September is about to have a whole new meaning to our family and we can hardly wait! I think my face in that picture is excitement and sheer nervousness, which pretty much sums up everything I am feeling right now. We will be stepping into new territory folks and we are scared as heck, but quite giddy about all of it too!
So far some good things that have arrived are some of my new sponsors, so check them out at the side and some good things going on through some of my lingering sponsors. Pomp & Pride is having a giveaway here and Ms. Tips is having a fantastic 30% off back-to-school sale. I love the feeling of this new month and coming new season.
Also, I am sure you have all noticed the new layout (I hope you like it) and just in case I do start mentioning when I feel this baby a-comin’, you better hop on board and follow my twitter here. And really friends, thanks for always coming along for the ride (when I am good and bad)!
Meet Dr. AnnaLynn and see the teeny tiny us in the right corner…
Our HypnoBirthing classes officially ended and they were all done through skype. Technology can be such a wonderful thing! Last class we watched some more amazing birth videos, did some last wrap ups, talked about more scripts to use and did an amazing practice session. The last practice was an interesting one and I don’t want to divulge too much just in case some of you decide to take the class (I haven’t gone through birth yet, but all I can tell you is good things thus far). I feel prepared and ready and have very positive feelings about the impending birth. If you have any questions regarding HypnoBirthing, I would pick up the book or even give Dr. AnnaLynn a call (or email) wherever you are because remember all our sessions were done entirely online.
Overall, the classes have taught me skills to be able to bring my entire body into complete relaxation, yet still have my mind completely in control and alert. It really is such an astounding feeling. Now, game time is coming up and I keep visualizing how it will all play out, in a positive way of course.
Time is dwindling down and the birth seems so far to me, though I know it is actually closer than it is far. I probably look like I could pop at any minute and sometimes I feel like it too! I still have to get the hospital bag ready and a few other loose ends to tie up until I think I am officially ready. I really can’t believe it is almost time, whenever that time is! September is here and that means baby is coming… eeks!
The girls are ready and get super excited about the baby. Well, Soul doesn’t really know what’s going on and I think she is going to be in for a shocker when baby comes home. Other than that we are chugging on through with school, house stuff, and just life. Though I must say that today was a lot harder than most. The girls were easily and exceedingly disgruntled and I wasn’t the best mama. Today was one of those days that I feel like I just failed miserably at parenting and training my children. If I were given a grade for today, I would have gotten a big fat F! Man oh man. I wish I could get a do over.
Actually a funny thing, kinda not really, was that I took away some toys from the girls as a consequence for their disobedience. The result is that they drew me on their chalkboard with a big fat X over me. Really! They said I wasn’t being nice. I went back to take a picture to blog it of course (it was too funny not to share), but then they had already erased it. I had to talk with them about the choices they made that led to their toys getting taken away. They stated they knew it was their fault and so I told them they should draw an x on them too and then I did it. Really mature Ruby! See I told you, today I get a big fat F and would probably have made it onto the fail blog. Tomorrow’s post on the fail blog should be my picture. No joke.
I am glad my God is gracious to forgive someone as foolish as me (I am so foolish) and that tomorrow morning his mercies are brand new. I am also thankful that my children also have very forgiving hearts. Tomorrow will be a better day, at least I will pray it is…
Nope. I didn’t go into labor, just in case you were thinking that due to my absence. We just got busy prepping to send True to school for the first time. Yikes!
Yes, I know. She only goes one day a week, but still it is a nerve wracking one day a week. I mean there are more germs at school, I can’t monitor her hand washing, and not to mention school bathrooms (Yes, I have a big public restroom phobia!), and the fact we are trusting complete strangers! I was drilling and prepping her on what to do in the bathroom and if anyone ever makes her feel uncomfortable and just kept reassuring her that she can always tell me and her Papi anything. Dang. It is scary being a parent! I need to pray more.
Glad to report that today was a success! Prayers answered. We all went to drop her off. Ben was the one to escort her to the playground, while the other girls and I stayed back. We didn’t want to call too much attention to us just in case it made her more anxious and nervous. As soon as True and Ben were out of sight, Brave started crying saying she was missing True, then I started crying, and as soon as Ben was headed back towards us I could see his eyes weren’t very far from joining our teary ones. I know. I know. One day a week… still, it ain’t easy.
It was a bit calmer of a day with just Brave and Soul. We even went to the mall! We went home had lunch, put Soul to nap, Brave and I cuddled a bit, then I took care of some things and next thing you knew it was time to pick True up. We were all very excited! Though the most excited of all was True when we did finally get her. She got in the car and was ranting and raving about what she calls feater (theatre) class, her spanish class, and drawing fishes in art class. And then her friends… she went on and on about her new friends and how they played and how she wasn’t shy! Praise Lord Jesus! If you have ever met True, she is superly duperly shy! So the fact she loved school and wants to go 5 days a week (yes, she said that) and enjoyed making friends makes us so happy. It was such a good day today that we ended the day taking them to eat pizza and games at Chuck E. Cheese. Rides for a quarter?! Who can beat that?!! Seriously.
I know we started homeschool last week, but finally sending her off to school one day a week makes everything feel slightly more official. Our little girl is growing up!
It is still super hot over here, but summer is coming to an end quickly. One of the best blessings of this summer has been the ability to share life with some of our friends. Ben has had such a busy work schedule from the moment he graduated from grad school 5 years ago that he has always worked two or three jobs, so that I could stay home (I love that man!). Granted, one of them he was able to work from home, but after a full day of work, he would have to come home and work some more. It is/was pretty stressful.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining because we are so grateful he has a job, but because of it we haven’t been able to make time for other things. So when did have free time, it would be family time, but this past summer God has enabled it where Ben didn’t have to stress about work as much and we were able to include some “sharing life” time with other people. It has been something we have been wanting to do, not necessarily praying diligently for, but God has really worked things out quite nicely.
Ben has started meeting regularly with some fellow believing men, which has turned into some ladies coming along too and we all have dinner together and then break off into our groups and just dig into each others lives and the sharing of God’s word. It has been really so good. The summer is ending and baby is coming, so there will be a slight shift in the “sharing life” schedule, but I really hope it doesn’t change and that it will somehow continue.
One night there was a taco dinner…
Another night a pasta dinner…
And another night a sushi dinner…
There were some other types in between too.
Ben is reading A Meal with Jesus (okay, he just started, read the first chapter, and that was enough to convict him),
Ben and I got some nice quiet time in, the girls had a nice time at their Grammie and Grumpy’s and I even got to make my BFF an A-frame tent (with a little twist from the original directions) for her classroom. Plus, we got to gather with our church family. These things make for a good weekend.
I have a large growing pile of fabric scraps. I refuse to throw them away because I am sure they can be used for something. I have been seeing different types of interesting necklaces made of buttons, beads, and fabric. Then, I figured why not make one out of my scraps...
I think it made my white shirt a little less boring. This was so quick and easy to make.
How to make a recycled scraps necklace (which is very similar to the straps on my braided tablecloth bag):
1. Take your scrap fabric, I cut a .5''-1'' snip and tear the rest of the fabric down for a nice frayed edge. Used 3 different fabrics for each strand.
2. Take 3 of the torn pieces and tie the ends together with a rubber band.
3. Braid the 3 pieces together and tie ends together with rubber band when done.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for more strands. Remember you can make the strands any length you want, if run out of fabric, just weave more into the braid.
5. Once all the strands you want are braided, gather one end of each strand together and straight stitch together with sewing machine. Repeat for the other ends of the strands. Snip off any excess.
6. Gather ends of the necklace and sew together (snip excess) or a ribbon can be sewn at the ends to be able to tie the necklace closed, but I just sewed both ends together.
7. Voila! A nice way to make use of all your lovely scraps.
Sorry if the directions get you a little lost, but it really is easy. I promise. Maybe I should put some in the shop. Please share any other good ideas you may have of things that can be made with scraps. I would love to hear (read) them!
