Christmas Time

I'm finally done with Christmas presents! I am not a last minute shopper, but I do like to make some of the gifts I give - which usually means I'm finishing up something last-minute. This year it was a crocheted, stuffed frog for my son. I just finished it tonight around 10 pm. This whole idea came about because I wanted to try my hand at making a crochet stuffed animal, and asked my daughter what she'd want. We settled on a giraffe, and I wanted to purchase eyes at the craft store to use instead of embroidering. While there we came across "frog eyes" - googly eyes with a green background and Eli was in love! He immediately decided he wanted a frog, so I obliged. However, its been weeks since this happened, and I'm pretty sure he's forgotten all about it. I have a sinking feeling that he'll take one look at the frog I spent around 8 hours working on and say, "Cool eyes!" and promptly move on to the gifts that have batteries. The truth is, though, that I really wanted to make the frog because I love my son. I wanted to make something for him. And no matter whether or not he appreciates it, I know the love and care that went in to that gooly-eyed little frog! That's the cool part to me. In all seriousness, that's a lot like what God did for us when Jesus was born as a baby. He knew that not everyone would appreciate the gift they were given, but he did it out of love for the people he created. His joy is in knowing that some will see the love of the Giver through the Gift that was given.

Merry Christmas - may you know the Love of the Giver this year!

My (re)new(ed) hobby

So I finally picked up my yarn, dusted off my knitting needles and crochet hooks and got back in to the one hobby I think I've ever really had besides reading! I have been a winter "fiber hobbiest" for about 3 years now, but its never been something I've taken seriously. I got into it mostly when I started making things in preparation for my unborn daughter (something happens to a woman when she realizes she's going to have a baby girl - I don't care how much a tomboy you are, you start looking at pink frilly dresses with tears in your eyes, imagining the possibilities!) Well in October, Matt and I took a weekend away to Cincinatti and I discovered a book at Borders called The Crochet Stitch Bible. In it were hundreds of beautiful color photographs of crochet stitches. Immediately I was I was "hooked". On the way home, we stopped at a specialty yarn store that I would never dream of taking my kids to.... rows and rows and shelves and shelves of beautiful mass-produced and hand-spun yarns in all the colors of the rainbow just asking to be plucked down and flung around the room by curious toddler hands! Anyway, I ended up buying some bright pink fine mohair. I think I spent $16 on the purchase, more than all of the yarn I'd bought in the past, but I figured it was all part of our getaway fund. Armed with my lucious yarn and my new inspiration I created the softest, prettiest scarf I've ever made and did a second one in knit.

Later, I started talking to a friend about my hobby, and she suggested I consider selling items on Etsy.com, a craft-selling website extraordinaire. After checking it out and what's selling there, I figured, maybe I could do it. I also joined a crochet forum to get tips, ideas, and encouragement. Since then I've been re-organizing my supplies and yarn stash, cataloguing my current inventory of FO's (finished objects), and starting to brainstorm about my own new creations. Most of the things I've made in the past were from someone else's pattern, which you can't usually sell. If you're more interested in what's going on int his area for me, check out my other blog. I will be updating it frequently with what I'm working on.

So, I'm hoping with an actual hobby and something to keep my mind occupied during "downtime" with the kids, that my relationship with them will seem less stifling, and more of an opportunity to pour into them - knowing there's something I enjoy doing patiently waiting for me to pick it up and finish a row!

Its been a long time baby

Ok, so I haven't posted since Nov of '05. To be honest, I didn't really plan on ever coming back to this. For a long time I just didn't think I had anything to say anymore. Who wants to hear the ramblings of a stay-at-home-mom. Then I came to the realization.... who cares? If I feel like its "postworthy", then I should just go for it! My days are now filled with endless pre-schoolers questions (and some days the painful crying of my teething nephew) and I need an escape. A place to go to express my thoughts and feelings to an adult audience. So if you're reading, thanks for joining me, and if not... well I guess I'm talking to myself ;) But that's ok, I'm a verbal processer anyway!

"lib-bicycle"

Its so cute hearing little kids talk, especially when they're just learning. Eli and Matt have been going to the library after dinner every once in a while to play "com-poo-goo games" on their computers and look for free movies. Last night Matt went out with some friends and Eli was trying to guess where he was going. He couldn't remember the word for library, so he asked if Matt was going to the "lib-bicycle".

ahhhhh......

I never thought that grocery shopping alone could seem like a vacation. No one yelling at me for snacks, or crying because they're tired of the pumpkin seat... what joy there is in a little bit of silence! Although, it was a little bit crazy going shopping 3 days before Thanksgiving.

Mama's Girl

There is something secretly satisfying about the fact that my daughter doesn't want anyone else but me right now. Although it means that time away from her can be difficult for her babysitter whenever we go out, I find some satisfaction in being the only one who really makes her happy! As I'm writing this I can hear her cute little babbling over the monitor. I guess my free time is over!

"Pay daddy dive"

"Hev Fadoo, pay dive home daddy geen caw."

Translation: "Heavenly Father, I pray that you would keep my daddy safe as he drives home in his green car."

I almost cried when I overheard my 21 month old son praying for his daddy. Normally, around 5 pm we sit down in the big blue chair in our living room and pray for Matt as he's driving home. We pray that God would keep him safe, and that we would be in a good mood when he gets home. But today Eli was praying all by himself. I didn't prompt him to say it, he wasn't just repeating what I say every day, he was really praying!

Although I don't know what he really knows about who God is, he's starting to get an idea... how exciting!

Intro

As soon as I decided to stay home with my kids, I caught myself qualifying my life. When asked what I do, I would say to people, "I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I was in grad-school when I got pregnant." As if staying home wasn't a good enough answer; I had to find my significance in my past. One day I finally realized that I have the best job on the planet, and no amount of pay could ever replace the joy I receive from my two beautiful children! Ok, so its not always rosy, but what job is? This blog is a record of my joys (and struggles) as a mom at home.