Getting Ready

Yikes! Thanksgiving is next week and Christmas is about a month away....

My mom, dad, and sister will be celebrating Thanksgiving with us. I tried to have everyone over last year and it proved to be disastrous. (My brother and I still aren't talking.) My parents will provide the fixings. We have ham and turkey every year to keep everyone happy. I'm going to talk my mom into letting us buy the ham so we can keep the leftovers. My mom always tries to sneak new dishes and variations in, but I try to keep that at a minimum. Everyone likes our food traditions and every year we try to make her see that she should experiment some other time. I'll make an apple pie for M. The kids like pumpkin, although I hear I might be searching for pumpkin?

The kids have their Christmas lists made. M's bonus is iffy this year--not because he hasn't worked his butt off for one. It's just a sign of the times. We always seem to make it work. The kids know how things are, though. My M has already been out shopping. I hope she reigns it in. I don't want her or me to feel the wrath of my dad.

I'm glad it's Saturday. I'm going to look forward to them even more since I have to work Fridays now. I loved my Fridays. It was my ME day. I could stay up late on Thursday. I could take the kids to school in my jammies if I wanted to. I ran errands or sewed. I'm going to have to cram everything into the weekends now. The extra money will be nice, though, and the thought of not having to fight the opinion of B-Man #2 that I'm not needed.

My agenda for the day is to get the housework done. My mom is going to come over to our house to watch the kids for me since they're off the entire week for fall break. She'll want a clean kitchen to make cookies with the kids. I've got laundry coming out of my ears, but that's nothing new. I wonder how much I can pay someone to clean my bathroom? It's SO nasty!!

I'm also going to try to fit some sewing in. I think M ordered the cake fabric for me to day. I'm too scared to pester him about it. I emailed Elizabeth about her block. I have some ideas, but I wonder what she'll come up with? Depending how much loose change I find today cleaning, I may be able to sneak out for a new FQ for a third lantern. Here's the first:


Japanese Lantern, 4"

It's not done. I will add a tassel or beading for the tassel and the hanging element. This is my inspiration:



I talked about suring CafePress for ideas. I love this shirt for La Tua Cantante:



I saved the block from the first quilt and I will remove the appliqued portion of the block, discarding the part I remade. I'll applique the above art onto white (?) and insert it into the old block.

I've also decided that I must represent Romeo and Juliet. If you've seen the movie and Rob's recitation you will know why I am so taken.

May be something like this and the quote?



I was hoping to see New Moon again on Sunday with the family when Z gets back from camping. M used some type of rewards to order $5 tix so we have to wait until they come by mail (?!?). I'm hoping they get here and we can go on Friday. He gave me $10 the other night to buy snacks for my friend and I since she got my ticket. I didn't use it so I gave it back. Darn it! I could have been sneaky and used it to see the movie again. I can't tell you how thrilled I am with the movie. I hardly have any complaints. It's such a wonderful adaptation of the book. I can't wait to see it again. I think I'll break my Twilight record for New Moon.

What Could Have Been

Congratulations!

Congratulations!

The New Moon Quilt was auctioned for $850. All proceeds benefit ALSF.



One of the charity coordinators for the Utah New Moon Event had the winning bid. It has been reported that the auction raised $1900.

Purposeful Quilting

I've never been one to quilt just because. I usually have a person in mind when I make a quilt. I've never made a quilt for myself. Poor M doesn't even have one, but all my kids have at least one and my side of the family have at least one of my quilts.

I'm so happy to have a quilt with a purpose again.

I'm in the middle of chronicling my involvement from start to finish with the Coven, but I'm finally losing interest. It has been therapeutic seeing how things exactly played out, chucking over people's personalities/dynamics and my reaction to them, and crying over the loss of my interest in the group. I'm hoping that finishing the quilt will be my final step.

I gave up on my idea of appliqueing the lanterns. I simply don't have the patience. I modified a pattern into a paper piecing pattern and so I'm back in my comfort zone. I'm going to use real tassels. I'm not happy with one of my fabrics, so I'll need to find another.

I'm hoping to get M to order the cake fabric this weekend. I've got the birthday "scene" drafted out. I don't want the quilt to be dominated by a huge birthday cake no matter how pretty it is. It will combine elements from the movie and the book.

New Moon Quilt Winner

Bear with me folks.....

I can't figure out how to properly post the "picture" of the random number generator I used with the results. (I may or may not ever be able to figure it out, but my time is really limited since I'm at work.) I didn't want anyone to think I was finking out so I'm just going to say who won and you're just going to have to trust me.



This is the widget I used.

It's not like I had that many takers, but I really appreciate and respect those that stopped by the blog and left a comment on the entry.

Dianne was assigned #1. Melissa was assigned #2. Elizabeth/Sissy was assigned #3.

(I should have just drawn names out of a hat, huh?!)

Drumroll please..................


ELIZABETH #3 WINS!!!!!!!

I had best get busy. I have to say, I am a little bit more inspired since seeing the movie in the wee hours of the morning. More about THAT later....

New Moon Bound

I got talked into a midnight showing of New Moon. No, it wasn't difficult. I'm trying to not feel the least bit guilty for going without my family.

I'm trying to stay awake. Sleeping has become a habit of late. I may have to make some coffee before I leave. I'm sure I'll perk up as soon as I step out into the cold air and definitely no worries once the movie starts.

I know I'm going to love this movie!!!!

French Fries

French Fries

What could I possibly have to say about french fries?

Another busy evening at my household. Z and M are at a Boy Scout function. M came home with just enough time to grab us $1 Menu dinner at BK's. I was fine with that because it beat the grill cheese or scrambled eggs and toast I had to offer. I opted out.

He didn't get enough french fries. He ate more than his share according to C so she helped herself to some of A's which set him off the deep end with me to make amends.

Yes, I had to spend my last $1 on more french fries for A or suffer through the evening of tears and recriminations.

Why, Oh, Why?!

A, Oh...A

I don't feel like many people really know me all that well. How could you really? You only know me from my blog, our convos online, and may be a brief meeting or two in person. I totally understand why people get the wrong impression of me.

One person recently put told me that she thinks I struggle like everyone else does. True. I've been told I'm a good quilter. Debatable. In the same breath, I've been told I'm a questionable person who has a tendency to make some really poor decisions. Yes.

I do struggle. I don't cope well at all. My first reaction is to get my back up. I usually see the negatives. This isn't new. I've always been this way. Because I feel so out of control in so many areas of my life, my persona is one of unhappiness, procrastination, and control in any area that I can try to affect the outcome. I do become singleminded and forget other peoples' feelings.

I'm incredibly overwhelmed by my life and have been for a long time. I know I'm not special. I've got a husband who works a lot. I've got four kids who all have had issues or still do. We've experienced major upheaval as we changed school districts at the start of this year. My parents have poor health. I work. We have financial concerns. My house has major issues. blah, blah, blah....

One of the sources of stress and concern in my life is my youngest son.

M and I took A to the doctor this morning for another check-up. I've written previously about A's Encopresis. He's never been successfully trained to use the toliet for bowel movements. I've been concerned, stressed, and embarrassed by his condition for a long time as he's now 6 1/2 years old. I can't believe I've let it go on this long.

Like so many other things in my life I put my head in the sand and hoped/prayed he would outgrow the condition or just miraculously wake up one day and poop in the potty. I've researched and received advice from many different people, including the doctor. I knew the issue would be particularly heightened because he would be in school all day.

When I took him to the doctor for his regular check-up in August, I raised the issue again. I was given a nice handout with some instructions. He hasn't made any progress since then. He's had accidents in school. We had a meeting with his teacher, the visiting nurse practioner, and school psychologist. He's on a bathroom schedule at school and at home.

At today's doctor's appointment, I made sure M was in attendance. The doctor examined him again and A does have some impaction. He is holding. We have to address the physical indications of his condition first before we address the behavorial.

So, guess what I'll be doing this weekend? Yay......enemas!!!! My mom has already warned me about how messy it's going to be. She's also warned me to get ready for the battle with A, especially after the first one. We'll go back to the doctor in a week or so (delayed because of the holiday).

I'm not making light of this. I do want A to feel better and to be able to go to the bathroom like he should.

This is just one more trial of motherhood, right?