. When she feels somehow slighted by something I've done or said she sings this little song, "Mommy's stupid yes sir-ree" to the tune of A Happy Family. She single handedly ate four klondike bars yesterday while I was curled up in fetal position on the couch [we've had the flu this week... hopefully I'm the last] and her dad was running errands. The evidence was all over her princess dress.

ps. Lace frame how-to.

Girl Friday

Yesterday my friend Cannwin posted a list. And you all know how much I love lists. Then I got an e-mail from BPC [Big Picture Classes] with a great "I" list. And the boys are currently working a list. Hmm. I think the universe is telling me it's time for another list :). Like I need an excuse. Here goes:

I was not going to post today.

I am going to the dentist.

I think I should take better care of my teeth so I don't have to make special trips to fix problems.

I wonder if that protective mouthwash really works...

I wish I could snap my fingers and have everything fly to it's place [like Mary Poppins].

I save everything. It's annoying. And counterproductive to my organizing wishes.

I always sit things down on the nearest surface and forget about them.

I can't imagine living in a clutter free home.

I believe it's possible

I promise to make more of an effort.

      

photos credits: Better Homes & Gardens and Martha Stewart Living

I love the look of a clutter free home.

I do.

Girl Friday

Today the girl insisted on popcorn for lunch. Really? We don't even have any of the healthy popcorn. So I compromised. She could have popcorn + cheese + banana. When I got it all laid out I realized that she must be white today [well, with the exception of the nasty fake butter stuff]. She also had a glass of milk. I think I'll give her a few mini-marshmallows when she's done.

I've been hyperfocused painting the past little bit and the blog seems to be suffering some withdrawls. I'm hoping to make up for that with a new template in the box. It's for the page I did last week. The one with the goofy glasses [aka: smartie face]. The zipped file contains the template complete with a sample page layer and a list of products used in the sample layer - you'll just want to disappear those [I'm not sure what the correct term there is]. The file was too big so I had delete the preview, but you can see it here. Also, I've added a terms of use page that has a quote from Mondo Beyondo that I really liked. It's a PSD file also so you can disappear the terms and print the quote [that's it down there at the bottom of the post]. Hope you like it. I'm wondering how these work out. I'm planning on sharing a template at JS in a few months and would like some feedback on ease of use/kinks/likes/dislikes, etc. so if you download this please let me know and if you use it I'd love to see your page and get your thoughts on the files. Thanks!

ps. That speech block was totally inspired by Queen of Quirk. I loved using hers on the page I made and decided to make one for the template [though admittedly, mine is a bit wonky. If you prefer not wonky pick up hers. It's very straight and pretty :)]. It totally made the difference in the template [in my opinion]. It may be too close and against the rules. If someone knows please let me know and I'll take it off.

Girl Friday

Just wanted to jot down a few things the girl has said recently. Things I really don't want to forget. 1. I was changing baby *E* and he was fussing and I'm chit chatting and cooing to him and I called him sweetheart. And this is how it went after that: The Girl: He's not a heart! Me: Sure he is. He's a sweet heart. The girl: No he's not. I'm a heart. Typing this now I know that there was more to the conversation, but alas, I can't remember. I should've done it two days ago while the memory was still fresh... 2. The Girl was talking to her Daddy on the phone when the boys came in from school. The conversation turned to something like this: The Girl: Do you want to talk to *A*? Daddy: No, I want to talk to Mom. The Girl: *A*? Daddy: Mom. The Girl: *A*? Daddy: Mom. The Girl: *A*? Daddy: Mom. The Girl: *A*? Daddy: Mom. Until I finally took the phone from her. Really. And maybe you just had to be there, but I was and I want to remember it. So there you go.

A Little Bird in My Mailbox

Last night *B* took the kids [all but the smallest] for a sleepover at Grandpa + Grandma's before setting out for a day on the ice. Fishing. Heaven is a quiet house. I'm sure if my house were quiet all of the time I would feel differently, but right now. Right now it is my truth. Last night I ate chocolate. The chocolates were speaking to me. Telling me things. Things like, "take a deep breath." and "get a good night's sleep." and "close your eyes and relax." And I am not kidding when I say I need such things.

Last night I didn't listen. I continued eating chocolates while reading the archives from something called Daily Truth. How did I not know about this before? Did you know about this and didn't tell me? Found through a fellow CT member I couldn't stop reading:

"A note to our Brave Friends about these emails -We have been talking a lot this year about the lies the world forces upon us every day...lies about what is most important, who we are, who we can become, what we can accomplish, our value, our potential, our worth, what makes our lives meaningful, how & where we can find true happiness, and on and on. So we've decided to wage our own little war against those lies by sending our brave friends a daily truth. Think of it as a little bird delivering your truth-- and imagine that this truth-teller is someone who loves you and understands you completely. Your daily emails will be sent Monday thru Friday. We wish you everything joyful and brave and true.-- Much love, Melody and Kathy"

I needed this. I really, really did. And we'll just ignore the fact that I ate all of the chocolates.

Girl Friday

Re:5 Random Things 3 Months, 2 Weeks ago 1. Hello from the great state of Utah. 2. _________________ to be exact. 3. I'm mommy to four littles. Ages: 8, 6, 2, and 2.5 months. 4. I'm so excited to be a part of the team. I've never done anything like this before and have no idea what to expect. 5. I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew . 6. I tend to do that. 7. I scrap digitally because I'm completely indecisive and change things at least 15 times before I'm done. 8. I am a paper junkie. 9. I rarely make a layout that I don't take the time to design a template to go with it. 10. Even though I know I'll probably never use it again. 11. My logic baffles me sometimes. 12. The weather here is currently cool + rainy and I love it. 13. I call it "permission to do nothing" weather. 14. It's when I curl up with a good book. 15. Mockingjay is currently waiting for me at the library. 16. I can't wait to read it. So...five things? 17. Sometimes I just don't know when to stop. *This was my list I posted for the JS Designer/Creative Team Forum getting to know you party. I've been meaning to share it for a while. I thought you might like it. And as you know... I like lists.

What Do You Think?

A few months ago while reading Tollipop I saw this shirt. At first I thought, that's really random. Cool though. Actually I really like that. Then I commented on her blog that I was curious about the shirt. Then she wrote back that she thought they got it at American Eagle. I wrote back, "When I saw it I thought, 'wow, what if I had a gocco [or could cut out butcher paper with mad skills] and made a shirt for each item on my list of dreams/wishes?' What would you do with your dreams always before your eyes? Do they really have more of a chance if you put them out there? Would putting them on a t-shirt make them come true?" And the more I dwelt on that thought the more it reminded me of something I did a while back. So I went looking...I found it in May 2007 kind of a while back. So now I am prone to think that I am the unknowing designer of an American Eagle shirt. What do you think?

Today I...

1. taste tested my first attempt at homemade yogurt. The girl declared it yummy. The mommy thinks it needs some work. I'll share more on that when I've got it figured out. Until then I've used this and this for guidance.
2. Have permission to drop the guilt over the messy house.
3. *B* and I came to an understanding that I've got a lot to do in the next nine days.
4. Am trying to work but it's not really working.
5. Have a lesson on repentance floating around in the back of my mind.
6. The littlest man is crying.
7. The girl is into everything you can imagine and more.
8. Today I was announced a member of the Creative Team at Jessica Sprague!
9. Am feeling a bit overwhelmed.
10. But excited all the same.

Finally

clothes I can be excited about again. I haven't had a new skirt in... well, it was just a bit after *A* was born so it's been at least 5 years. It's hard enough for me to find clothes that fit and that I like and that I can afford without having to worry about the styles and that they're intended to hit just above the knee and therefore hit around mid thigh. Shirts are another big problem for me, but that's another story for another day I guess. As you can imagine I was very excited to open my inbox and see this declaration. Yes, very excited indeed.

Imagine If I Woke Up

in the morning on my own terms. If I actually accomplished what I set out to do. Imagine me walking into a room and cleaning it until it was finished. Imagine me not picking up a new book, three [yes, three] different books to be exact, and starting to read them at various times throughout the day [yes, the same day]. Imagine if the clothes that went into the washer actually made it into the dryer in a timely manner. And for that matter, imagine if they got folded and put away in an equally timely manner. Imagine if I was focused but not hyper-focused. Imagine what I could accomplish if I were not so completely me. Not that me is bad. It's just so completely frustrating sometimes. Now, imagine this: "Imagine waking and going for a run, as if running were all you do. Nothing else is on your mind but the run, and you do it to the very best of your abilities. Then you eat, enjoying every flavorful bite of your fresh breakfast of whole, unprocessed foods. You read a novel, as if nothing else in the world existed. You do your work, one task at a time, each task done with full focus and dedication. You spend time with loved ones, as if nothing else existed." - Leo Babauta author of the blog ZenHabits. Quoted from this guest post [which has really great tips on how to go about accomplishing such a highly focused/present frame of mind]. I realize that this might be a little ambitious, what with having two littles around, but I'm going to read this everytime I get distracted. Everytime I feel less than focused. Everytime I start a new project. I'm going to be single minded. I'm going to be a starter and a finisher. I'm starting today.

It's Finally Official

I am crossing no. 12 off the list. These boots have been on back order at Target for months. Seriously. I think it's been 6 mo. They were supposed to actually be used to work in the garden, but they're a little late. I can't bend over to work in the garden anymore. And for that matter, I can barely get the boots on at this point. My feet are so swollen. I don't notice that they're swollen unless I try to put on closed shoes. In the 2 minutes I had them on to take this photo my feet fell asleep. I think I'll not be wearing them for a while. The girl sure seems to like them though. She keeps undoing the buckles. So that's it. No. 12, your finished.

I Am Lame.

I admit it whole heartedly. I've been dreaming of the perfect rag doll to make for the girl. I've not seen patterns that are exactly what I want so I decided to use my mad fake it skills and just jump in with both feet. But, you see, my mad fake it skills don't quite match up with my mediocre sewing abilities. I just couldn't get the feet to be feet. I wanted feet with some kind of a shape so I could make mini felt shoes. The girl loves shoes. The feet themselves turned out fine, but they looked wonky [and not a good wonky] when I sewed them to the legs. I was bummed. And that was the end of my dreams of a perfect rag doll. But there was still a small problem. The boys knew I was making her a doll for her birthday. They won't let me not make her a doll for her birthday. But the motivation is not there. I don't want to stumble my way through a rag doll any more. I bought a PDF pattern this morning for this doll and was suddenly motivated to sew it up and be done. But the pattern still hasn't come to my inbox. So... [you know what's coming don't you. It's the, "I'm lame" part] I'm stumbling my way through sewing a doll. I'm on the internet right now seeing if the pattern has arrived [for what is possibly the 10th time since I ordered it]. I thought I'd give it a few more minutes. I should just give up checking. The rules of my life dictate that it won't arrive until I've got the doll finished. And that's just how it is. Besides. I'm almost finished. So there. Another wasted purchase. And it isn't even the doll I was dreaming of in the first place. Argh.

I Stood In the Driveway

and looked at this run down old house of ours and decided that it really needed some sort of pick me up. Something to distract from the run down part. I knew that it had to be fairly cheap as we're on a very tight budget these days what with a car that seems it will die soon, a baby on the way, etc. Any residual money is being funneled away at present. We've done quite a bit on the inside these past nine years, but have mostly ignored the outside. Quite literally ignored it. I just refuse to see it. Anyway... As I stood there looking at the house it hit me. Window boxes. It was like a shining beam of light in the parting clouds. I've tossed around the idea of window boxes in the past, but it was always part of a grander scheme. This time it was purely a solution. A simple way to show the house some love. Nothing else required. Wow. Nine years it took me to come to that. Wow.

Photo links: L to R Volpaia Tuscany window box, flowery window box in Bavaria, O'Neills pub in Boher Ireland, maintaining the window boxes in Venice

I Am the Queen

of the car fixers. Seriously. Tonight, for the second time I can recall, I rescued *B* as he wrestled with a cracked radiator hose or something equally car'ish. He had been out working on the car for a couple of hours and after I got all of the littles into bed I went out to observe. He was near cussing. He had cuts on his hands. He was not happy. See, the new hose would not slide over the valve or whatever. It just wouldn't. I suggested trimming out the inside wall a bit and give the thing a little head start. Not the magic solution that I had hoped. He decided to try from underneath the car. With him out of the way I was able to work my magic. I took hold of that hose and after a couple of trys... yes. I got the hose on. Where was I two hours ago? And my hands cleaned up very nicely. Thank you very much. I'm going to cross no.7 off the list. Do something for someone that they can't do themselves. [the truth is, there is probably a very good possibility that in this case as well as the last, which I don't really remember... but there was an extremely long belt involved. And lots of pulleys. I do remember that I saved the day. Maybe the only reason I am queen of the car fixers is that my hands aren't quite as big as his. And I didn't put on gloves and could get a better grip. With minimal slippage. That's all I've got. But really, I think the truth is that I am the queen.]

Once A Year

there is a designated girls weekend. Also known as Fathers and Sons. Usually I have big plans. Bigger plans than I could ever accomplish. This year it came incognito. I was taken unaware. It was never announced over the pulpit. This year I've gone to bed at 12:00+ the last three nights. Two of the nights are completely my fault, but for last night I am blaming Primerica. As you can probably imagine, I am exhausted. But I won't admit it. I'm in complete denial. I keep thinking, "I should be accomplishing something great tonight. It's my night. Probably the last that will be mine. So, this is how it is going so far:

Zip over to pick up dinner at Cafe Rio [shredded chicken burrito enchilada style with a side of guacamole anyone?]. Usually I save half for lunch the next day, but wow... the girl is a great eater. She was exhausted and I knew if I played my cards right we would have an early bedtime. So after dinner we hopped in the shower. Had a few bedtime stories and she fell asleep during I am a child of God [7:00 p.m]. Since then I have been trying to figure out how to customize the new page tabs that are right under my blog header. It's not going so well and I'm not sure I'll leave them there. I gave up and decided to upload the photos on my camera so I could share a few things before I forget. I've also been eating pretzel M&Ms. They're pretty good, but they don't seem to register. I would sit down with a small bowl of a designated amount if I were you. Here's my list of possibles:

1. watch New Moon and eat a bowl of ice cream
2. finish the scripture bag that was supposed to be for *A*s birthday since he keeps asking about it.
3. cut squares for the levi quilt that is coming due very quickly. very quickly.
4. start the doll the I plan to make for *E* for her birthday [thought I have decided that as much as I want to cut into the extremely cute fabrics I've got at the ready for this project [It will have various fabrics on random parts of her body much like this rabbit, I will not begin until I've finished with the scripture bags. I won't.
5. cave in and order the baby journal/book It's done. I when I went to the site to grab the link and decided to just go for it [of course, I would start with the last thing on the list. It's so typical of me]. I keep telling myself that I could put together a similar kit myself, but that would be making things harder than they need to be since it just isn't flowing right now and it needs to be. putting together a baby book is on the list. nothing seems to be flowing right now. I seem to have entered the last stages of the cerebral/placental shift.

Or... I could just turn in early. my pregnant body is calling out for just that. It would be a first for Fathers and Sons weekend.

*A* lost his first tooth on Tuesday and again with the flakey toothfairy. Seriously, is my brain so addled that I can't remember the significant first lost tooth ever of this adorable little man? Yes, apparently it is. When he showed me the tooth in the morning, "Mom, look. But no money." he said [our toothfairy doesn't take the teeth... she knows that the kids have much more fun inspecting them regularly than she would stressing about how to keepsake them]. I began internally kicking myself repeatedly and told him what a bummer it is to have a flakey toothfairy. The second night I followed them down to bed and stuck a dollar with my toothbrush so I would be sure to get it taken care of. All was forgiven. The morning after the third night I watched him get up out of bed and cracked up when I saw him take his tooth out from under his pillow. He looked at me with a sheepish smile and shrugged his shoulders. I said, "it was worth a try wasn't it?" He was really hoping he could re-use that tooth for a second visit.

So, that settles it. Don't ever hire our toothfairy.