Lasso The Moon

Out Like a Lamb

  Well, I have been even more under the weather than the last time I posted about it.  On Wednesday I came down with a cold that hit me like a ton of bricks.  But I won't complain about that.  I love colds.  I never get sick, so it's almost like a vacation for me.  Ahh...NyQuil.
    But that too has come to an end, and there are chores to be done, and projects to finish.  And even some fun out-door gardening things to do between rainstorms.  I did get a little crafting done while I was sick.  I made this lovely little purse to match Emma's Easter overalls. 
Have I mentioned that I love this scrappy style?  Love.  This is the first purse I've ever made, and it shows, but I still like it.  I made up the pattern, and the handles are a little long.  But that's really the only complaint.  I put a pocket inside (left over from Emma's dress fabric), and added a loop at the top for my keys. 
That's mandatory for me since my purse is my biggest organizational failure.  And that says a lot.

  Today is the last day of March, and to me that means only one thing.  The last day of my March Challenge! I have to say, I was much more successful with this than I thought.  I actually made it through the entire month without buying any new craft supplies.  I never even stepped foot inside Joann's!  Or Hobby Lobby!  But man, am I ready to shop.  I have a huge list of things I've been wanting/needing since the month started.  But there are lessons that I have learned through this month. 
    I have gotten so many projects done,  using the materials that I already had, and saved hours worth of shopping time all at once.  It has inspired me to look to what I have before rushing out to get something new.  It also helped me break a really bad habit I was acquiring.  I get a weekly email from Hobby Lobby that tells me the new sales, and I get the Joann's coupon almost as often.  These are very useful when I have been needing something from the add, but often I found myself buying something that I might need, just to avoid wasting the coupon.  Let me tell you, I wasted a lot of coupons this past month.  It hurt, but now that I'm past it, I think it was well worth it.  And guess what?  They are still sending them to me.
    All of this has been to say, that I really liked having a difficult challenge to inspire me to think a little differently.  So I'm going to continue.  This month, however, I have decided to abstain from fast food.  Easy for some people.  Not so much for me.  I have decided that I will avoid buying anything from any restaurant that has a drive-through.  Yikes.  I'm a little scared, but that still leaves Qdoba and Subway, if there is just a time where I can't take it anymore.   Also, I'm going to try to do this challenge right.  Better meal planning, new recipes, healthier groceries.  I'll keep the blog up-do-date on the progress, and I'll post any great recipes I find.
    Ciao!

Poetry Wednesday--Watch Me

    Watch Me, Mommy!

Watch me, Mommy!
I'm flying around like a lovely fairy,
On wings that are imaginary,
Singing with the voice of a canary. 
Just watch me.

Watch me, Mommy! 
I can spin around and 'round,
And jump so high up off the ground;
I can sneak up behind you without a sound. 
Just watch me.

Watch me, Mommy!
On the playground I make friends with ease, 
I melt the hearts of  retirees,   
And I hardly whimper when I skin my knees,
Just watch me.
 
Watch me, Mommy! 
I can climb to the top of the slide,
And land on my feet at the end of the ride;
I'm the last one found whenever I hide. 
Just watch me.

Watch me, Mommy!  
I can make a face like a clown
That makes a smile from your frown;
I could be the funniest girl in town.
Just watch me.

Watch me, Mommy! 
I'll give my brother a gentle kiss,
And hold him tight while you assist.
I'm going to be the best big sis'.
Just watch me.

Inspired by Emma, and some of my favorite things about her right now.  I hear her say, "Watch me, Mommy!"  many times each day.

F.O.B

    When I was a kid at sumer camp, we always had a quiet time during the day called F.O.B. (Flat on Back).  We went back to our cabins and spent the hour quietly writing letters home, reading, or napping. 
    Well, I am spending my own F.O.B. time right now, but it is not as fun as the good old days at camp.  Early Friday morning I bent over Ethan to pick him up for his 4am snack, and could not stand upright again.  I threw my back out completely.  I spent the morning and part of the afternoon clinging to Donnie's hands as he guided me to and from the bathroom, couch, or wherever.  A human walker.  I was right out of a sitcom.  (And every time I thought of how I must look to him, I laughed.  Ouch.)
    He made me an appointment with a chiropractor, and she did wonders for me, but I am still pretty immobile.  Poor little Emma wants me to carry her down the stairs so badly.  She told me that she would kiss my back to make it better, and then I could carry her down.  We made it about 3 steps.  I'll go back to the chiropractor again on Monday, and she'll adjust me again.  But until then, I'm just taking it easy (sort of) and learning to mother in a slightly different way.  Like reading bedtime stories while standing. 

Quilted Postcards

    After such a great birthday, I really wanted to make sure my loved ones knew how much I appreciated all their well-wishes and presents.  I am notoriously bad at sending thank-you notes, so I thought I'd make it more interesting as motivation to get them done. 
    Quilted postcards were just the thing.  I'd never made them before, but I had read a post online.  (Which just happens to be expired now, so I can't link you there.)  I pieced together some scraps from my stash, layered that with some very stiff fusible interfacing, and then appliqued the hearts to the two layers.  I then fused some white fabric to the back, trimmed it to the right size, and satin-stitched around the edges. 
    The recipients have already received them, so I know they were really mailable.  But not without a little headache.  I followed the postal guidelines to a T, but I decided to take them in to the P.O. just in case.  Well, these were the first any of the postal employees had seen, and they were beside themselves with worry.  They are supposed to take a letter-rate stamp, which I had already affixed to each of them, but they made me add 13 cents more to every single one!  That was one crowded little postcard.  Oh well.  They were a fun experiment, and I'll definitely  be making and sending more of them.
     Would you like a tutorial of these?  Leave me a comment asking for one, and if I have some interest, I'll do it next time I make them.

Poetry Wednesday-A Prayer

Lord, help me to conquer my timid spirit,
and proclaim your Truth to those who will hear it.

How Did You Find Me?

    I don't know if any other bloggers out there are as compulsive as me about checking the "visitor stats" page on typepad.  It's where you can find out which sites your blog visitors come from.
    Well, the best treats are when a site like Google referred someone because of a search they made.  These can be very funny.  I had one who googled "stinky diaper poems" and another who came from ask.com: "what kind of mold can grow on dirty diapers?"  Is there a pattern forming here?  Have I talked too much about a certain subject?

    Haha.  I love this feature!

Bug Problem

I have got to do something about this bug problem.

Ahh.  Much Better.

    Okay, so what in the world could possess me to made a toy roach?  (And with a quilted under-belly, no less!)  Well, love.  Here's the story.  My brother Josh (now 24) used to have this big, green, plastic roach that he carried around. This was more than a toy.  He carried the thing like it was his best friend.  And it wasn't cuddly, either.  It was about a foot long  and had stiff, pokey legs that stuck out all around it.  But, he loved this roach.  He loved it so much that Mom and Dad started calling it "Teddy Roach".   I don't know what became of Teddy Roach over the years, but his memory has always remained.
    So, fast forward about twenty years.  My brother has spent the last four months alone in Colorado as a snow-skiing instructor.  He has loved teaching the three- and five-year-old skiers, but he has also been served a big helping of loneliness during this time.  I can imagine that spending Christmas alone would do that to you.  I had enough trouble being away from the family this year, and I had my husband, daughter, and newborn to keep me company.

    I've been wishing that I could get out there to see him, but that hasn't worked out.  So I was thinking that the next-best thing to family would be a visit from an (new) old friend.  I wish I could have found one like the original, but at least this one is more hug-friendly.  Josh, we miss you.  Hope you feel better soon!

E Squared

    For weeks now I have been working on a surprise for the grandmas.  I couldn't post about it here, because they read this blog, but now they have each received it in the mail, and I can show the world!
    I have been carrying a burden for a while now for my mom, and m-i-l, as well as the rest of the family members we left behind in Texas almost two years ago.  I want them to know Emma and Ethan, and I want the babies to know them.  Not just through pictures.  I want them to really know each other.  I also made the resolution this year to get better at keeping correspondence with friends and family who live far away.  (I have been among the worst in the world at this in the past.)  So, I came up with a fun little plan that would help me in both of these areas and provide me with a little fun at the same time.
    I started a fan club for the kids.  Called E².  The only members are the grandparents, and they will receive updates, pictures, and artwork once a month.  But there is a catch.  They have to pay dues to stay in this exclusive club, in the form of fan mail, sent once a month to each of the children.  The mail has to be personal, and needs to provide information about the sender.  About their childhoods, families, funny stories, etc.  This way I can keep these letters for the kids, and we can read and re-read them as they get older.
    I sent an introduction letter and followed up with a package containing the official club notebook.  This is an 8x8 scrapbook with only three pages completed.  Each month I'll send a new completed page (or two) for them to add to the book.
    Well, needless to say, the surprise went over very well.  I can't wait to start getting the fan mail.  I'm as much excited for myself as for the kids!
    I have been up to some other things around here, too.  I made something truly weird for my brother Josh, which I'll post about tomorrow.  (He should have it by then.)
    I'm also going to add some little pretties to my Etsy Shop later today, so be sure to check those out.

    If you are interested in creating your own grandparents fan club, I would love to hear about it.  I have lots of ideas, and I'll continue to post them here.  Below is a copy of the intro letter I sent out, to help you get started. 

Download esquared_letter.doc

Poetry Wednesday- Spring

        "Spring"
Spring is here again
Plant are pushing through the ground,
And all around I hear the sound.
Of Squealing children on the wind
'Cause Spring is here again.

Finally, it's Spring!
We've waited for what seemed like years,
But now the snow has disappeared,
And baby birds test out their wings.
Oh, finally it's Spring.

It is Spring at last.
The sun is warm against the breeze.
We'll plant poppies and sweet peas.
Soon we'll have to cut the grass.
Yes, it is Spring at last!

    I want to thank you for all the compliments I've had recently on my poetry.  This actually was a huge surprise, since I started poetry Wednesday just to get myself writing again.  I used to write poetry all the time, spurred on my a favorite teacher in middle school, but as I've gotten older there has been less time to sit down for sometimes hours and write it out.   The once-a-week assignment is just what I needed. 
    My mom asked if I am taking entries for Poetry Wednesday, and I think that if you have been inspired by it, send one to me, and I'll publish it here on the site for you.  (Within reason, of course.)   Also, if you have a blog of your own and would like to participate  in your own Poetry Wednesday, let me know and I'll add a list of poets to my sidebar. 
    Want to write, but don't know where to start?  Here are some sites that I like.  RhymeZone helps find just the right word (although they don't find you almost rhymes, like "again" and "wind".)  I  use Thesaurus.Com to help me say it in a different way.  I also found this site that lists so many types of poems that I had never even heard of.  Very fun.  Happy Wednesday.

27

    I turned 27 yesterday.  Sometimes I wonder how I got here.  I know I lived all 27 of those years, but it seemed like only yesterday I was turning 19.  And then so much has happened since that 19th year.  I became independent of my parents; I got engaged and then married to Him.  We had our first baby, moved 2000 miles away from home, when neither of us had ever lived outside of Texas.  Started a ministry.  Had another baby.  And these are just the big milestones.  There are so many day-to-day opportunities for growth and change.  I'm so different than I was then.  Sometimes I just need to stop and remember the journey. 
    Yesterday was a fun day.  It didn't start that way, though.  I woke up feeling very alone.  Donnie was still gone so I spent part of the morning like the left-behind puppy staring at the door, waiting for him to return.  He didn't, but I had some company and that made it easier.  (She brought the cake.)  Emma sang the birthday song to me over and over again.  And I got some presents.  Very generous family and friends I have.  I practically have an entire new craft library.   And I got a notice in the mail that some are coming that weren't in stock yet!  Yikes!
    Finally Donnie got home, with just 30 minutes left of my special day.  And more presents.  A new digital camcorder.  (!)  And yet another craft book (Japanese).  So the day was salvaged.  More than salvaged.  It was incredible.  Thanks for all the gifts and phone calls and well-wishes, loved ones.  I feel overwhelmed from the generosity.  You  helped make a potentially lonely birthday girl feel like a princess.  And Mom, thanks for pushing.