Busy Weeks Ahead...and Behind

I'm not sure about you all but my week was super duper busy. And trust me, we did not end easily. I have had lots of things to keep me busy, which I guess is a norm when you have 4 girls and another baby on the way but I feel like the days just start so hectic and end even more so. Yesterday, Friday, was the busiest of the week for me! I usually plan for Fridays to be a bit easier on my schedule but not this one. Let me recap what's been happening here.

This week has been full of many things. Schooling with the girls (an everyday thing), a toddler causing mayhem (also an everyday thing), we also had apples to can (which was held up by a bad stove), a yard to prepare for winter (like picking up all the toys and stripping down all my tomato plants), and, as you may have already read, I am in the midst of an  organizing challenge for my craft space. I am also doing a crochet along which gives me a new part to my surprise creation every week. Oh, and add to this list my wonderful idea for our Halloween costumes.This is just a glimpse of all the things I put on my list everyday, some good and exciting, some stressful and exhausting. Bottom line, I'm filled to the max.

After this week, and especially last night (we fixed the stove and canned all...night...long), my back hurts, my feet hurt, my brain is on overload, the project list seems to be multiplying, and all I really want to do is put my feet up, take a lot of naps, and maybe read or watch some movies or just be creative...really, do anything but work my tail off.

That being said, I am so excited about what we have accomplished! We have a big storm rolling in, which means I am skipping my planned trip to get some of the needed supplies for Halloween, and I'm just going to focus on my family, the things I can do, and resting. Sometimes God sneaks in a few moments that force us to slow down. This seems to be one of those days. Normally, this might drive me crazy but today, I am relishing in what has been accomplished and resting in the fact that I have plenty of things to keep me busy. (I might also be praying we don't lose power so I can watch the Cubs in the first game of the NLCS but I digress.)

I was going to give you a list of all the things I accomplished this week but I realized that this list is more for myself and the most important of things was this: the whole family survived another week of school, activities, and life. We had food to eat every day, I can't even count the number of disastrous mishaps we have narrowly avoided, and we may have managed to clean a few things as well. Did I say the whole family survived another week? Cause this toddler of ours is making the whole family second guess our sanity and ability to be a parent (or sibling).

Bottom line, enjoy today. Enjoy the weekend. Rest. And revel in the lovely chaos of  life. (Also, enjoy a couple of pics of my accomplishments.)

Happy Creating~
Jennifer

Passions and Pennies

As we embark on this new stage of life with the expectation of our new baby coming in a few months, I have been on a mission to get more organized so I can enjoy my passions. Let's be honest. I'm one of those women that has many passions including but not limited to scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing, card making, and lots and lots of other things. So organization is a must...especially in a small space. No, I'm not nesting. I've been working on downsizing, organizing, purging, and whatever else is called for to accomplish this great feat for quite some time now. I would say this all started last year sometime and I have been doing an okay job. But, baby number 5 in roughly 1100 square feet is a challenge when you don't craft. Add that in and it can get overwhelming.

Currently our 4 daughters share a room. This room has just enough space for the 4 beds and clothing. Then our old bedroom is the playroom with guest bed and the smallest of rooms is what we like to call the 'bonus' room. "Bonus" in the sense that we get to store all the fun scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing, and office items in one space instead of out in the living room or bedrooms. Creating this bonus room came on the heels of moving our bedroom out to the garage. It was a wonderful idea that quickly turned crazy. As much as I adore my husband, he often uses my bonus room as a dumping ground for anything he doesn't know what to do with. Let's just say that is a lot of stuff. We are working to change that. 😁

Over the summer while we had our break from school I did some major reorganization of my scrapbook paper. I wasn't quite done but as the school year neared I ran out of time to focus on it. I was desperately trying to do this reorganization on a budget since we are always looking for ways to cut back. I bought a few new things but not too much but ended up getting stalled after a time. Then a friend of mine suggested I get involved with Totally Tiffany's Get Organized Challenge. It had me intrigued. It is a free 8 week course on totally reorganizing your craft space to make everything more accessible. I was optimistic that this could be the final push I needed. So, I plugged in last week, watched the video, and to my joy found that her techniques were right on the track I was already doing! What?! How amazing to find a group that encourages us to get things ready to go. But, does this push you to use their specific organization tools and supplies? Nope! Tiffany does share the products she uses at the end of each course but she does it in that way so that if you don't want them or don't need them, you can just turn it off. Wow...I am hooked. She shares tips on everything from how and why to organize in specific ways to purging... and all in great detail. Each week focuses on a specific area of organization. For that geeky organizer in me, well, let's just I am STOKED!!! Haha. So, I am full fledge in this movement. It is week 2 but you can join in at any time and I highly encourage you to do so. These techniques are just was the crafter in all of us needs in order to be able to craft with joy instead of stress and guilt (I should be cleaning,  I can't find my table, maybe I should burn this room down, ya know, that kind of stress). Once completed we can finally enjoy the freedom to craft when we want instead of the dread of looking for things...like the floor. 😳 Click on over to the link I included and get involved! Remember, it's totally free and gives fabulous tips. You don't have to do the whole thing but even just glean tips for future use. Plus, it's always fun to have others invested in the journey with you. In the meantime, enjoy these horrific pictures of my messy scrapbooking space...here's hoping I can find just the balance and space to really enjoy this room in the near future.

I'll keep you updated on my progress. You let me know if you join the group!

Happy Creations~
Jennifer

My Messy, Crazy, Exhausting Life: Learning to let go of perfection

Wow. Well, it has been a super duper long time since I've posted anything on this blog. Not that the thoughts haven't been there, penned, recorded, photographed...I just haven't gotten it all down yet. To be perfectly frank, I'm tired. As summer is in full swing and the kids are playing non stop I keep seeing all the things I need to be getting done. Yes, maybe some of this mindset is coming from the urgency of the baby coming in December but I feel caught up in the rush to have a clean(er) house-let's face it, my house always needs work, to be a more playful, fun mom, a better planned/organized mom. In the midst of knowing that all of that is just my own insecurities shining through, I still find the struggle to be real, pressing, stifling.

I have long struggled with the appearance of having it all together and I pray continually to overcome that. I grew up in a home where everything was always picked up and put away every day, and the house was cleaned every Saturday from top to bottom. My sister would spend what seemed like hours getting her bed made so perfectly that there wasn't a single wrinkle in it (and I did love to run in and jump on her bed after that perfection was reached-that didn't go over too well). I was the ONLY person in that house that had a messy room. My closets weren't organized, my shoes were thrown together, my drawers were stuffed full, my bed was always unmade, and my floor was always a tripping hazard. Don't get me wrong. I love all things organization. I like having a place for everything, I just don't always get it back there. When I put a book away it didn't just go on the bookshelf. The entire bookshelf was reorganized by author name, size, color...whatever. Trust me, I still work to overcome these instincts. With 4 kids and another on the way I have learned to become the person who just gets it put away and, if there is time later, we re-organize the bookshelf/toy bin/closet. But my family comes from a long line of perfectionists and I wasn't one of them.

My older girls playing outside creating their own messes.

I am a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of gal. I don't feel the need to know the gender of my baby ahead of time, I like the surprise and figure there will be plenty of time to figure out clothing. I generally plan a trip and then we kind of wing the details. I set up our homeschool lessons but we don't always start at the exact same time. Sometimes I just wake up and we throw some stuff in the car and hit the road for the day, or weekend. I love spontaneity and I really enjoy the go-with-the-flow mentality. This doesn't mean I don't plan, it just means the plans are always lose. Very few things are completely restricted. This makes the family I grew up with absolutely crazy. Thankfully my husband is similar in this mentality so we don't butt heads too often. In fact, I am more detail oriented than he...and that's saying something!

I get exhausted just thinking of visitors. I worry what they will think of the house. Is it clean enough? I may have a cleaner house than I have had in months but all I see are the things I didn't get to. Not the things that are done. I'm very good at saying, "if you want to visit me, come whenever you want. If you want to visit my house, make an appointment." I'm very good at saying those things and generally I mean it but I also have a part of me that cringes at the thought of people truly seeing my messy house for what it is. My messy house that reflects our messy lives. Our fun-filled, stress-filled, over-packed, just a touch on the insane lives. I always worry what people leave thinking. What comments will I receive? Will my guests be uncomfortable? And I stress that our tiny, messy house will be judged. We have MAYBE 1200 sq feet of living space and a whole lot of family inside it. All. The. Time. That equates to a big mess. I suspect, however, that were I given more space it would be a mess too because that's just who I am.

My youngest brought her bike inside all on her own and rode it straight into the living room. I had literally just cleaned or there wouldn't have been room for her. Most of my pictures of the kids inside have some kind of mess around them, I guess I caught one with a clean background! Woot woot!

I am striving to be better. I am striving to be more disciplined but I will never put cleaning above all else. I just can't do it. And I'm okay with that...most days. I know that one day my house will be clean all the time. It will be quiet. I will have time for lots of reading, lots of crafting, lots of time...and I will truly miss this crazy, messy life I am currently living. In the meantime, I will do what I can to get through my days without feeling too much guilt. I will try to value my time with my kids and wishfully watch my friends take vacations to exotic locations while I am...cleaning. But, I will know that I was very blessed to be given such a life filled with 4 beautiful daughters and another coming addition, a truly loving husband and wonderful father, an interesting slew of animals, and a very often messy house. I will take a break from the worry, allow myself to relax, and just enjoy my life...messy, chaotic, unorganized, and...amazing. I know I'm not alone...I pray I'm not alone. Who's with me? Let's agree to quit wearing ourselves out and just enjoy life.

Here's hoping for more from me in the future!

Happy Creations~
Jennifer

Encouragement Through Disappointment

The last few days have been a bit of a roller coaster for me. Things and hearts have been broken. Mine is among them. I'll bet you didn't know that, did you?

Some of that is just part of the everyday of raising children but the pile up of unexpected disappointment can get overwhelming for anyone. And I am definitely being counted in that number. I can deal with most everything life throws at me. Most of us are pretty resilient when life throws hurdles in our way. But we may not always feel like it. We may not always want to put a smile on, pull up our boot straps, and march forward. Sometimes, things get the better of us.

In the last few weeks I have been struck by the loneliness. It has taken me a bit off guard. My husband travels for work and TH is season has been especially grueling when it comes to his being gone. I usually handle it in stride but with all the downpour of crud it is a little harder. I love and adore my children but, try as they might, they cannot provide the companionship that my better half provides. The daytime is always easier but the night is when one becomes abundantly clear that the buck stops at you. I honestly don't know how single parents do it! I have such respect for any parent who has to go it alone.

I find that when I'm at my loneliest I search for connection. I am on Facebook longer, Pinterest longer, I text a little more. I am reaching out for a connection to someone else. And guess what...so is everyone else!

The thing is, pain and sadness have a funny way of making someone feel alone, like they are on the outside looking in. Sometimes Facebook makes me feel worse. Like when I see my friends conversing with one another and I wonder why I haven't been included. At times I am emotional and irrational, I worry what others think, thay I hurt their feelings, that I said something wrong, that I looked the wrong way.. In the light of day, after the storm has passed, I know that those thoughts are silly but not everyone can do that. Does that mean that every post or every conversation has to be carefully planned so that everyone is included? No. That would be exhausting!! That would be impossible. But that is why, in this age of technology and everything at our fingertips we should be even more aware of how little we personally reach out to someone. I like to see that funny video but I LOVE personally getting a text or even (gasp) a phone call.

But this isn't about me...not really because what I've realized in this stage in life is this: you never know what is going on in a persons life. I, for instance, have the personality that looks at things matter of factly. I certainly can't change my husband being gone, and I can't fix every problem immediately so I put on that smile, I pull up those boot straps, and I march forward. I do that because I realize that sitting in my house crying or whining doesn't make me feel any better. Don't get me wrong, I do those things. I just try not to do them for too long. I know that the longer I sit in that state the worse it is for me. So, I smile at my friends, I reach out to anyone who seems to be struggling, I help a stranger out. It makes me feel better for doing it. It makes me realize how small my issues might be.

I am a people watcher, an analyzer. Sometimes I am blinded by my own issues but I try to see what is going on behind the eyes. And I want that in return. So here is what I suggest when you are struggling: write out the sadness, call a friend, find a funny video, watch a sad movie, but move. Move forward. And when you are not sad (or even when you are), send a friend a text just to say hi (because maybe telling someone what is going on is too much).Tell someone how much you appreciate them (because you never know who needs to hear it). Smile at the clerk at the store and tell her you like her earnings (the last customer may have really been hard on her). Pay for someone's coffee (because they might be having a horrible day and you just tipped the scale-in the right direction). Really listen to what someone is saying (no one may have listened to them for quite some time). Don't instantly chastise someone for snapping (it's possible they were up all night with a sick child). Basically, always forgive, always love, and always look for the best in people (I work on this every day).

Above all, remember not to judge what someone is struggling with. One persons struggle is not another's. The same thing that breaks one person may only cause someone else to stumble-or maybe not even notice it at all. Likewise, remember that just because someone is used to going through something doesn't mean they are totally fine with it. Take my husband traveling for instance. Just because he's gone a lot doesn't mean I don't feel lost or sad when he leaves. So I encourage you to reach out, whether you are the one in pain or you are having that perfect shiny day. Ask how someone is and then wait to hear the real answer. Because I can guarantee you that almost everyone is going through something.

Girls, Gum, and Hair

Yeah. You read that right. I've got a little lady that decided to submerge some gum in her hair. It was especially upsetting because this is the very same girl that decided grabbing a pair of scissors and cutting extremely close to her head was a fun thing to do. Eek!! It took nearly two years to get all her hair back to the same length. She was completely short for a while, then we started to let it grow a little bit longer and once we got it to a certain length we just trimmed all the rest while that previously cut hair slowly caught up. It was very sad for me because she was the only one born with a full head of hair and the only one who had beautiful long hair at a young age. Maybe she takes it for granted but this child can and will cause havoc, especially when it comes to her hair. (Did I mention she cut her hair twice before she finally learned her lesson?! Sigh...she's a stubborn one.) 

Anyway, tonight was just another night in what I can only imagine will be a long line of hair troubles for this one. 

So this is how it all started. Cecilia was playing with her sisters with a mouth full of bubble gum. I suggested that she spit it out. She thought that didn't sound like fun. Let me clarify that I didn't tell her she had to. I actually just said she might find it smarter to get rid of the gum. In hindsight, I should have told her and not given her the choice but...

So anyway, she didn't get the gum stuck in her hair while running around with her sisters. Rather, she managed to get it all stuck in her hair in about 15 seconds while sitting on the couch. Yes, sitting on the couch is quite wild what with all the...I don't know...sitting...still...and calmly. However it was accomplished, the deed was done. 

I just put my hands over my face and said, "I can't do this!" In a near sob. Then I pulled myself together and said I would NOT cut her hair and I would put the effort in to getting it out. So...I started the preparation while dad worked on getting all the rest of the gum off her hands. It was EVERYWHERE!!

I have tried a few methods over the years (I do have two older daughters after all) but found that peanut butter or ice didn't really work. So here is what to do if you find yourself in a similar predicament. 

(Don't be fooled by that sweet look, she's a trouble maker.) 

So. I started by gently pulling away any hair that wasn't already entangled and put it up. We don't want to add to that clump if at all possible. 

To keep her clothes from getting oily and creating more work for myself I just grabbed a rag and put it over her shoulder. Then I got a small bowl and poured a decent amount of olive oil in it. I knew I needed to get the area pretty covered and thought it would be easier to dip that chunk in and let it set for a minute rather than trying another method. I also kept my hands a little cleaner...at least for a while. Lol 

The next step is to just dunk the hair and gum in the bowl of olive oil. Let it set for a minute. You want that oil to work its way through. 

The next step is to just gently start pulling away the hair and the gum. I also had a paper towel that I put the gum on after removal. If you feel a lot of resistance from the hair, it's not quite ready to come out. Soak in oil some more and try again. I was very surprised at how easily I was able to get the gum removed. After getting some of the bigger chunks of hair out I decided to start pulling out the gum and it came out pretty easily. 

After getting all I could see (or at least reasonably pull out) I used a fine toothed comb to work out the rest of the sticky pieces. You know, those little black combs that we used to get with every school picture we had taken. Those horrible, unrealistic combs that only people with short, fine, hair use? Or men? Yep. It actually has a use now! They are super cheap at the stores. I would suggest you buy a few and keep them around for different uses. Anyway, after combing through her hair several times (and after working through some of the knots in her hair) all the gum was successfully removed! This is what was taken from her hair. 

There is a bit of hair that comes out with it but it is waaaay better than cutting it out. And honestly, some of the hair is from knots in her hair, not just the gum. 

That's it. All done. And all this took me only about 5-10 minutes. Not too bad!

So next time you start to see clumps of hair stuck in a strange colored mass don't fear. You don't need to envision either bald spots or large amounts of time wasted. Just be liberal in the oil and you will have it all out in no time. 

Good luck parents. If this hasn't happened to you yet, it will. And if it doesn't? NO FAIR!!!

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

Happy Birthday!!

So it's a little late in the day for some of us but...I'm finally posting a web based Happy Birthday to my little princess! I cannot believe that it was 6 years ago that you came into this world and surprised us by being all girl! We were so expecting to have a boy. Imagine our surprise and joy at having another daughter for us and a sister for your big sis. You were absolutely or groups at birth and have only gotten more so as you have grown. 

You lead with emotions which can be a struggle at times but can also be the most blessed of ways to see the world. We cannot imagine a single day without your smile and your love. 

You definitely are a princess that is full of grace and love, more so than even than Cinderella. We love you and hope you have a fabulous birthday! You certainly deserve it. 

Busy, Buddies, and Bruises

We have had such fun being so busy with our dear friends from Michigan. They are off visiting with other friends but we are so excited to have them back in a few days. It was such a joy to see our kiddos playing together. And Little Miss Princess has found a new bff in their little girl. And their little girl has a huge love for Little G. 

Little G is turning one in less time than I'd like to admit. And she was having quite the rough week. I think she has a teething problem and has struggled to be her normal happy self. I am hoping that pain is ending soon and we can have our little girl back but in the meantime she was getting lots of love from our guests...including her "one day husband" who is just a month or so younger. These two wee ones have their ups and downs but so do my husband and I so I figured that's normal. Wink wink...

Little Miss Princess just loved getting to rule the coop a bit and have a friend around that just adores her. Even though big sis has still been 'encouraging' everyone in proper play etiquette it seems Little Miss was the girl to be. That has made her chest stick out a little further and she has been such a happy girl. You just can't beat seeing that. 

After our friends left today we had a rough night including Little Miss getting her finger stuck in the door and pulling it out!! Ouch!!! She came in screaming with blood pouring out her poor teeny finger! I sprang into action supermom style and managed to heal what once was broken (spirit wise), but she will be feeling the physical pain of that one for a while. Sigh...I felt awful since I was the one that asked she shut the door to the van. Even though it is something she has done a hundred times without incident I will probably be holding off on that request for a long time to come. A little medicine and some tlc made the evening settle into a calm. I'm praying for lots of healing throughout the night. 

As far as LMPs upcoming birthday and gift? Well, we'll have to take a reprieve from the updates since I may have to come up with a plan b (on both the gift and the party), but I need to get back to it so in the meantime, 

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

(PS-there will be pics to come but today...just words)

1 Row Forward...3 Rows Back

Sometimes in new projects there is a little give and take. This is the case with this project...sigh...

This is going to be completely epic when it's done...maybe not for everyone out there but for me, to complete this project in a short time, is totally impressive. I hope Little Miss Princess appreciates it cause it is not without its downsides. 

All was going well and I was making steady progress but had to take a night off. When I got back to it 2 nights ago I noticed after one row that my numbers weren't looking quite right. Just on one side and I scoured and scoured the piece but didn't see any errors. So, knowing I was tired, I decided to set it aside. I reviewed it again last night and again could not find any errors so I pressed on...that was my first mistake. After completing just a row and a half I finally found the error. 

See how that lavender is sticking on top of the black row? Yeah...that's not supposed to be that way. Somewhere along the way I added too many of something, but I'm not sure what yet.

Do you see that trio of black? Yeah, that's not supposed to be there either. So...My best solution at this point is to take out the rows and do it again. Yes...that stinks but the image is off and if I continue going it will make the whole image wonky. So...I am writing this to avoid taking out all that hard work! 

Well it had to be done so I took all the work out (three rows plus an extra because of an accidental issue during the process-insert sigh here) and redid the rows. I'm so glad I did. The graphgan looks a lot better and there are no issues to deal with. Well...there is one I saw but it is pretty far back and is something I can cover up so I'm not redoing that far back. 

At any rate, I guess that's crafting. Sometimes you get through the whole thing without a hitch, other times you make a mistake but just cover it or turn it into part of the design, and then there's times like these where you have to pull it all out and try again. Hey, it could have been worse. I could have had to start over. 

More updates on my project soon. 

Happy Creations~

Jennifer 

Fun, Friends, and Graphgans

Today has been a fabulous day! Church, followed by a cat nap, a few errands with a friend, and a visit with some friends from out of town. It does not get better than this. Seeing new babies and having our kids play together is completely epic. The last time we were together was years ago. That. Is. Crazy!! Here's a pic of the kids 4 years ago and today. The time has really flown. How wonderful to have this time together! We can't wait for our sleepover!!

Then:

Now:

Now that the excitement has settled down and the girls are all in bed resting peacefully, I have time to work in the graphgan. Here's my current progress and the mess I'm creating doing it.

(And yes, those are all attached to the current graphgan so it can be quite a mess!) I have a small goal tonight of about 4 rows. Fingers crossed. 

Happy Crafting~

Jennifer 

A bit behind

Holy cow people! I can't believe how far behind I got on posting!!! To be honest, I've been busy with tons of things, the graphgan is just one of them. But, I am determined to make up for my lost time since I know my following is huge and you are all wondering what in the world happened. So...let's start with little Miss Princess.  

This is one of my favorite pics of these two girls. This is Big Sis and Little Miss in 2012. Can you believe either one of them was ever this small? Such cutie pa-tooties!!! 

Here is one of Cecilia just because she was so stinking adorable in this pic. 

These were taken at my friends house during Easter that year. What fun we had!

I am planning on posting a few more things later today but in the meantime, here's a little gem of my littlest Princess. I can't believe I am going to have a 1 year old on my hands in just a few mere weeks. Where has the time gone?!

This adorable picture is from April this year. She has a whole head full of teeth now! But those brief moments when she had just a few teeth were fun. I just love little kids with only a few teeth in their heads. They look soooo adorable!!

In other news...I'm still plugging away at the graphgan and have high hopes for a completed one in time for Little Miss Princesses birthday. Wish me luck. And in the meantime,

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

Blast from the past

It's hard to believe our Little Miss Princess will be 6 at the end of the month. Here's a little glimpse into our lives about 6 years ago. Big sis was soooo in love with her and still enjoys to pick on her a bit. Not much to say about this one other than...I'm still so in love with both of these girls. LMP was about 1 month here and big sis was 2 and a half.

Crafting Graphgans

As you all know by now, or should if you are following this blog at all, my Little Miss Princess is turning 6 at the end of the month. You may have also determined that I like my crafts. I would venture to say I love my crafts. So for Little Miss Princesses birthday I have decided to try a new craft I have only recently found out about but have become obsessed with trying. I have searched and searched for the right pattern to use, and trust me. This was no easy feat for my very particular princess and while I didn't find what I wanted initially, I believe I have hit the jackpot on the image I did find. Nothing but the best for my girl on her big day. It's going to be epic...as long as there are no issues. 

The problem is, I am hoping to create a c2c (corner to corner) Graphgan-and I have never done this before. Now, c2c afghans are nothing new, although they are new to me. But the c2c Graphgan is kind of up and coming, or at least it seems to me it is. What you do is find a graphed image, anything will work from peeler patterns to cross stitch patterns. I did look for and through many different images but finally chose one to purchase on etsy. The biggest problem with the image was it was a little too tall and not wide enough. Because of the image I was able to cut some off the top and just add some columns to the sides this making it approximately what I want...well hopefully. There was definitely some work to get the columns on the side-I had to do this by hand...it took a little time. Those boxes were super small!!

But alas, I did finish the boring part and finally...finally got to starting this thing. I'm excited and nervous all at once. Lots of "new" for a project I should have done in just a few weeks all while keeping it secret. I'm not gonna lie, the big projects are challenging for me and a quick timeline is either going to make me or break me. So, let's get our fingers crossed and the bedtimes steady cause mamma's got some work to do...after hours. 

Here we go!!

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

Rowing and Riding

So I have to admit something...I forgot to post yesterday. Well, I didn't totally forget but we had Uncle JT visiting for just a brief layover (he's a pilot) and we haven't seen him for a while so our time was filled with that. After dropping him back at the airport on Saturday we did a couple of fun errands, headed home, and played. We had such a full day I did not have time to write. So today...we are getting a double dose of Little Miss Princess.

So...to start our day we slept in a little bit since Daddy and Uncle JT were up late with a late arrival in town. Then we quickly packed up and headed to a little spot on the water. We had sooo much fun. Uncle JT made all the girls' day by taking each one out on the kayak and letting them paddle. I'm so impressed with all the girls' ability to take control of the kayak. They probably do better than me!! (Of course, you probably guessed I mean the three older girls and not the wee one because seriously...Little G is only 11 months! And if you really thought Little G was out there rowing the kayak you must either believe that we have a child prodigy who belongs in the record books or you are just plain crazy. -hehehe-)

So anyway, the three older girls did so well out there on the river but I found myself totally surprised at Little Miss's clear talent. She just loves all things water and this was another joy for her. I can't believe how grown up she is getting!! What a cutie!!

Then to top off an awesome day already, Little Miss Orincess started to check off another thing from her list. Learning to ride a two wheeler!! She is still practicing but she is getting there. A few more days and she'll be rockin' and rollin' (pun intended). Check her out!! 

And yes, she was wearing a softball helmet for part of the time because she couldn't find her bike helmet and she's crafty like that...she must take after her mother!! (Wait...that could be a bad thing.) 

So today's post is a double whammy with LMP just rockin' that growing up thing. What next, driving? Seriously...slow down already!!!

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

Shoelaces and Bunny Ears

Today, Little Miss Princess learned to tie her shoelaces!

But, let's rewind. 

LMP is on the move when it comes to growing up. She can't wait to "catch up" with her big sis in every way, even age (and yes, I've tried to convince her that she will love being the younger sis one day but for now that's no fun). 

Well, I noticed that her shoes were wearing out. And by "I noticed" I mean that Little Miss bugged me and bugged me and bugged me until I finally looked at  the shoes that were "falling apart". Let's just say they really were. Oops. Bad mom moment but if that's the worst I do I think we're good. Let's face it...that won't be the worst. But back to the point at hand. 

Her shoes were falling apart. I mean parts of the shoe weren't even connected any longer and toes were coming out of holes  that were more prevalent than mice going through Swiss cheese. So...after a few busy weeks we finally decided to look for some shoes for her. It was on a whim and I'm happy to say that we found some awesome looking shoes for an even more awesome price (under $8)!! The one downside? They were tie shoes. Hmmm...well that's not much of a downside in my eyes. I told her it was time she learned to tie shoes cause I wasn't looking around for a different pair that had Velcro. 

And obviously...there's no time like the present!

So we bought those and today in the car her big sister showed her a couple of tricks and after only a couple tries...she had it down!!! Yay!! (I miss being the one to show her how but love that her big sister is so sweet to do so.)

Thank you bunny ears! Woot woot!!! What a lucky family we are to have such a sweet, determined little girl. I just love her to pieces!! 

Tie own shoelaces...check. Bring it on 6!!!

Independence and Accessories

We went to the zoo earlier in the week. Actually we went to the zoo years ago when baby number one was still the one and only, but that isn't the point here. The reason for this post is twofold. One, I am posting every day a little something about Little Miss Princess before she turns 6. And two, I am making a tutorial as well. See. I can multi-post. (I think I just made up a new word here!! --squeal-- New words are awesome and I'm so good at creating them.)

Anyway, I was at the zoo....and on our way out waaaaay long ago we went through the gift shop-as they want you to. I found perhaps the coolest thing in the world. A lion water bottle holder that carries the bottle like a purse. Cue lights from above. See, in my mind this meant no more whining about needing a drink and stopping to grab it from the stroller or being stuck carrying it around. What?!?!! How had I not thought of that before!!??! I mean, seriously!! So of course I bought it. 

Let's jump ahead about 6 years or so and about 3 kids later and you will see that this is all coming together...finally. I have often thought since that time that I should have bought about 50 of those guys. The one we have is sought after, fought over, lost, found, dirtied, and cleaned and I still have never found another one. Really?!?!! 

Well, you know what they say. If you can't find it, make it! (Does no one say that? Well I do. And I do a LOT-just ask my husband.) So a few years ago I searched and found some ideas for crocheting one. I never did. That night I decided I would. It took me a few days to complete because I have 4 kids and about a million other things to do and the only time I get to crafts is usually when the girls are all asleep. In reality this only takes a few hours start to finish...especialy if you don't add anything to it. Alas, I couldn't just leave it empty so I decided to add a bow.  Here is th finished product.. (Sorry about the horrible photography. I was frantically trying to get the kids into bed with a fussy baby in my arms...but you get the point.)

Now, there are no real instructions for me to write out for you since I am using a free pattern I found on line. The major difference is that I chose to add some bling to it for my girls' individual personalities. But it is still super cute without those too.

I chose to basically follow the instructions from Little House in Colorado. Here is the link to her Crochet Water Bottle  I did make just a few adjustments. The strap was the perfect width but I hate working with chain stitches so I went ahead and did a SCFC (single crochet foundation chain). This has been a lifesaver for me. I can't imagine doing foundation rows any other way since I started this a few years ago. The other change I made was to shorten the length of the strap because I was making it for my littles. I ended up making a few different lengths and finally settled on 110 SC. However, now that it is complete and I see it on Little Miss Princess it seems too long. Well, only when there is a water bottle in it. LOL  I think the next one I make I will probably go to 90 or 100 SC.

For the bow, I was going to work up a pattern I've used before but I found this one and thought it was the perfect bow to add for Little Miss Princess. I found the pattern here: Crochet Bow
I did make a few changes to the pattern in the attempt to not have to weave in any ends but it actually made it more complicated. If I were to do it again, I would follow her pattern exactly. The instructions are pretty easy to follow.

So now that you've seen the finished product you might be asking, How does this fit in with Little Miss Princess? Well, it's that she loves loves loves an accessory. She takes anything that will go on her shoulder, in her hair, on her wrist, or around her neck. And this water bottle holder was no exception. She's been wearing it around with nothing in it. She did comment that she could now carry my water bottle for me! We'll see. I am going to start a few more to make the other girls happy as well. No more whining...or fighting...well for the water bottle holder at least. For now...

Any questions, just let me know. In the meantime...

Happy Creations!

Jennifer

Little Miss as a Little Baby

I'm not sure if Little Miss Princess was just more calm or we were or it was a combination of the two but things seemed a bit easier when we welcomed our second little lady to the crew. Well, the first few weeks were rough but that had nothing to do with LMP and that is another story for another day. 

We simply could not believe this little baby was another girl. We just didn't think it was possible to have more than one girl in our family (4 girls in we are still shocked). This sweet picture is of Daddy and LMP at just one month old. Daddy and baby catching some zzz's. For some reason I always manage to get a lot of pics of that...just a random thought, take that where you may. :)

Oh to have this little girl in my arms again. She doesn't fit quite so well anymore! It is almost unbelievable that nearly 6 years has gone by. Such a sweet moment!

Happy Creations~

Jennifer

Happy Girls and Homeschool

As Little Miss Princess nears her big 6th bday, I find myself wondering where in the world the time has gone. We were out today picking up some of those last minute homeschool items to start our school year and I realize I'm in complete awe that my LMP is going to be in 1st grade!!! Wow...the time has flown.

About three years ago a friend of mine took our family pics when we were visiting our hometown. This was just one of the amazing pics that she got. (Go visit Tara Diver Photography on Facebook to see some of her other amazing work.)

At that time, I couldn't have even imagined that we would be here teaching not one, not two, but three of our beautiful girls this year! I mean, wow. But having the privilege of being home every single day with these 4 beauties is more than any mom could ask for. There are moments I want to run from it all but then I get to see this amazing smile and I'm so glad to be present for al the good and the bad. My darling husband and I have been called to teach our kids ourselves and while that is not always an easy task it is the most rewarding thing anyone can ask for. And LMP is a challenge at times but she also makes learning so fun! She is always so happy when that light bulb clicks on. I tell ya, it's a sight to see.

So now that I have the majority of the books needed for homeschooling my girls this year, I get to enjoy the last precious weeks of summer, watching my girls play, and smile, and laugh, and grow (in the midst of finishing up the lesson planning). What a wonderful life we lead.

Fancy

Little Miss Princess is quite the fancy girl. She loves all things beautiful; pretty dresses, painted nails or Jamberry wraps, and anything hair related. Today I was using my awesome Jamberry Ruby nail polish and she just had to have hers painted as well. So, LMP and her big sis both got their nails prettied up. This is just one in a long list of examples that shows how much she loves the pretty princess stuff. 

She's also the very first one on the mud and dirt. She's also usually the first one to freak out over something small. She's a dichotomy. Go figure. 😀

A Little Late

Oops...I am a little late getting this post out tonight. I made a commitment to post something about Little Miss Princess every day until her sixth bday...I think I'm getting off to a rough start. In my defense it has been a long day. Anyway...

This is from just a few days ago while camping at Trillium Lake. What a fun time we had. The water was chilly but the day was hot so the combo was perfect. LMP was a fish as usual. She loves the water just like her daddy. Too bad he wasn't able to be with us. I love how much alike they are and yet how totally individual this little gem of a girl is. I couldn't be more excited to see what she will one day become. But for now...I mean seriously...how adorable is this little lady?! I could just squeeze her!!! Oh wait...I do. And that makes me so lucky. 😀

Out with the Old

In with the...6!

So, wow. Does anyone else just feel like summer is flying by about as fast as a jet plane? I sure do. We have truly been making every moment count. It started with our family creating a summer bucket list and the littles have been having such a fun time trying to hit all the big things on the list. For instance, one of our items was going camping 3 times this summer. We just got back from our 2nd trip but this time it was just me, the girls, and our pooch. This was a little crazy and I couldn't have done it without my sister and her mom. But...I digress.

What exactly do I mean by "in with the 6"? Well...it's August 1st, y'all. That means it's the first day of the month my 2nd daughter was born! So, in honor of her I will be counting down the days with pics and/or stories of my darling daughter. Little Miss Princess is turning 6!!! What?!?!

And not to negate her upcoming birthday but her littlest sis will be turning 1!!!! Double What?!?!?!?! So partway through the month I'll be adding in a few little what-nots about her too since her big day is coming up early in September.

For our first little walk down memory lane I present to you, Little Miss Princess just a couple years ago. I can't believe how much she's grown since then...