Eric called me today and said that he was able to track down a Robin outfit online for Dean in a tiny toddler size. So, we will officially have Batman (Grant) and Robin in our home for Halloween. With such superhero presence we're sure to be safe from spooks and ghouls!

We arrived home last night from Dallas and today is a day of getting back to normal- laundry, rest, playing outside, putting away luggage etc.

It was a good visit. Tim and Angie pampered us by giving up their bedroom "for the pregnant woman" and Grant played with Ethan non-stop. Dean and Olivia will need a bit more growing up before they have fun together, but occasionally they didn't scream and cry. We took a day trip to the Ft. Worth Stockyard, had an all-out fondue night at home, went to a photography studio for the kids pictures, attended one of Ethan's soccer games, ran around at a newly opened Frisco park, and made an extremely long trek in search of a Carl's Jr. to fill a craving for a Western Bacon Cheesburger.

More updating later. Glad to be home, though.

In case you were wondering...

If you go to the Post Office with packages to mail, and they weigh everything and put on all the appropriate stickers, and then you try to pay for it all and you have forgotten your PIN number, and you just wrote your last check at the salon where your kids got their hair cut, and all of your plastic cards say "see photo I.D." on the back instead of having actual signatures (even though no one has complained about this before), and you only have minimal cash on your person, then you will be walking back out of the Post Office with your packages in hand (stickers removed) and your head hung in shame.

Super busy day today. We are leaving this evening on a road trip to Dallas. It's about time we visited Tim and Angie- it's been about two years. I'm picking Eric up at work and we are leaving from downtown directly, staying the night somewhere to break up the trip, and arriving there tomorrow. Normally, it is about a twelve hour trip, so it will be very nice to segment it.

Most of the packing occured last night, Eric loaded the car for me this morning, and I just have some miscellanous things to throw in before departure. All the same, it is weird for me being the one to double check the house before leaving and round up all the details for four people.

I have a nice bag of yarn and an assortment of needles to keep me busy. We've got books, the entertainment system, and the X Box as well. Truly, we are set.

This morning I am taking the boys for haircuts, painting my toenails, and running by the post office.

So, I didn't get the dresser done yesterday, it was just too busy of a day.

Eric was running sound for both services at church and needed to be there at 7:00 to set up. He normally is a big help getting the children ready on Sunday morning, and without him there I just barely scraped out the door in time to make it there for assisting in Grant's Sunday school class. Dean had a really rough morning (to add to the really rough few weeks he's been having*), so I felt a bit relieved to hand him over to the caring nursery staff that had the ability to sit hand hold him for a few hours. The four-year-old class went well, and I was proud of Grant's ability to memorize a verse they learned. I attended second service, stoped by Costco on the way home to pick up a few items along with the pictures we dropped off last week, and headed home to catch the Titans game on TiVo with Kris and Mary. I rarely get to watch every bit of a football game because the boys never seem to take a nap on Sunday, leaving me with the job of Official Husher and Corraler so they don't stand in front of the TV or play so loudly that we can't hear. I usually resort to putting the upstairs TV on for them to acquire "glazed eye status" and, consequently, Peace and Quiet. So, having put on a movie for them, I did catch the last half and was able to sit still long enough to work on my knitting. Shortly after the dissapointing loss to the Colts, I finished my baby hat. I made up the pattern (knit 3, purl 3 rib stitch) based on the gauge and decreasing instructions for another baby hat, which means there are a few imperfections that I notice, but the cool thing is that it IS A HAT...AND I KNITTED IT! Whooo Hooo! The double pointed needles were a little tricksy, in the way that french braiding is different from a normal three-stranded braid; you're dealing with more than you're accustomed to. But actually, I guess it's easier than that- I still can't french braid. (Side note to self: must learn to french braid...I'm having a little girl!) The rest of the evening was dinner and playing outside with the neighborhood kids, on bikes, with dirt and rocks and balls. The way the boys have enjoyed the outdoors so much this summer makes me a little sad for winter to arrive.



*Dean has been fussy, emotional, irrational, grumpy, whiny, and tantrum-prone. Part of it we chalked up to teething, and partly we figured it was just the stage he's going through (he's 18 months old today). He had 5 teeth break through the gums in the past week and a half...one of them a molar. Last night, Eric seriously coated his mouth in a numbing gel and we gained our little happy boy back. He ate, he laughed, he didn't cry. Why didn't we do this sooner?! I'm thinking his un-fun behaviour was more related to teeth than anything else.

What a gorgeous day it has been today! We turned off the air conditioner and opened all the windows. I (nearly) have the dresser painted for the baby's room. On my final coat of paint, a big gust of wind kicked up a bit of dirt onto some of the pieces that were wet- so the top and one of the drawers need a bit of sanding and another topcoat. But, certainly tomorrow the hardware will be put on and the nice new-ish chest of drawers will be in the room.

And, it is official- I am seriously enjoying knitting. Yesterday, I started a little baby hat with some yummy soft cotton yarn in a rose pink color. This is my first go at using a set of double point needles. I was a bit nervous, but figure that I don't want to stay a begining knitter so I need to charge ahead and try new stitches and techniques.

Knitted Bunny

I just finished my bunny. What a sense of accomplishment to have a completed knitting project for the very first time in my life! It has me thinking of what I might knit next. My little rabbit is a charcoal gray mohair-type yarn (Lion Brand Jiffy) with a pom-pom yarn tail, and moldable ears. Since I started with a 12 inch swatch, rather than the 6 inch swatch the pattern called for, I couldn't use their guidelines for the ears and had to make them up as I went along. Choosing a stockinette stitch made them curl nicely and gives you the ability to bend them to be floppy lop ears or keep them straight up.

The funniest part is that I sewed the whole body up with a tiny golden safety pin instead of a yarn or tapestry needle. I am using my mother's old stash of knitting needles that she must have collected on half sales or at charity shops in England because it ... contains nearly... EVERYTHING: circular needles, double point needles, cable needles, crochet hooks, stitch holders, stitch markers. All sizes. All brands. I'll be extremely surprised if I ever have to purchase anything but yarn (or maybe a really cool needle organizer). But, alas, no tapestry needle. There are probably a few lying around my dad's house in my mom's old things. She tried nearly craft/ artform out there and had the tools and supplies for all of it. It would appear that she passed this creative "must try it" trait on to me. Oh, what a dangerous duo we'd be!

I bet she'd love my bunny.

Proverbs 23:12 " Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge."

I am very excited. Tomorrow night, I will be attending my first Life School of Ministry course. Our church offers the courses to church members as well as those going through the program and doing the internship. The class, which I knew about but had forgotten until God brought it to mind this past week, seems to address all of the issues that are weighing on me with running this house as a mother and wife. The course description of Home Life Practicum as described in the syllabus:

Home Life Practicum is based upon Titus 2:3-5:

“the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior,
not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good
things—that they admonish the young women to love their
husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste,
homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands,
that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”

It takes a practical and biblical look at how to restore the dignity and sanctity of your home by imparting creative home management and vital relationship skills using biblical principles. This class will impact and motivate you to introduce greater value into your home. You will learn and practice new creative home management techniques in addition to learning how to develop an atmosphere of love, peace and joy to all who enter your home.

Course Objectives

· To improve the dignity and sanctity of the home.
· To learn and practice creative home management techniques.
· To develop vital relationship skills.
· To learn to be a peacemaker and make your home a haven of rest.
· To understand God’s sufficiency to supply what you need.
· To learn how to eliminate chaos with organization and time management skills.

I will be particpating as a Level 2 student, meaning that I will not be taking the exam or completing a final project for credit. Which is a very good thing, as my due date for this baby is only a few weeks after the last class meeting. The class meets every other Wednsday night at church, and then on the odd weeks you meet with someone who has been through the study before in their home or a meeting place. Essentially, they will be my "mentor". Bless Eric for committing to this, as well, since he'll be the one doing the night routines with the boys while I'm away on those nights.

Projects

By the end of the week, I should have the dresser all done. Yay. Yesterday, I finished the sanding and did one coat of primer. Today, I went to Home Depot to pick up new hardware and the actual paint color. I decided to go with the same "Colonial Pearl" off-white/cream color that I did the kitchen cabinets in the other year. I figured, that way, any leftover paint can be used for touch up to either surface. The handles are a nickel/silver color and are a different width than the old ones- so far today I have drilled new holes and put wood filler in others. I noticed while doing this that I'm not the first person to reposition handles, the interior of the drawers bare the scars of a few putty jobs. Next is to do another primer coat and then maybe begin on the topcoat. Maybe. It all depends on how long the boys nap for. Working on it this morning in the garage as they played outside was slow going since I had to stop frequently to kiss owwies, pull tiny feet out of large puddles, resolve out-of-hand conflict, and redirect curiosity in the tools ("No, Dean, you may not use the electric sander on Grant's bicycle").

Knitting is nearly done. I had to go buy more yarn yesterday at Hobby Lobby- thankfully, the colors match up. If I had cast on the right number of stiches to begin with, I would have been done 4 times over. Instead of making a 6 inch square, I cast on enough for a 12 inch square. I really did not want to rip out upon discovering this, and I figured that I needed the practice. And, I guess it will be nice to have a bigger stuffed animal than the pattern creates. I just can't wait to see this flat swatch of knitting turn into a 3D bunny!

On the project front, things are proceeding well. I finished our baby girl's bed skirt on Friday and the crib s now assembled in the room with the linens in place. It turned out exactly as I'd hoped. Now, I am just trying to figure out what to do the curtain out of. I bought a rose-colored fabric of the same weave that is in the bumper pad (only apricot in color) for this purpose. But, with all the color in the room, I am toying with getting some plain cream-colored cotton to balance everything out. Then, I could use the rose colored fabric to make a crib quilt. I had orginally intended to go without a crib quilt because they don't seem to get as much use as a lighter weight blanket. I'm just going to ponder it a bit while I work on a few other things.

Today, while the boys nap, I plan on getting to the dresser. Eric began the sanding process, but I think there is a bit more to go. Then primer, then paint. I told Eric's mom last night that we were refinishing Eric's old dresser to use for the baby and she laughed so hard! I guess they got it second hand when he was little and she was amazed that it can even withstand the sanding. Wait 'til she sees it! She probably won't recognize it with new paint and hardware. I'm certain that it will be fine for a few more years, at least.

I also pulled out my knitting this weekend. One look at my half-finished sweater, and I felt inspired. But, I think one of the best things for me right now would be to complete a quick knitting project to fuel my confidence. Because, although I have known the basics of knitting since being a young girl- I have never actually made anything. Lots of squares, and now an incomplete sweater. So, I am about half finished with this since starting last night. And then I plan on making a "sampler scarf" to test out different stitches and patterns. It feels so good to be knitting and purling!

Chasing After the Wind

My poor family. I haven’t been the most happy, cheerful, or easy to live with person the past few weeks. My patience has been short, I’ve raised my voice too much, and I haven’t been silly enough. God opened my eyes to it, and then it was confirmed by my husband this weekend who told me he was concerned.

Though I don’t desire to place full blame on circumstances, I know that a lot has been going on around here. I am big, and tired, and I want so desperately to take naps or sleep later in the morning but cannot with two children. Dean has been sleeping less lately because of the move to the bottom bunk (a.k.a. “freedom”). This child, who used to take two 2 hour naps a day, has jumped to not taking any on some occasions because he refuses to stay put and rest- toys and books woo him endlessly. I gate the door so he can’t roam the house, but I still find myself up and down the stairs for over an hour telling the little man to put his head on his pillow. So lack of proper sleep makes him cranky, and teething makes him cranky. Cranky. Cranky. Cranky. (Oh! the whining and fits!) And the teething is for real this time so I should have more sympathy. Yes, my 17 month old child finally has more than four teeth! On Saturday, tooth #5 broke through on top, to the right of his front two chompers. Thank God!, my child will have more than four teeth- Daddy and I had begun to doubt.

But, the sleep thing has always bothered me a bit. Dean and Grant are both like Eric; they have internal clocks that wake them EARLY without an alarm regardless of what time they go to bed. On a typical day, the boys will wake up at 6:00 or 6:30 a.m. I would be alright with that hour, except that since I am not a morning person I would prefer to wake gently, enjoy my breakfast and morning Bible reading in silence rather than hitting the day like a sprinter. So, my goal is to get up before them and have an hour to read, eat, become alert, and get their meals prepared. But to do this requires me setting an alarm for 5:00 a.m. (I had started a nice habit of doing this before getting pregnant, but it has just been harder now) If I keep them up later the night before, they still wake up at the same time. I have tried softly playing music in their room and hanging black-out curtains to maintain a good sleeping environment. They have comfortable beds and cozy pajamas. Why won’t they sleep later?! The past two mornings, I have forced myself out of bed before them and I find it rewarding once I stop feeling cheated.

The main point being that lack of sleep and a lot on the “to do” list don’t mix well. I have felt a bit stressed about completing projects for the baby and around the house. The deadline I gave myself was to have everything done by the end of September so that I can spend the rest of my pregnancy relaxing. I’m doing pretty well at it, but it does add a chaotic feel to things. The past few weeks I have been rushing a great deal. Especially when you add in the daily duties of running a household (which, to be perfectly honest, I have not been doing very well). Eric has done so much around here lately because I just can’t seem to keep up with all of the tasks that need attention.

So, I am now in a process of change, and the Lord is making me quite aware of what my priorities need to be and how I need to be viewing each task of the day. Certainly, my children and my husband deserve better than what I’ve been giving them as of late. I’m sorry, guys.

The most impacting words came to me through Ecclesiastes. I thought I’d share them with you, because where one finds wisdom and insight, so might someone else:

Ecclesiastes 1:3 “What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?” A great verse to hang up as a self-check.

Ecclesiastes 2:11 “Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” I certainly feel like this sometimes with those “revolving door” chores around the house that never seem to stop, yet also never provide a tangible sense of accomplishment because they will just have to be redone later (dishes, laundry, cooking…).

But God provides this bit of wisdom and hope through the author, Ecclesiastes 3:12-14 “I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it.” So, it isn’t about what I am doing, but the attitude with which I am doing it (duh.). And, even meaningless tasks will have lasting value as long as God is in it. Be involved in what God is involved in. Value what God values.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandment, for this is the whole duty of man.”

Well, as close as completion of the bumper pad for the baby's room felt- it was not to be. After working a good long time yesterday on it (and breaking three needles in the process due to the heft of all the layers), I sat down after the kids were in bed hoping to finish. Unfortunately, Eric witnessed my near meltdown as I broke my fourth and last needle forcing me to put the wretched thing away.

Got more needles today. (Did you know that Target sells some sewing machines and supplies? This was wonderful because I was already there and it saved me a trip to the craft store. Yay!) I successfully got both boys settled for some rest time and finished the remaining portion of the two-piece bumper pad.

Our little daughter's room looks gorgeous with it's new paint that Eric finished last night. A flawless job and so wonderfully girlie. Anyway, I went up there to put the bumpers on and get a look at my fine work when it becomes apparent that THE BUMPERS ARE TOO BIG FOR THE CRIB! The U-shaped longer one is alright, although there is a bit of excess in the corners. The front panel absolutely will have to be re-done. Redone! Few things are as disappointing to a do-it-yourselfer than having to put further energy into somehing that shouldn't require anything more from you.

Given my previous issues with the pattern- and now this, I now have anxiety about the bed skirt. Bed skirts should be terribly easy- in fact I really don't even need a pattern, but I used their pattern pieces to cut out fabric because they were right in the same envelope with the bumper pad pattern (which I apparently shouldn't have used, either). I hope I don't regret that.

For now, I am taking a break and mentally going through the steps of fixing the bumper problem. Where to begin and how to do it without doing more work than necessary?

Grrrr.

Knitting

Okay, I know that I have a bazillion other things to do, but I have really had a hankering to knit lately. I like the portability of it, and enjoyed it a great deal when I was working on The Dreaded Sweater. And it doesn't help that I have happened upon some great crafty goodness at Craftster.org. So inspiring. There was a knitting post about this book that sounded delightful.

Really, I am plugging away quite nicely at some of my "to do" items and maybe I could get back to the knitting shortly. I worked a great deal of the day yesterday on sewing the crib bumper. The colors are so yummy.

The pattern I picked up (Simplicity 9140) could have been better designed, as there was a miscalculation on some of the fabric causing me to fudge the cutting a bit to keep my grain going the same way. Another fabric was needlessly used as the base for the crib skirt (the part you sandwich between the mattress...the part you don't see). I bought muslin instead, but only after previously purchasing the full amount recommended of the printed fabric. At least now I have the additional yardage for another purpose. And, rather than adding ruffles like the pattern shows, I opted for piping which created a bit more figuring on my part- but that's my fault. So, if anyone might be making custom crib bedding in the near future, don't buy this pattern. Thankfully, I have also borrowed another pattern from a friend and am able to combine the best of both to accomplish the task.

Eric has painted the room, and has some minimal touch up work this evening. For a guy who always hated painting, he has been so wonderful about it. Thank you sweatheart.

So, if I can get the bedding done this week and Eric has the paint taken care of, painting the dresser remains to be the largest task. Oh, and I need to make a curtain, but curtains are easy. Then, the essentials will be finished. There are always decorative elements to be added, but I think I want the main things in the room first to see what "pops" of color are necessary, or what looks as though its "missing".

Additionally, I still have these things on the pre-baby to do list:

- get the binding on my baby quilt
- paint a watercolor for a friend of mine
- design birth announcements
- host a baby shower for another expectant mommy
- finish tagging/ packaging some of the handmade Christmas gifts I made the other month

THEN, I might be able to pick up some knitting.