inspiration

this

is why I designed this dress

one year later

The boys put in countless hours

trying to sell me on the benefits of owning a Wii.

They’d figured out the financing

- mostly themselves -

and dreamed and researched.

And talked.

And then, a year ago today,

Papa surprised us

with a Wii.

Although I feel I was a little mislead

(I was shocked

to find there were sit-on-the-couch-to-play Wii games

‘cause the boys biggest push

was all the exercise they’d get while playing this game system)

I think it was a good purchase.

A complete fitness program

it is not

but we’ve certainly had good times with it.

Many Fridays

it’s been the ‘fun’

in Family Fun Night.

Plus

it’s good for a cheap, quick bowling date.

Which is quite romantic

seeing that

mine and Tyler’s first date

was

bowling.

He claims I sat on his lap.

On the first date?! I think not!

I think

he took one look at my rear in those adorable floral Zena jeans

(or was it my adorable rear in the floral Zenas?!)

and the rest

as they say

is history.

-ahem-

What was I saying?

Oh yes, the Wii.

Worth the money, if you’ve got it to spend.

And this

from somebody who despises video games.

~

Bowling, anyone?

my confidence is beginning to falter

First

there was the Mimi thing.

Then

I took a quiz

to see how sharp I am.

It seems

I have the brain of a 61 year old.

And now today

as we were heading out to run errands,

I waved hello to my

seventy-one year old neighbor

and she was wearing the exact same clothes

I was wearing

'cept she had tennis shoes

and I

was wearing very hip pink flip flops.

~

what next??

while I was busy

nursing the baby,

Jeremiah was busy making this:

because

doesn't every dog

need

a take-with-you

food dish?

it was 'stinky'

(why oh why do these stupid Nancho Libre quotes

take up valuable space in my brain??)

~

Today

I made

deodorant!

I've seen recipes

here, here and here.

I opted to try the little house in the suburbs version

'cause I don't relish the idea

of smearing my deo on with my hands.

True to form

I didn't exactly follow the recipe.

Mostly, but not exactly.

I hope that's not a sign of some character deficiency.

It was so easy

I wish I would have done it a long time ago

and

so far, so good.

I wasn't exactly fresh-as-a-daisy when I put it on

either....

~

One less thing to buy from WallyWorld;

that makes me happy!

Now

I just need to find essential oils that smell like

Artic Force and Cool Rush

hmm

7 quick takes

1.

It’s been really nice having my hubby home

in the evenings for the week.

I’ve missed him.

He’s back to working on the Hardie House

in moderation, though, this time.

2.

Breastfeeding is hard.

Dairy issues aside.

(although - I am beginning to add back a little bit of dairy with no ill effects - yay!)

A few weeks ago we had low-supply issues

most likely due to hormones and stress.

Now Lexi is so busy

that she isn’t wanting to nurse as often as she should

and when she does nurse

it’s not for as long as it should be.

Or maybe she’s nursing so efficiently

she doesn’t need to nurse longer?…

Add to that

Etienne is almost her size and half her age.

So now I’m wondering - am I starving the girl?

But then

she does have plenty of rolls….

See?

Breastfeeding is tricky business.

3.

Letter of Intent

Time to turn it in.

Problem is

I haven’t even begun shopping or planning yet

for the coming school year.

Partly because my budget for school

is less than half what it normally is

and partly because

well

I don’t know….

I am looking forward to Jeremiah starting school

officially.

Not because he’s so teachable;

he’s the most know-it-all 5 year old I’ve ever known.

But things are just really clicking for him right now

and that’s fun.

4.

I still have a lot of weight to lose
but I realized last night
that I have lost forty pounds
since I went in the hospital to have Lexi.
Never mind how much weight I gained while pregnant.
Lets just say it was more than the 17 lbs I gained with Lily!

5.

Picked our first tomatoes today.

I’m worried we may miss a few

since they’re packed in there so tight.

Didn’t mean for them to be, we spaced them properly

but that darn manure just works so well….

Incidentally

old underwear doesn’t make the best tomato ties.

6.

I haven’t sewn in weeks

with the exception of turning an old maternity outfit

into festive 4th of July clothes for the girls

and teaching Nate and Kaylana how to make diapers

during their way-too-short but wonderful visit.

Every time I think I really want to pull out the machine

the thought of all the mess I’ll make

(and the mess the kids will make while I’m sewing!)

deters me.

7.

Probably
I shouldn’t have fudge dipped granola bars in my snack box
anymore.
The granola part doesn’t make them healthy enough to eat 2 a day
but the fudge part makes me want to.
Some days
the fudge part wins.

~
I think that's how you do a

7 Quick Takes Friday

for more

visit

Jen

the girl's got skilz

what do you say to that?

What do you say

when your 4 year old walks out

clutching his pillow and dragging his quilt

and says,

"I feel like I really need to be in your room."

??

slip slidin' away

The boys

have been wanting to make a slip & slide for several days.

Today's the day

-finally-

~

Brandon

(who also cooked dinner last night all by himself for the first time )

made this year's slide.

He learned real quick

that you gotta clear the area

before laying out the plastic.

'specially

when your slip & slide

is under a walnut tree

fun fun fun

Thanks for being such an awesome big bub, Brandon.

You're 'manning up' just fine!

that's disturbing

Lily is not

shall we say

cursed with hideously scrawny hindquarters.

Add a cloth diaper to the mix

and

well

her bottom is downright

um

ample.

Today

she wanted to wear pants.

last winter's pants.

She looks disturbingly like

Nacho Libre in his recreation clothes.

equally disturbing

is the condition of my snackie box

empty.

for going on 2 weeks now.

~

e.t.a.

the snack-box situation

strangely enough

has been rectified

for now

mommas, papas, and babies grown up

Mommas

and I imagine, Papas, too

love to have all of their kids home.

I didn’t know this

until I was a momma of out-of-the-house kids.

~

Just minutes before the phone rang

I’d been thinking about my dad

and praying about how I could honor him.

I’m afraid I haven’t done a good job of that in recent years.

“Tracy, this is your father.” I hear

after I say, “Hello”.

“I was mowing my lawn and God told me to call and invite you….”

?!?!?

He ended up hosting an

impromptu family reunion

with all but 1 kid & family

and 1 grandkid and fam (Lana & Luke - Luke was sick)

in attendance.

When we left

He told me he was so blessed that we’d come.

Me, too, Dad.

I love you.

life with big kids

is

just as tumultuous

as life

with little kids

sometimes.

And

just as fun

sometimes.

This

is not one of those times.

~

People say it 'gets easier' as your children get older;

I've always maintained

it just gets

different.

cousin visit

Never pulled out the camera

but we had a great visit yesterday

with 'Lish & Sam and the boys.

The kids all played together well

(no surprise, but still a pleasure)

and I enjoyed

talking nutrition

with Alicia.

That girl has more discipline

than anyone I've ever met!

(She's in training for a body-building competition)

~

Lily was really reserved when they first got here;

I guess 4 new people was a little overwhelming to her.

I chuckled when Lish asked,

"Does she talk?"

It didn't take long at all

for her to become her charming little self

and I had to check to make sure she was still here

after they drove off.

enough already

First

I saw a little black ball of fluff

with a fondness for potatoes

of all things

scurry over to the corner.

Unlike my dear friends Sandy and Susie

mice don't turn me into an acrobat.

I'll kill 'em alright

but they don't scare me.

~

Just a few minutes ago

a

scorpion

came crawling towards me

as I perched on the pot

where Lily has been just moments earlier.

Now that scared me!

'course

I didn't have any problem killin' him

either!

I considered saving his smooshed little body

to show the boys - so they'd know not to touch one

but

even dead

it gave me the heebie jeebies;

so I flushed him.

ratatouille

I think
with Tyler's help
I managed to impress most of my children.

"It looks just like the ratatouille in the movie!"

"Did you mean to do that?"

Of course,
I doubt many people aspire to replicate a dish
made by a rat......

Jeremiah wasn't quite as impressed as everyone else.

Shocker.

"It looks kind of like in the movie
but the eggplant doesn't look just right."

After eating
he said, "I like it okay, but I don't nearly love it."
several times - to make sure I got the point....

We also had my current favorite food

'grilled zucchini'

love

love

love it!

Simply crush a few cloves of garlic, cover with olive oil
and let set 10 minutes or so (longer is perfectly fine)
slice zucchini lengthwise about 1/4" thick
brush both sides with garlic oil and sprinkle with salt
grill for about 5-7 minutes per side.
They'll look somewhat transparent when they're done.

mmm, mmm, good!

~
another doozey from our in-house critic:

I was putting on make-up
getting ready for the wedding.
Jeremiah thought I should wear lipstick.
I grabbed the eyeliner.
"Is that lipstick?"
"No, it's eyeliner."
"I think you should draw a line all the way around your eye."
Fashion help from a 5 yr old boy.
Next was eyeshadow.
"Is that the lipstick?"
"No,......."
Then on to mascara.
"Is that the lipstick?"
"I think you better not put on any more makeup on your eyes

or you'll look like a clown."
~

geez louise

it's a good thing I've got thick skin
although
I'm sure he's got something to say about that, too.

almost as good as breakfast in bed

Lana surprised us with breakfast yesterday

and then stayed and played for a couple hours.

A much nicer way to start the day

than what I had planned.

Which was

nothing.

~

Thanks!!!

our evening alone

I love that Lexi is big enough to play with Lily

and toys...

(oooh - those cheeks!)

these girls are already such good friends

the boys made the best of not being able

to swim in the pool

TJ dropped in

and scared the bejeebers out of me

(he always loved startling me when he lived here

now he doesn't get as much pleasure out of it)

Lexi sure was glad to see him!

She's really getting sick

of being stuck with Momma all the time.
Shoot

I'm getting sick of being stuck with me all the time

~

I'm thinking about just popping in a movie

but that seems awfully irresponsible;

the house is still an absolute wreck.

I could clean it

but it will still be an absolute wreck again tomorrow.

I should save myself the trouble.

~ sigh ~

can I get a 'hallelujah'?

I had to use the wagon!

that there

is

forty-four lbs of organic produce

The cantaloupe alone weighed 10 lbs!

~

When Jeremiah saw the eggplant

he said, "We can have ratatouille tonight!"

I haven't been able to find skinny eggplant at the store,

so we have been waiting for over a year for this eggplant!

I had hoped we'd be able to get everything for the dish

from our garden.

maybe next year...

see how orange the juice is?

(there on the left - that's a dried up drip of cantaloupe juice)

oh my

I can hardly wait to eat it.

I wasn't going to pick it just yet
as it's still a bit green,
but when I picked it up to check the bottom
to make sure it wasn't rotting
it snapped a bit.

holes

A young friend of Tyler’s is getting married this weekend.

His bride-to-be is a sweet little thing from a close-knit family.

She’ll be leaving several younger siblings.

If I were in a position to give Ms. Abigail Sawyer

(isn’t that a lovely name?!)

advice,

I would tell her,

“Your siblings will miss you terribly.

Oh

your parents will miss you, too; they’ll be fine.

But the kids.

They just might feel abandoned.

Sure
they like Taylor.
And they’re excited to have a big brother
but they don’t really know what they’re in for.
When you leave
and don’t come back after a few days
there will be a hole.







I know you are anxious to be one with your new husband
and all that s*x
and cooking and cleaning
and s*x
will keep you pretty occupied.
May I encourage you, though,
to take the time to let your siblings know
that you still value them
and love them.






Send them a note
with a drawing - if you’re so inclined.
Visit once a month.
Help smooth the edges of that jaggedy hole.





Because
there will be a jaggedy hole; they’ve had you their whole lives.
And now
you are gone.”

~

Nate, Mandy, ‘Lish, Matt,

I’m sorry.

I didn’t know.

I never thought about what my leaving the family

might mean to you.

I love you.

the challenge

I bought a new foot today.

(thanks, Babe)

When we got the rolled hem foot a few weeks back

and I had so much fun with it

and it worked so well

(which is exactly the point of a job-specific tool)

Tyler told me

he wanted me to have every foot they make for my machine.

After making sure he was serious

I almost cried; it was so sweet.

~

A ruffler was next on the list.

With little girls to sew for

I figured that'd be handy.

They were busy

so she didn't have time to show me

on the machine

how to use it

but she did talk me through it a bit.

I asked was it double the fabric or what.

She said, "There's no way of knowing."

What?!

"Well, now I've got to figure it out,"

I told her.

"You can't. Mom's tried and she can't even figure it out."

People.

Don't you know if you tell me I can't do something

I

will

prove you wrong??

(unless, of course, I really can't......)

only 5 1/2 months old

and already

this

is a rare occurrence

~

She barely left my arms in the hospital

and even then
it was to go to someone else's.

Our first weeks were spent snuggled together;

I held her about 20 hours a day.

"Don't hold the baby all the time,"

they say,

"You'll spoil her."

Here we are

just a few short months later

and

it dawns on me

I hardly ever get to hold my sleeping baby anymore.

So

when she fell asleep on my chest this evening

I held her

just a little longer.

To remember.

Then I laid her gently on her pillow,

right next to mine.

So I can snuggle her all night long.

'cause

she just ain't spoiled yet.

~

The long sleeves are because we have to keep the bedroom quite chilly;

if Lily gets too warm (and she is hot-natured!)

she'll break out in hives.

horribly itchy hives.

Most likely part of a viral infection she picked up

and passed around.

well

back to the drawing board....

~

texture is wrong
flavor is wrong
and
they are
way
too salty

pickles

tonite

I'll be trying my hand at making

pickles

for the first time

(well - as an adult)

~

we've gotten over 100 lbs of cukes already

so we gotta do something...

I am purposed to not waste one bit

of all that God is blessing us with.

~

The recipe I'm trying

calls for 4 lbs;

it won't even make a dent in the pile...

a boy and his quilt

"I'm attached to my quilt."

"Oh, you are?

what does that mean?"

"It means I take it places with me."

"Well, yeah, I suppose it does.

Where did you learn that?"

"Oh, I read Putter & Tabby.

Zeke was attached to his jump rope and took it places."

.

I'm pretty attached to you, too, Josiah

I almost feel sorry for him

Donor is so scared of fireworks.

even snap dragons

Poor pooch.

~

While the guys were gone

I let him sleep in the house - not in his kennel.

He did fine

so since then, on the nights he hasn't wanted to be outside

I've just let him sleep in the living room.

Last night
he came in and slept by my side of the bed.

I wasn't sure if it was for my protection

or his.

I'm thinking - his.

fireworks

It's that time of year again.

The boys spent the day making their lists

and I made a master list to make it easier to compare prices.

(I can no longer rely on my brain...)

Then

we shopped.

Jeremiah is old enough to realize his $20

(thanks Grampa Bob & Gramma Pat)

will only go so far;

Josiah still wants some of everything

and a bunch of some things...

both boys spent every cent!

Tony and Brandon bought less this year than ever before;

mostly due to their lists

and thinking about what they'd buy ahead of time

~

I just love taking my boys fireworks shopping!

~

In no particular order

here's what we bought

where we bought it

and how much it cost:

.

we bought the most at the first tent on 271 (closest to 540)

some of what they had was the same price as the other tents;

we bought here, 'cause a guy from DTC runs it

(and as a nice surprise - gave us a 10% discount :-)

bottle rockets - $3.50 / gross

smoke bombs - $1 / 12 pk

5 shot roman candles - $1.50 / 6 pk

little friendship fountains - $ .25 ea

morning glory sparklers - $1 / 3 (5 pk)

bunker busters (they were the only ones to carry these) - $1.50

satellites - $1 / pkg

snakes - $1 / 6 boxes

day & night parachutes $ .50 ea

split wing rocket - $1.25

25 shot missile box thing - $1

chopper bike - $1.50

~

from the 2nd tent

ground flowers - $ .50 / 6 pk

crackling balls - $ .50 / 6 pk

~

and

from the 3rd tent

party poppers - $ . 25 ea

tanks - $ . 33 ea

screamin' chickens - $ .33 ea

snap dragons - $ . 25 / box of 50

festival balls - $3.25 / 6 + launching tube

~

we didn't go

'cause it was off in the opposite direction

and Tyler didn't think it'd be worth it for the little bit we'd save

(and he's completely right)

but

the TNT tent on hwy 59 (by Mc D's)

has

5 pk morning glories - $ .10

and

6 pk ground flowers - $ .29

~

I thought it'd be fun to look back years down the road

and see how much fireworks 'used to be'