Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Things I've actually accomplished...













So here is my counter/work space/desk. Usually all my papers and junk are spread out over the entire counter and the pile just grows bigger and bigger until it falls off the counter and I am forced to sort through it and put it away where it goes. Then I find things I should have taken care of a week ago. It's a sad and inaffective system. DH makes fun of it all the time. I have been working on keeping the pile small lately just to say "I love you" to DH (not that he noticed). I have been looking for some type of filing system to get the papers organized. Something simple, not too cutesy and not plastic. I found this at Costco today for $14.95. I would have loved a better price but I just finished my taxes so I'm feeling ritzy. I am so pleased.

Here is the cupboard above it. I did do a little decluttering in the cupboard above it so I could give myself even more pats on the back. At the top is the can of paint that is for the kitchen walls. The tub on the top shelf is all the manuals for all the appliances and such that I hardly need but it's nice have them all in one place. The purple tub holds a variety of pens, pencils, erasers, screwdrivers, etc. The basket next to it is my small collection of cake decorating supplies. It doesn't really makes sense to have it in this cupboard but that's where it is for now. My phone charger is next to it. And all my recipe books and Household Organizer notebook. I also have a Christmas Organizer notebook. All these notebooks could use some cleaning out and reorganizing.






Here are pictures of the two dresses I just made for a friend of mine D. D. Her two girls are flower girls in a wedding this weekend. I really didn't have time for these but I am so glad that I did them anyway because it made me do some sewing and I felt good about that. They turned out super cute and she has super cute girls. I couldn't decided which one of these pictures would post better so I just put them both on here. I tried a new zipper method that came with the pattern and I like it so I scanned the instructions in and printed a copy to use as a reference for later. I also tried the rolled hem on my serger which I had never had tried before because I thought it would be too much work to set it up. It was really easy. A woman from church is supposed to come this week and bring me the stuff for two bridesmaid dresses. It's fun to earn a little cash. I am saving up all my sewing money and hiding it but I haven't decided what I am going to use it for yet. I'm sure it won't take long for me to think of something(s).

Friday, February 20, 2009

Stephenie vs. Sarah

I still can't quite get into The Host. I am about 53 pages in and it still annoys me. The story is tolerable so I can only conclude it is the writing. I had started two other books. One was A Piece of Work which I enjoyed. The other was recommended by Anth. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen.

Garden Spells Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen


My review


rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book right from the beginning. It was magical and romantic. Everyone ends up "perfectly" happy in the end. An ideal girl book.



FYI-It does have some swearing and sexual content.


View all my reviews.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Update

I wrote a few emails to my sister today so I am just going to copy and paste a few things to give an update on what we did this week.

I didn't get to exercise till today, since last Thursday. So I was feeling pretty blobbish. Monday and Tuesday I was going none stop all day so that has to count for something. Monday I was still blowing my nose pretty frequently and Sunday I stayed home with the girls. Yesterday was a lot better but today my throat is dry and hope it doesn't develop into a cough. It's so annoying.

I took Em to the dentist yesterday. This was her second visit. I have absolutely no recollection of the first visit and it was only six months ago. She was so funny. She had a goofy grin on her face the whole time and was having such a good time. They kept telling her how well she followed directions and they told me she was so smart. So we all felt good. She has lots of space in her mouth so that may be one kid who won't need braces. She normally doesn't like doctors appointments but she is getting more confident about trying new things and tolerating new people. At home she is trying to be nicer to everyone. Ballerina still throws quite a few fits a day but when she is happy she is adorable. She really enjoys life. Cory tried going three days without pullups at night and he wet the bed all three nights so he's back in the pullups. He's also having a problem with telling me the truth when the answer might get him in trouble or create more work on his part. I got so upset with him one day for lying right to my face and yet he is still doing it. I'm not sure what to do about it.

We've been rockin out to Plain white t's music. It didn't occur to me that I could watch music video's on youtube. i'm slow.

I am having stir fry leftovers. Scott took the smaller tupperware. Sucka! Ballerina and Em are having cup o noodle, their favorite lunch.

Ballerina's new saying when em does something she doesn't like, "How dare you?" And for a while they kept saying they were going to "check you out." I kept trying to figure out what that meant. It was something bad. Finally I figured out that's their term for when they draw on each other's pictures when they are coloring.

IF you come over right now my house is clean. No one ever comes when it's clean. I could keep it clean for a month and no one would come till the day it got messy.

It's nothing against you Stephenie

Maybe it's the way you have all e's and no a in your name. I don't know but I just started The Host hoping to be pleasantly surprised but so far I can barely get through the book. The prologue made me want to gag.
The Host: A Novel The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer


My review


I am not very far into this book and I can't stand it. I am trying to figure out what I hate about it. Possibly the author. I am not sure. I am going to give it a hundred pages because it is for bookclub. I'll just call my niece and have her tell me how it ends. Sorry to all my friends who love it.


View all my reviews.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Nearly Impossible


I just updated my accounts and I realized that I didn't go to Target the entire month of December. No Way!

We don't have a Walmart in Keizer so our only options are "Smelly Old" Bimart and Target.

The next project

Here is my next project. This will be 2 flower girl dresses for a friend. It's in a silver-gray satin with a sheer overlay on the skirt. The neck is round (sweetheart neckline in the picture) and the hem will be straight and floor length. I will post the finished project later this month. I will be lining the skirt with a crinoline petticoat. She wants the skirt to stand out on the bottom. They want to look very princess. I will be using horse hair braid on the hem of the satin layer of the skirt. Pretty easy since I've done a lot of this style before.

I know I was just whining about being stressed then I take on these sewing projects. But I feel like if I don't I will never make time for sewing and that would be really sad for me.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Yucky Chuck E. and other people's kids

So last Saturday I took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese. Cory had earned it on his reading chart that DH made for reading at home. DH wanted to put it off, especially because he wasn't feeling well, but I want the kids to know we are reliable. If we say we are going to do something then we do it. I told DH to stay home and rest so he would be ready for our date that night that meant a lot to me. I hate places like McD's and Chuck E. Cheese because they make me feel dirty. I feel like I am being coated with germs, sweat, and pee the moment I walk in there. But the kids love it so I decided I could deal with it for a few hours. Saturday is the worst day to go but the only day we would be able to go. Cor and Mya got their tokens and I told them to stay together but they didn't have to stay with me. I kept Em and Ballerina with me. Ballerina kept wondering off. She is little and she would just start following who ever got in front of her. There weren't very many things they felt brave enough to do. We got our little prizes and were there for less than two hours.

The worst part was other people's kids. Little kids, younger than Em and Ballerina, were running around with no adult supervision. We had to wait our turn for every thing we wanted to do and half the time some kid would run up cut right in front of us. Or they would try to climb on a ride while one of the girls were on it. Sometimes I said something but most of the kids just ignored me. Later on Saturday I was at the grocery and some 8-10 year old kid came up and starting taking things out of my cart. I told him that was my stuff and he tossed it in the cart and ran off. Completely oblivious.

Today Ballerina has a runny nose and I am pretty sure I know where she got it from. But if I had to compliment Chuck E. Cheese it was nice that they had so many employees there and they kept people as organized as they could and kept the floors picked up.

Last night Ballerina came into our room. She can't breathe well so she couldn't sleep. We never let the kids sleep in our bed but I was so tired and I knew if I sent her back to bed I'd just be up with her again in a few minutes. So I let her have half the bed and I snuggled up on the other half with DH. She slept pretty good for several hours. About six in the morning she got up and went back to her own bed. I guess sleeping with Mom and Dad wasn't all she dreamed it would be. Maybe she'll realize her own bed is better. Doubtful but I can hope. Ballerina has been trying her whole 3 1/2 years to be able to sleep in our bed. She only sleeps through the night 2-3 nights a week. Now that she wears panties to bed we have to get up with her and take her to the bathroom. Good thing she is the baby.

DH went to the doctor yesterday because he had some really weird symptoms and Friday. And all weekend he was completely exhausted. He is a pretty healthy guy so it really worried him. The doctor thought it was a result of the all the stress he has been under. Sunday night I had talked to him about how stressful our life has been and the effect it's having on our relationship. We decided that we need to work on our communication since the stress is not going to end any time soon. Every night we've been sitting and talking. Sometimes it's hard to get DH to talk because he'd rather just listen. But he is trying. Last night I really confused him because I actually did want him to give me a solution to my problem. I am really stressed out. I feel like I am doing all I can but it's not nearly enough.

Yesterday, as we were crossing the street near the school one of the cars did not stop until the last possible second. The crossing guard was waving the flag at him. It was a bunch of teenagers and they were laughing. Where is a police man when you need one? So as we were crossing one of the other moms crossing yelled, "This is a School crossing you Jack-A**." She said that several times while she was surrounded by school children including mine. After that her boy was telling her something that happened at school and she asked him if he kicked their butt. This boy was a kindergartener. Luckily he said no in a confused sort of way. She used a few other offensive words in the 1 1/2 minutes we had to be near her. I didn't say anything because she was bigger than me, mean looking and also had another large, butch cut woman next to her and I am sure they would have been in no mood to take my constructive criticism. I understand that a lot of people using an excessive amount of foul language but to me it shows a severe lack of intelligence.

Today I was going to volunteer in each of the kids classrooms but I decided I better not take Ballerina anywhere. Now I have time to exercise and get ready for our Young Women activity tonight. Now I just got thinking about everything again and I am almost in tears. DH asked if he could help me with anything but I don't really need help I just need less to think about but that's just not going to happen. I know I need to be more patient with myself. If I don't learn how to deal with it I am going to have a breakdown soon. But I am probably just being dramatic.

This morning Em kept coming up to me and showing me her hand but she was holding it a different way each time. I kept asking her what I was supposed to be looking at but then she would say nothing and run off. She likes to be mysterious like that. Finally she came back to show me what she could do with her hand and she said, "K." She was doing sign language. It was on the back of her cereal box. She just showed me the sign for "E" for Em. Apparently I don't need to teach my kids anything and just buy more store brand cereal.

Cor just started piano lessons and he doesn't want Mya to help him. Mya has been taking lessons for over two years. Their teacher told them it would do them both good if he would let Mya help him when he practices. This morning Cor was working on a little song and Mya came up and starting helping him and after a little encouragement from me he watched her and listened. It really made me happy to see them learning together. I loooooove that my kids are playing the piano. Their teacher is amazing because she recognized immediately that Mya and Cor have completely different learning styles but both work well for learning to play the piano.