A few more photos...

Look at those cheeks! Momma milk does a body good ;)


Anna Felicity with my friend, Anna:

She's got great neck muscles and head control. These were taken at about three weeks:

I'm getting these off of my phone, so they're not great quality but she's cute even when she's grainy ;)

Daddy News and Baby Photos (finally!)...

Dad was released and came home last week. He seemed to be improving a lot and we spent the day with him on the 23rd. We were supposed to go back on Christmas Eve but he was having chest pains so 911 took him back to the hospital. He was having another heart attack and this time it was because of a blockage in the back of his heart. They broke up the clot and he may be back home again either today or tomorrow.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

I still haven't been able to find my USB cord for my camera but I have gotten a few photos off of my phone. Please excuse the poor quality. I can't believe she's a month old already, the time just FLIES!

Birth Announcement

Leave it to me to wait until a kid is five days old before you let people know that she's arrived ;)

Anna Felicity born on November 24th at 11:02am, 7 pounds, 19.5 inches

Photos to follow when I finally get them off the camera.

Update on my Daddy...

Well, he spent several days after his surgery sleeping. Then they finally took out the balloon thingy and the breathing tube. Then they had him on several different oxygen masks before he graduated to just the nose tube thingy. Day before yesterday my brother helped him sit up in bed and then stand up for a minute. He ate some ice cream and seemed to be doing much better. Then yesterday he said he wanted oatmeal fro breakfast but he said that they put pills in the first bite and wouldn't eat anymore. And now they think that he may have had a stroke. Please continue to keep him and our family in your prayers.

Changed again....

So now the plan is to induce at MCG on November 24th if baby seems ready by then. If not then induction will take place at ARMC on December 1st. After the most recent appointment I went from being "a fingertip dialated" to 1.5 cm. So the OB is fairly certain that the induction will take place on the 24th. Only two more weeks!

Prayers Requested...

Sunday afternoon my very hard-headed daddy finally called an ambulance to take him to the hospital for chest pains. Emergency quadruple bypass surgery was performed. They say that they are going to wake him up this afternoon and that he has a long recovery ahead of him. Please pray for him; not only for his physical recovery, but that the Lord would use this to rebuild his spiritual health as well. I don't ever remember Dad being "religious" but I do know that there was a time in his life when he attended church regularly and he was a baptized Christian. It scares me to death that if something were to happen to him, I might not see him ever again.

Changed...

Induction date has been changed to December 1st. This is actually a better date for several reasons so I don't mind waiting another week to meet her.

The kitchen in the new house is painted and the cabinets are supposed to go up in the next few days. The livingroom is also supposed to be painted this week. Drywall is all up and most of the "mudding" has been finished. Still lots to be done before it's "done":

• Prime hallways, bathrooms, bedrooms, etc
• Paint hallways bathrooms, bedroom, etc
• Paint trim and install
• Order and install wood floors
• Pick out tile for bathrooms and install
• Paint and install floor trim
• Bathroom fixtures and cabinetry
• Pick out ceiling fans and install
• Install gas fireplace
• Siding and all that entails

I'm probably forgetting something crucial. Then of course there's all the paperwork and signings and official whatnot that has to be done. Then there's the packing of this house. And the unpacking once the stuff is taken 10 miles down the road to that house.

Call me a pessimist but I don't think that all this can be accomplished in 34 days. If we are moved into that house before Christmas I will be pleasantly surprised. I'm guessing it will be after the new year starts before we get in there.

Sometime in the next two weeks I will be moving one of the desks out of our bedroom and into the already overly crowded storage area in the kitchen so that there is room to set up the portacrib in our room. And then there's my bag to pack and the carseat to put in place "just in case" I go into labor before the induction date.

A woman's work is never done...

I just read over that list up there and realized that I didn't put interior doors... see, I knew I'd forget something! I'm sure that's not the only thing...

Baby Update...

Monday I had an OB appointment. This is the first delivery I've had at this particular hospital with these doctors so I'm always curious to see how their methods differ from the other two hospitals where I've had babies. This doctor wants to induce me so that they can be prepared for the inevitable "sticky placenta"; she also seems to think that since this is my fifth delivery, my uterus is more likely to prolapse. Oh, joy...

So a tentative induction date has been set for Monday, November 24. I will have an epidural in place, so that after the baby comes out they can manually remove the placenta without all the discomfort I've had during the previous times.


I am more than just a little excited about knowing the day that she's supposed to arrive.

In preparation for the little lady's arrival I have accomplished the following:

• I have three dozen cloth diapers, 6 covers, and 3 dozen+ cloth wipes for the impending tiny hiney.
• I also made a snazzy diaper bag that is only slightly bigger than the purse that I made myself. And it matches my wallet, too!
• The carseat ispurchased, ready, and waiting.
• So is the sling.
• The clothes/bedding/furniture/everything else have been gone through but are still boxed up at Granny's, because I am hoping that God will perform a miracle and we'll actually be in the new house before she gets here Otherwise I will retrieve/wash the newborn sized stuff/port-a-crib/essentials about two weeks prior to D-Day and we will "make do" here until we can move.

Speaking of the house, here's what there is left to do that I can think of off the top of my head:

• drywall/sheetrock
• hardwood floors
• interior trim
• vinyl siding
• cabinets
• sinks/showers/tubs/toilets
• air conditioning
• fireplace
• interior paint
• interior doors
• driveway

Can all this be done and allow time for the "legal stuff" so that we can move in before the baby is scheduled to arrive? God only knows ;) I'm so glad that He's in charge of it all.

Win a Beco Butterfly and Beco Toy Carrier

Check out this contest!

Win a Beco Butterfly Baby Carrier and Beco Toy Carrier from Along for the Ride.

Who couldn't use another baby carrier? Especially such a nice one!

An Update...

This pregnancy thing gets more uncomfortable every time we experience it. Obviously I'm appreciative of the blessing that this baby is and will be but I feel like a beached whale and I've still got three months to go! Ugh...

My brother's son was born a month early on the 11th. He weighed 4lb 4oz and was 16 inches long. That is TINY! But other than his size he is totally healthy and went home within a few days like any other baby. He originially dropped down to 3lb 13oz but began gaining, so home he went. My mom is travelling this week to PA to go see the little squirt. I cannot even fathom holding a baby that weighs only 4 lbs.

The girls are back at school, the Christian Kindergarten, again this year. Also we will be doing a computer curriculum with Libby, to reinforce what she gets from school. Abby is doing well in 5K. Ben is doing Switched on Schoolhouse for 4th grade and boy-oh-boy is it worth it! He has finished each day before 10 am and requires basically no supervision from me. Caleb is watching "Leap Pad" dvds and we've been reading a lot together. I almost know "Polar Bear, Polar Bear" and "Are You My Mother?" by heart now.

Anyone out there a bat-ologist?

Today we had a terrible storm; the electricity was knocked out for a few hours. The kids just about went stir-crazy: no tv, no video/computer games, and no playing outside. After the storms passed, Jeremy went outside to walk around a bit. When he came back inside he had a surprise for us. He'd found a very small bat, half drowned in the storm apparently. We're not sure if it's a older baby or a young adult. I've given it sugar water and kept it warm. It has "pottied" (on me, thanks a lot!) and has bathed itself several times.

Does anyone out there in internetland have any bat care tips?

I'll try to get photos tomorrow.

Well it finally happened...

Waiting for my OB appointment, I was chatting with an older lady. She seemed really pleasant. Then when I mentioned that this way my fifth child she actually said "You need to get your tubes tied!" And went on to tell me how she had gotten hers done after her second child, blah blah blah. Then she asked me if I was "a Catholic" stating the people with too many kids are usually Catholic but that's their business. I told her I was "a Passionate Protestant" and eventually changed the subject.

I don't think I've ever had a complete stanger speak that bluntly to me before. I'm still a little stunned by the whole thing.

Meanwhile the baby's fine and healthy and we found out that this little bundle is going to tip the scales in favor of the pink team in this family. So now it's just a matter of patiently waiting another 20 weeks or so until she arrives.

I need your prayers...

I have a problem. And it's as serious as any alcoholic or drug addict's problems. I am a spend-a-holic. I know that sounds funny and cute but it's not. It's serious. There have been times in my life when I couldn't control my spending, including recently. In 2005, over the course of a few months I spent nearly $20,000. There was a trip to California involved. Other than that, I only remember a lot of eating out and lots of trips to the mall for new clothes and dvds. I will go along for several months, doing ok and then BAM! something in my brain goes weird and I justify all kinds of purchases. Oh, sure, now it's usually a really good deal on whatever it is, but in reality it's not a necessary purchase and the money shouldn't be spent. This has repeatedly put a strain on my marriage. When you spend money behind your husband's back you're sending a message to him, whether you realize it or not. That message is "What you give me isn't enough, I want MORE!" To show him such disrespect is most shameful. Guys will tease each other about their wives spending habits, but many a truth is said in jest. And so I have wounded my husband and I have shamed him in the eyes of others.

And so I'm coming here today to confess before witnesses, few though they may be, that I need help. I need your prayers. I need God to help me overcome this weakness.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Phil 4:13

Because the only way I'm going to overcome this addiction/illness/foolishness is with His help.

*delete*

I'm sorely tempted to delete that last post. But for now I won't. I'll just go on with my blog as I've gone on with my life.

Speaking of which, the kids are making messes so I'd better cut this short. Thanks for the kind words.

Call me irresponsible...

I am heartsick tonight and it doesn't have anything to do with my blogging absence. That's just due to my overwhelming laziness coupled with my inability to think of anything remotely interesting to blog about. No, tonight I am sad and also disappointed in myself as a pet owner/farmer/responsible adult.




A few months back I mentioned our goats. Frist we bought Clara and Heidi. Then Vito came to join them, and he was quite thankful for the small harem he'd been given. And as these things happen, we were blessed with kids in April. I assumed that Heidi had the buck kid (Alvin) and Clara had the doe kid(Frosting), since they were paired up that way when we found them. What a surprise we had when a month later Clara turned up with a little black doe kid(Sweetness) the day we brought home "Honey" the milk goat. Our herd was growing in leaps and bounds. I was concerned at first that Clara would disregard her new kid in favor of Frosting since poor little Sweetness wasn't as big and strong and might have trouble keeping up and holding her own. But things seemed to be going well. The grass and underbrush are growing in plenty, and there are three buckets of water kept in the pen, so for the most part the goats don't require much thought or attention.




(While we wait for the house on 8 acres to be completed, we live in the city limits in a neighborhood. Call me antisocial but I HATE having neighbors which is probably a result of being raised on a farm out in the country. And our goats, being the way that goats are, love nothing more than to escape from their paddock and roam the neighborhood checking if the grass is greener in this yard or that. So far, we haven't had any backlash from this occurence, but I know it's only a matter of time. )

I noticed lately that the other goats would go for a wander and leave someone behind. Sometimes it was Sweetness, sometimes Frosting, occasionally it was even Clara. I didn't really think much about it until I saw little Frosting standing near the water bucket all alone again. And was it my imagination or did she look a little thin? I mentioned this to Jeremy and he said he didn't think it was as serious as I thought, but I could always go get some "save a kid" and bottle feed her.

Here's where the guilt comes in.

I forgot.

Yep, I forgot that I was concerned. It just went right out of my head.

What with the house construction, and the baby growing, and the a/c quitting, and the tv dying, and my brother coming for a visit I forgot about Frosting.

Tonight on the way to Bible study the goats were actually in our own yard for a change. As I headed down the driveway I glanced and counted heads. Hmmm, Frosting was missing. So I got out of the van to go check on her.

I found her lying under a tree, lifeless. And I have this enormous guilt. Because I should have done something to prevent this.

I called my mom after church. "She might have been sick. A sick goat is a dead goat because once they're sick there's not much you can do."

But my concience is eating away at me. How could you forget?! You let her starve! Poor little orphaned thing needed a new mommy and you were too distracted to take care of her. What are the kids gonna say when they find out? They'll be crushed!

And now I just want to take them all to the livestock sale and sell them to someone more responsible; someone who won't just let them die out of absentminded stupidity.

Why has God seen fit to give me the responsibility of raising His children when I can't even manage a small herd of goats?

Ultrasound results and a building update...

According to the ultrasound viewing last Thrursday, I am measuring six days farther along than I should be. But since that's an acceptable variation, they are not changing my due date. So we're still shooting for December 6th.

In other exciting news, the house is progressing in leaps and bounds. Here are some photos that were taken today:



What's gonna work? TEAMWORK!



That brown sweaty hunk on the scaffolding is my dearest Jeremy, building a big beautiful house for his family.







When you take into account that 8 days ago I said that they would START the subflooring, this is super duper uber fast! He said that they may be working on the second level flooring tomorow. I'm still trying to stay calm until it's completed; I wouldn't want him to think that I'm unaapreciative of the work that he's doing by rushing him to finish it by next week ;)

Drive by update....

Last month we went from three goats to five goats when two kids were born. This past weekend another kid arrived and I bought a milk goat. So that makes seven, two bucks and five does.

Elizabeth and Abigail have two days left of school. Their program that they've been practicing for all month is Tuesday evening. I can hardly wait to see it and it will be so nice not fighting with them every morning to get up/dressed/in the car. I think that they might have been on time about thirty mornings out of 180. It's just IMPOSSIBLE to get two very dramatic girls and two very sleepy boys to all cooperate every morning. Somebody ALWAYS makes us late... and the culprit changes from day to day.

I have an ultrasound appointment on Thursday. I think it's the "let's see if you are as far along as you think you are" ultrasound. I know of several family members that are hoping that we'll be seeing double. Even the kids have jumped on the "hoping for twins" bandwagon.

Took the girls to see Prince Caspian today after church. They seemed to enjoy it although Elizabeth was quite figity according to her daddy. Toward the end of the movie Abigail leaned over to me and whispered "this movie is breaking of my heart!" And of course we left the theater counting down the days to the next in the series. May 2010 ... what a wait!

The foundation is being finished tomorrow and then they start on the subflooring. Jeremy is estimating the house could be finished as early as the middle of June and as late as September.

Patience has never been mine ... Lord grant me patience to wait for these things that are so worth waiting for!

Pappaw

Heather at Oh My Stinkin' Heck has requested stories about grandpas and since my Pappaw was my most beloved and favored grandparent, I ended up with an essay:

My daddy's dad was a very quiet man. Nanny and Pappaw would come pick me up for visits. They would keep me for days and days until my parents missed me enough to come fetch me. I can remember standing on the little stool in the bathroom next to him in the evening; he'd take out his teeth to brush them, and I'd pretend to take out mine, scrubbing the space between my thumb and fingers. I still have that little stool and even the little green toothbursh. On those nights at their house, I slept on a little cot in Pappaw's room, even though Nanny had twin beds in her room.

My Pappaw could make anything: doll houses, furniture, little old fashioned doll desks for certain little girls that desperately wanted to play school, even taking the time to measure the specific doll to make sure that she would fit in the desks.

He read his Bible everyday, slowly making his way through it again and again, year after year. My parents have his Bible, with the small slip of paper on which he recorded each time he finished reading it, only to start over at the beginning again.

He always said Grace in a very quietly mumbled voice. I don't think I ever understood what he was saying but I'll bet God did.

He was a farmer. We'd walk together and feed the chickens, turkeys, geese. He never seemed to mind this litte tag-along. And he always smelled like Old Spice.

Then we moved "a million miles away" when I was five, and I only got to see him maybe once a year.

Once when we were visiting, everyone was going to the state fair except Pappaw... until I asked him to take me. On another visit, I wanted to go fishing so he showed me where to find the big worms, walked back to the pond with me and watched as I tried in vain to catch that big fish. He had Nanny cook the three teeny tiny little fishes that I did catch; and because she cooked them, we ate them.

I think that if I asked, he would have done anything for me, made anything for me. I don't know if this was special treatment just for me or if he treated all the grandkids like this, but I don't think I want to know. It's kinda nice to feel like you might have been your favorite's favorite.

The last time I saw my Pappaw, I was a newlywed and he and Nanny were in a hospital-type nursing home. Pappaw was strapped to his wheelchair to prevent injury and his memories were mostly gone. He held my mother's hand, and occaisionally he would bring it up to kiss the back of it. In his confused mind he was still a ladies' man; even asked us "Are you girls looking for some guys?" It was sorta cute yet very sad. He quietly talked about how he needed to get home and let the cows out. I was given the bedroom suite that he made, along with a cedar chest and a painting of his horse and dog from sometime in the 1960's. I hope I have them always and can pass them on to my children; they are so valuable to me.

A few years later he passed away, but to me, he'd already been gone for a while. I missed him before he was gone. I wish my kids had the chance to meet him, spend time with him; I wish that he'd been able to meet and quietly dote on them the way he'd doted on me.

My parents only live about thirty minutes away and I take them to see my momma and daddy as often as I can. Because I want them to have fond memories of their own Granny and Pappaw.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, etc

Yesterday we went to the zoo. We were invited to join my parents, my brother, sister-in-law, and their grandchildren. We took along my other nephew as well, so the party was 6 adults and 8 children under 10.

We fed the lorikeets and giraffes. We watched the penguins diving and swimming (my favorite, it's better than cable tv). We saw the big cats snoozing in the afternoon sun, and stood inches away from three silverback gorillas (there was REALLY thick glass between us). And there were snakes, lizards, fish... all the usual residents.

The kids really enjoyed, we only misplaced a few kids a few times and they were quickly recovered. I think I'm going to invest in more of those animal/backpack/harness/leash sets. I already have three, but I'm thinking of keeping spares for when we're out with other families with small children, in case they'd like to use them.

By the end of the day we were tired, sore, sunkissed, and hot as we trekked back up the hill to the parking lot. Whose idea was it to put the parking lot at a higher elevation than the zoo? Obviously some sadist was on the design committee.

Sadly no photos were taken by me, my batteries ran out of juice after the first two photos I took :(

Yummy Veggies...

This month I joined our local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and we've received locally grown organic veggies, delivered to our door once a week. By splitting a full share with my mother-in-law we save $5 a week. Last week we got beets, cabbage, mushrooms, red potatoes, strawberries, and a large bagged salad. I cooked the beet greens the day we got them; boy, were they good! Today I made cole slaw with the cabbage and pickled the beets. I LOVE pickled beets, probably because Nanny used to serve them all the time. While I was cooking the beets, this week's delivery arrived: collards, green onions, winter squash, oranges, broccoli, romain lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a small salad.

Praise the Lord!

Not only did Jesus die to save me from sin, but God answers our prayers on a daily basis.

We are getting very close to building a new home... Thank you, God!

We are all healthy for now, no more flu... Thanks you, God!

Despite a recent chill in the air, Spring in definitely sproinging around here... Thank you, God!

We are pregnant with baby #5, due in early December... THANK YOU, GOD!!!!!!!

All I have need of His hand will provide, He's always been faithful to me...
(Sara Groves, "He's Always Been Faithful")

THE PLAGUE!!!!

You'll never guess what the entire family has....anybody guess?



It all started with an unnecessary trip to the doctors' office last week. My darling-lovable-yet-often-meddlesome-mother-in-law insisted that the baby needed to be seen due to the fact that he was hoarse. So he and I sat in a waiting room, surrounded by every germ-carrying person in town, for FIVE hours... oh the joys of being "worked in". By the way, the baby was indeed getting over his cold... he did however have a double ear infection with nary a symptom, the doctor said he probably would've gotten over it on his own, but she would prescribe antibiotics, since we'd come so far and waited so long... blahblahblah.



Fast forward to this week.... Normally I don't get sick and when I do I tough it out. Doctors are for children and old people... Unfortunately I was pretty sure that I was dying, what with all the achespainsfevercoughingsneezingchestpainacheyyuckyickypoo... So Jeremy took me back up to the doctor where I was diagnosed with bronchitis and sinusitis. Gee, I wonder where I picked that up?



Two days later, everyone in the house woke up with RAGING FEVERS. Back to the doctors' we went, first one set, then another. That was fun. All the physicians concluded that five out of six patients have the flu. I think I was misdiagnosed but refrained from bringing that up, since it was one doctor's wife that diagnosed me. Thank goodness I took the antibiotics prescribed (pointless for the flu); now I've got the inevitable yeast infection, too... oh...good.



As I was writing this post Ben called for the puke bucket... Libby complained that I should put him in the tub, 'cause he was making too much noise throwing up. Abby told me that she had her eyes closed so she couldn't see it. At least Caleb was already in bed... it's gonna be a long night.

Yep... Libby already joined Ben in the vomit brigade... had to wash it out of her hair, poor thing.

Lord, please let my family get well soon!

Shop Update

Just wanted to post and say that I've added more to my Etsy shop, in case anyone is interested.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5182591

Open for Business...

I've been making wool diaper covers for Caleb and decided that I should try selling them as well. Here's a link to my shop:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5182591

Also, I've uploaded some photos to flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22769628@N04/

Now I'm off to make sides to go with the meatloaf in the oven. Have a great weekend everyone!

It just gets better and better....

So Libby was throwing up on Tuesday night, right? Well, She laid around all day Wednesday, then on Friday she was throwing up again. Friday night Caleb started vomiting. Saturday we HAD to go to the grocery, Libby seemed to be a bit better, and I wore Caleb in my homemade meitai, he slept. Gabriel came over to spend the night and watch Shrek the Third.

Of course, about fifteen minutes after I fell asleep the boyus came rushing into my room exclaiming that Abigail was coughing and throwing up. So I got her cleaned up and made a pallet for her beside the bed. I spent the rest of the night flipping the bedside lamp on and holding the bucket for her everytime she woke up. Sometime around 4am Gabriel came in to tell me that Benjamin was throwing up.

So the kids have spent last 48 hours soaking in warm baths, and imbibing gingerale. And Jeremy and I have been rinsing buckets and refilling glasses. And of course I've done seventy gazillion loads of laundry as well. But I think my favorite part has been all the requests for momma to "rock" them and sing "rockababytreetop" (that's Caleb-speak).

Under the weather....

I've been making most of our meals "from scratch" lately. You know, fresh veggies, raw meats, etc. It gives you such a feel of accomplishment for the little extra effort. And I've discovered that I make some AWESOME chicken soup.

That sure did come in handy today. I kept the girls home from school; poor Libby was up all night throwing up :(

Both girls have gone on and on about how good my soup is... makes a mommy so proud!

Musings...

So as each of my children grows older, marching through the many stages of childhood, I sit back and contemplate each of them.

Ben is nearing the age of "double digits". He reads, he writes(though he detests it) and he is really very selfsufficient in a lot of ways. But he still likes it when Mom makes his microwave pizza, when Mom brings him his clean clothes to put on for school, sitting in Mom's lap and cuddling close. He also loves his younger siblings. Loves to make them laugh and smile, loves to drive them crazy and delight in their screams. He's is your typical boy, but he is very strong in his Faith. And for that I am so very grateful.

Libby is such a character. She is learning so much, picks up so many things along the way to repeat at the next appropriate time and surprise us with her astute obsevation. But in a way she doesn't have any sense of propriety. "Hello, fat lady!" she will say cheerily. How do you explain to someone why a seven-year-old would say that? "Papaw is too old for hugs." she will say. And then I explain, that you're never too old for hugs. You'd think that she'd remember that, as often as we snuggle on the couch together.

Abigail. One minute she's so grown up, taking care of her sister and little brother, talking about happenings at school, singing a song that she heard in a CareBear movie. The next minute something terribly tragic has happened (oh, the mind of a dramaqueen) and she's needs to be soothed and rocked like a baby while she sucks on those two special fingers for comfort. She's an extreme, she's either extremely happy or extremely upset. There are NO inbetweens for this one.

Caleb is growing so fast I feel that he's shot from baby straight to preschooler, skipping toddler in the process. He's talking a blue streak, beginning to show interest in the potty, and so very helpful when Mommy is doing dishes or laundry. And in spite of his nearness to the big 2 he is still having his milkies about twice a day. I cherish those moments when I can pretend he's still a little baby snuggled up in my arms...until he looks up at me and starts talking about the cat or the horse or his siblings or his piggies.

Which brings me to the situation I'm in right now. I am getting "the fever" again... BAD this time. So far, everyone tries to talk me out of it, or at least postpone trying. I've been mulling it over for the past few months and I really really REALLY want another one... RIGHT NOW! Luckily, it doesn't work that way and so we would have at least 9 months from today to build a bigger house and possibly get a more reliable minivan. So I think that the best thing to do would be to stop using "preventive methods" and let God decide. He's always taken care of me.

Going green...

So I have been trying to incorporate several different factors into my crafting. I find myself trying to be economical, first and foremost, but also environmentally minded as well. Thus the use of thrifted clothes and linens to make into other things, like cloth shopping bags.

As of this week, I will no longer be buying disposable diapers, wipes, or pullups (cue sideways glance in Abigail's direction). Monday, when I finally ran out of disposables, I cut up some of the more worn out of our bath towels, most of which are over 10 years old, and sewed some primitive (possibly even crude) diapers. But hey, they work, right? I also made lots of fleece diaper covers out of an old Finding Nemo blanket. Yesterday, I went to my mom's, queen of thrifting, and she gave me a stack of cloth diapers she'd picked up here and there. She uses them for dust rags and to soak up spills. A lidded trash can from Target (on sale for $3.50) and some tea tree oil and we were in business. I also picked up some vinyl covered training pants for our current bedwetter. I told her they were washable pullups and she hugged them tight!

And although this started as an effort in frugality, it has become slightly expensive... thanks a lot eBay! I can validate my spending though, because even with all the towel diapers I made, and the prefolds from mom, I only have about eighteen diapers. That's just over a day's worth for Mr. TinkleWinkle.

I'm hoping that using cloth will contribute to a speeding training of my little man. But even if it doesn't, I'm actually enjoying using cloth. We'll see how long the enjoyment lasts, right?

By the way, if anyone has any cloth diapering "stuff" that they don't want, you can send it my way ;)

A Lesson in Homonyms

*Stained Glass*

An area pastor tells of his first Sunday in the new parish and presenting the children's message. Seems the sanctuary in the new church had some magnificent stained glass windows, so his message centered on how each of us is called of God to help make up the whole picture of life (the life of the community of the faithful). Like the pictures in the windows, it takes many little panels of glass to make the whole picture.

And then he said, "You see each one of you is a little pane." And then pointing to each child, "You're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And you're a little pane. And..."

It took a few moments before he realized why everyone was laughing so hard.

Behind again...

I suppose getting behind during one of the most busy months of the year is excusible, right?

The girls got American Girl dolls for Christmas. I've been searching for patterns and ideas to clothe these since the outfits cost an INSANE amount of money. Of course the matching outfits for the girls are twice as much, nearly as much as the doll itself. But we did splurge and purchase a few of the outfits to go with "Nicki" since she was a limited edition and a cowgirl to boot! Grandma is going to pass along the doll dresser that her dad made for er when she was 7, and Granny bought antique doll bunk beds. Every night they get their "girls" ready for bed. I think maybe it helps them settle down for the night as well.

The AG catalog arrived in the mail yesterday and the girls have been puring over it together, making mental wishlists for their birthdays... what have I gotten myself into?!!

On the same "I'm insane" lines, I bought Ben a remote control spider for Christmas. He loves it for all the reasons you'd imagine: scaring mommy, scaring his sisters, scaring his little brother, scaring the dogs, scaring the new kitten... do you see a trend developing? Luckily I found it while he was schooling with Grandma and tucked it safely away.

I'll have to come back soon and post photos of all the Christmasy goodness.