Works in Progress

I have been busy working on a project for Sadie and Ella for Christmas.

I am really excited to have them finished, but I am also enjoying the process.

I miss...

my husband. In the last two weeks he has worked over 150 hours and I really miss him. I am better with him than without.

Plus, he's nice to look at.

A Shaky Night

Maisy had a seizure this morning. Actually it was more in the night than the morning, and had she not crawled into my room and touched my arm; and had I not pulled her into bed by me to warm her up before taking her back to her own room, I never would have known she had a seizure at all. But with her snuggled up next to me I could feel her little body tremble and when I turned to see her face, I could see the twitch in her features. It seemed to go on forever, but I'm sure it was just a minute or two. I carried her downstairs where I could turn on some lights and check on her. She snuggled in my arms and smiled, a little lopsided smile. She stayed semi-responsive and maintained her breathing the entire time. And now she is happy and laughing, jumping with support from the couch while the Clubhouse crew sings the "Hot Dog" song.

I know she will be fine today, but now the questions come. What is going on? Is she having seizures that I don't know about? If she recovers so quickly could this be going on often? How do I let her out of my sight? How do I let her sleep at night without being right there?

I guess its time for a trip to the neurologist. I'm dreading it. We have had good neurologists and bad ones, and I haven't visited an EEG lab in quite a while. The head full of little probes, the erratic lines scratching hills and valleys on the monitor, all so you can know what "somewhat, may, possibly, but it is hard to tell, kids are resilient and they have room for growth and your daughter has been through so much already, neurology isn't an exact science, but it seems that maybe, judging by various tests," might be going on in a mind we don't completely, fully understand yet.

Then comes the phenobarb, I'll ask for keppra instead. There will be tears from both Maisy and I (hopefully I can keep mine in check until the car.) We might hear extra initials, besides the EEG, like MRI and CT. We'll possibly have an overnight stay for observation, where I will try to keep everything "as normal as possible" while I try to get a five-year-old wearing a hairnet of probes to sleep in a strange white room with light coming from monitors and computers instead of windows. I hope they won't try to put her in a crib, she'll hate that.

Well, soon the tell-tell post seizure lethargy will kick in and I can lay down next to Maisy and get some sleep. Then the ramblings will go from my computer to my dreams. Ah, the sweet dreams of worry.

A mother is only as happy...

As her most unhappy child.

Sadie is hurting. My beautiful, imaginative, happy girl, is sad. Three days this week she has called me from school with a problem that requires me to come see her, but all she will tell me is that she had a bad day. I know that some of the hurt involves kids saying mean things, because she has been using negative terms regarding her appearance. I also get the feeling it is someone she actually likes or cares what they think because she is taking it personally. And I can't imagine someone who matters to her saying unkind things.
But then Sadie internalizes a lot of things. She is empathetic and sensitive. I think that may be why she has a difficult time sleeping and is plagued by bad dreams. I always feel like if we were viewed by our hearts and love, instead of our appearances this would be an entirely different world. However, Sadie is beautiful inside and out. I wish that at a time when little people are trying to establish where they fit in the world and may feel a need to displace others in the process, my daughter could know without a doubt how wonderful she is and already see how much she lights up the world around her.

People

Not to sound like Barbara Streisand, but we had a fun craft day today.

Some flowers were made.
And friends were played with.
I like people, so thanks for coming.

Sleepy Time

I made all the kids new pajama pants, ten total. Most of those were for Jack who just happened to be with me at the fabric store and loved it all. Then on Saturday Sadie had a friend over to play and they decide it was a spa day and they needed manicures and treats. So we made sleeping masks. Jack loved the idea and today I made him one too. So here he is decked out in his pajama ensemble.

Doesn't he look great. Now if I could just get him to sleep in his own bed. I got mad and told him to go to sleep right now. And he replied, "Mommy, you make me sad."

Tonight...

I'm missing a quiet house, a warm bath, my snuggly baby boy, a good book, the sun, spare time, sleep, and finished projects. But the thing is, I can't remember a time when I enjoyed all those things at once. I guess there is always something to miss.

Drawstring Bag

I bought Sadie and Ella little looms to make hot pads. And I'm glad I did. Weaving is a precursor to sewing. It teaches elements like balance (not the standing on one foot kind, the design kind), pattern, order, and the up and down, in and out rhythm of hand sewing. Weaving is good for developing math skills, focus, dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. However, there are little cotton loops everywhere.

So my solution to the mess is to make them drawstring bags that they can hang on their hook rack, everything in one place and away from a curious little brother. I like how they turned out so much that I might make them for more of their little objects.

For this project you need:

1/3 yard of fabric

drawstring or shoelace

large eyelet kit (1/4" eyelets)

scrap of heavy interfacing or heavyweight fabric

Start by cutting your rectangle of fabric to 32" long.
Fold it in half, with wrong sides together, so that you have a rectangle that is 16" x 12". Sew 1/4" from edge along each long side.Turn inside out and iron the seam flat, pushing out the corners. Sew 3/8" from edge along long side, encasing raw edge of first seam.
Fold top edge down (toward inside) 1" and press. Fold down again 1" and press.Open out second fold. Either iron interfacing on either side of side seam or place scrap of fabric there, and trace inside of eyelet. Cut a small X inside traced circle. Place deep eyelet piece from right side to wrong side. Place shallow piece on top and set on disk with shallow side up. Using eyelet tool and a hammer, pound eyelets together. (You may want to check the instructions on the back to make sure your eyelets work the same way.)
This is how it should look from the front.
Fold top back down along pressed in line and sew 3/4" from top edge all the way around.
Optional: Turn inside out and measure up 1" from each bottom corner. Match seam to bottom fold to create a triangle in the corner. Sew a line perpendicular to seam.
Use a small safety pin to thread drawstring from one eyelet to the other.
Tie a knot in the end and you're done.

And that's my attempt at some order.

Jack's Recipe

I love to cook. My kids, however, are somewhat picky. This is one of Jack's favorite recipes.

First, get in the car to go to the dollar store (don't fuss about the car seat, remember a treat is the goal.) Mom will probably have other errands too, like the post office, the library, etc. All you need to worry about is the dollar store. Once you get there, stay just close enough that mom can see you, but not so close that she can reach you. This is called "testing your boundaries". The point is to stay far enough away that you control where you go, but not so far that you lose treat privileges. Tolerate the food aisle because that is where the cinnamon sugar is (also candy is at the end.)

Once home, start asking for cinnamon toast. Start with a super sweet voice, don't forget to say please. If she doesn't hear you say, "Mommy, mommy, mommy..." over and over until she does. Then start the process over.

Let mom put the toast in the toaster, but be sure to keep a good eye on her, unless cartoons are on. As soon as it pops up mom will put the butter on. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar and shake off the stuff that doesn't stick.

Then eat your toast.
Don't let mom wipe your face, you need the cinnamon to snack on later.

Be sure not to eat your crust. Mom will say that's the best part. Don't believe her. There is no cinnamon or sugar on the crust and that is where she puts the stuff that makes you want a nap.

Observations

I think my doves flew South. Its probably a good thing, but still, it makes me a little sad.

I used what will most likely be the last of the thyme from my garden for the year, to make these. It may be dried herbs for the next few months.

Painting chairs is really hard. Maybe I should have just paid the $250 a chair. (They had better look good, especially after Evan has said they wouldn't. I have to show him up right.)

Baby Caleb came home from the hospital last night. A wonderful two to three weeks before anticipated. Caleb is the newest addition to our extended family and although he had a difficult time getting here, I know he is welcomed with much love. Congratulations Brian, Nickell, and Tyler.

All's Quiet

The good thing about being stuck at home with sick kids is that I get a lot done. I've been working on projects, baking, making dinners for some fellow sickies, and obsessively cleaning. I thought Evan would be so proud of me, but no. He said I am making him fat.

I made seven or eight rice bags. Sadie and Ella are happy, they love their warm toes, and they came just in time for a real mishap. Sadie was walking out of a room just as Ella was walking in and both were distracted. Ella ended up with a big goose egg/bruise on her forehead and Sadie acquired a fat lip, there was a little blood involved and a lot of tears and blaming. The pretty, warm rice bags helped. (Plus a little sleep and hiding the Halloween candy.)
I have a new responsibility at church and I am looking forward to it. I help organize service for the ladies and their families. So far it has been pretty busy. There are three babies being born this week (two are twins), we've had a bit of sickness, and hospitalizations. I have been making little burp cloths for new babies, but I wanted to have rice therapy bags and blankets on hand for bumps and bruises, even if they're just the emotional kind.
So I have been catching up and staying in, sleeping late and running the oven. Kind of quiet.

The Fifth

Don't you love olives. This is the fifth costume I made this Halloween, a little Spanish olive costume for Olive, pimento included.