Kind of sad conversation with Alexander yesterday.

I went to the fabric store (I know, big surprise.) yesterday with my babies as I like to think of as my two younger kids. ;~> On the way there my ever inquisitive child Alexander started talking about when he grows up. He stated that he was going to live in a big house with a big yard and a "cool" car, you know not a minivan like ours (giggle) and he was going to be rich because he was going to be a Policeman. I had to tell him that if he was only a Policeman, while it was a great thing to be he probably wouldn't be rich. He then asked a Fireman? nope, a Teacher? definitely not, An Army guy? not that either. He then asked a little frustrated at this point what he had to do to be rich. I told him that people in charge of big companies tend to be rich, or people who worked with computers or professional athletes. He asked if singers and actors were rich and I said some of them. Sigh It is sad that I have to tell my four year old that some of the MOST important jobs are ones that you will more than likely never be a rich man doing. :( It really breaks my heart that in this absolutely wonderful country we live in shows that it is more important to pay an athlete millions of dollars a year and yet a teacher barely enough to support a family.  My husband is a teacher and we struggle to make ends meet even though he has a second job. What is that saying to our children? So my smart little boy thought about it for a while and said, ok maybe I won't live in a big house, maybe a small house and I can still be a Policeman because someone still needs to get the bad guys. I just smiled and said that was a wonderful idea. Maybe by the time he is older we will start valuing the people who do these jobs more. Maybe not, either way I know my little boy will be happy in whatever job he has whether it is a garbage man or the President because we are raising our children to know that it isn't the amount of money you have that make you rich, but your family.  Nicholas definitely wants to be in the military and is delighted that his Uncle was in the Air Force. Allison has already made up her mind to be a teacher and I truly think she will be an outstanding one. Since she knows her dad is one and has to have a second job, she decided her second job will be a hairdresser so she can do that on the nights, weekends, and during the school vacations.  Lauren? Who knows what she will become. In the end it doesn't matter as long as they all get to live a long happy life.

Something that I noticed about myself.

It really bugs me when people ask me if I have a headache. I'm not sure why, perhaps it is because I know it won't make a difference. It is not like they are going to offer to take my kids for a couple of hours, or come clean my house or make me dinner.  I am NOT saying that I need/want people to do these things. It is just that I have a headache 97% of the time, seriously. On the rare a occasion I don't have one, I have what I call a headache hangover, I feel weird because I don't have pain. Let me explain something, I am not talking headaches that go away with a couple of Tylenol, though God knows I wish they were.  It is pain that three ibuprofen plus two acetaminophen doesn't even touch. I have learned to live with it. Yes, I know most people can't understand that. The thing is when your day revolves around constant pain you adjust to it. So now it is only the really really bad ones that get me down. Those are the ones that neither prescription pain relief works, where I am sick to my stomach and dizzy. Those headaches make the simple act of bending over make my head as if it will literally pop off the top of my body. (Believe I wish that statement was being dramatic.)  I still go on with my life, I take care of the kids, the house(to the best of my ability) and do what needs to be done because like I said no one is going to jump in and do it for me. I have even gotten to the point of lying when people ask if I have a headache. Not that I lie all the time and to family I don't, but I lie all the same. I view as asking a cancer  patient if they still have cancer every freaking time you see them.  Now can you see how it would bug the shit out of someone? Yes I have Chiari and yes that gives me a "perfect" excuse to just lay down all day long, but I don't. I joke with my friends about my brain slipping, but have never used that as excuse. On the rare occasion that I cancel plans it is because the pain in my head is so intense that I literally wish I would expire on the spot. Thankfully I don't get that pain more than once a month and sometimes I can go for a few months without feeling like that.  Maybe people don't know how to open a conversation with me. *shrugging shoulders* You can ask about my kids, my latest craft I might be working on, or even the book I am reading.  My ranting  is through and I hope I did not insult anyone. I just needed to get that out.

So that being said, I made Lauren and Alex pillows using these super cute stitch and stuff pillow kits I got for around $2 on clearance a while back. Lauren of course got Dora or as she calls her "Dough Dough" hehe Alexander picked Cars. 

You should have seen the huge grin on her face when I gave her this! 

So the crafting bug has bit.

Yes, two days in a row, can you believe it! Usually the need to craft doesn't arrive until the fall weather turns to crap, but it has come early this season. Maybe my body thinks it is fall since we have been basically hibernating from the heat. Who knows? Today I made four more burp rags and used the scraps of the last quilt I made to make a cute little doll quilt. Super simple and I had it done in a couple of hours.  Only two problems, first, I really need to replace my spring loaded scissors. They are so dull they couldn't slice a banana, so I have been using regular scissors. Can you say ouch? Imagine sniping fabric for hours on end. The other problem from today, I sewed my finger. Yes, you read that right. While I was sewing, I was going a bit too fast and decided to try and adjust the fabric and oops, my finger slipped under the needle. I was thisclose to passing out. The pain wasn't intense and thankfully I wasn't stitched to the fabric. *giggle* I have a pretty high tolerance for pain, after all I had four kids, but just the thought of that thing going through my finger would be enough to give anyone the shivers.   

Burp Rags

Doll quilt

Back of doll quilt

Sarah the Cabbage Patch modeling the quilt.

Same blanket, just taken with flash.

Blogging in the summer

Ha! What a joke! I have discovered it is much like trying to keep the house clean while the kids are awake. Trying to blog while my five, umm, I mean four kids are out of school has been difficult. We are usually on the go and when we aren't, my two older ones are into the habit of now reading over my shoulder. Nothing I write here is inappropriate, but still it is my get away.  We have been on the move and also stuck in doors for the last week or two. With the heat index reaching 110* some days, it is just not safe to even play in the sprinkler outside.

Recently a friend approached me asking if I would make a quilt for her cousin. At first I was a bit apprehensive, because I am not all that confident in my abilities. Sure, things are good enough for me, but to make something as special as a quilt for someone I have never met? I did agree after thinking about it and I must admit I am pretty happy with how it came out. I truly do enjoy making things for people whether it is food, blankets, or even their bed.  (LOL) It just makes me feel good to be able to make someone else's life a little happier. I of course took pictures of the newest blanket and will post them at the end of this blog.

I became an Aunt for the 17th time 12 days ago. My beautiful niece is as cute as a button. Being an Aunt is the second best job, the first is being a mom. I have to admit that I was a little worried how I would feel when she was born. I have voiced before that I wouldn't mind having a few more children, but my husband and I made the decision together that four is enough for our family. That being said, all I felt was great joy. I was extremely nervous and sick to my stomach most of the day that my sister in law was in labor.  I  was so happy that they both were healthy and doing great. I was worried that the green eyed monster might pop up, but he never did. That just reinforced the fact that four is enough for us. However it does help that I will have the great honor of caring for her during the day when my sister in law and brother in law go back to work. So, I can get my baby fix and then send the sweetie back home to mom and dad. *giggle*

Lauren's speech has been progressing and I am so excited.  She has maybe 60 words now and she is putting two or three words together now. Some of my favorites, "Love You, Mom." "Come On!", "Press Play."(that would be for whatever dvd she want to watch.) She has also looked for her milk by saying"Whereareyou?" (Yes, it all comes out as one word.)  She evens knows how to say my first name and will say it if at first she doesn't get a response using the standard, Mom, Momma, or Mommy.  After all, since I hear it all day long a lot of times I don't even hear it anymore. I have also been tossing around potty training. It is a different set of circumstances with a child who has a limited vocabulary. She does tend to tell us when she needs a new diaper and I know that is one of the signs. I think I am going to see if her speech therapist can show me the signs for potty. Perhaps if we have the signs, it may help with the communication.

Nicholas, ah, my child full of life. His psychiatrist quit without notice. We called his office for three weeks trying to change an appointment and kept being told he was on vacation, until the final attempt when we were told that he was no longer with that office. Say what?! Nick's medication was going to run out in a few days and since it is a controlled substance, we need a hand written prescription. No other doctors in his office would help us or even see Nicholas. Thanks alot assholes! They basically told us we were shit out of luck and good luck trying to find a new psychiatrist. We think that we found a new doctor, we just need to try to schedule the appointment. Thankfully his regular pediatrician gave me a month supply for him. This is just another bump in the road of life.

Until next time, it may be a while again until I blog or it might be tomorrow. Who knows? 

One of my many favorite sayings.... 

I found this cute saying here http://elegantwordart2.blogspot.com/2008/12/aunt.html

Another Saturday.

Like I've said before, it is not one of my favorite days as many people view it. The day really just drags on and many times I find my self flitting from one thing to another. Who am I kidding? I am not graceful enough to flit around. LOL Sure there are a million things that I can do or clean around here, but at the risk of sounding like a whiny child in the middle of summer break, there is nothing for me to do! ~read with an annoying whiny voice. I've done the dishes, multiple loads of laundry and even worked  on last year's vacation scrapbook,  but still I am bored. Heck, I even caught a very short catnap on the couch while the kidlets were watching the Magic School Bus. Oh well, enough whining for now. I am off to conquer the bathroom again. I swear with two boys who don't have very good aim I am scrubbing around the toilet more times than I like.