Almost the weekend woohoo!

Well, much to my surprise I'm really liking Vista! I had heard so much about it being buggy that I was really nervous. Aside from it being slower than XP I really think it has a lot more to offer. Or maybe I just haven't found the bugs yet.... I am also loving having 2G of RAM. My old laptop had 512mb and a lot of my programs run SO much smoother. Can't blame my poor old laptop though, my picture files are so huge and I usually take about 700ish a month (!!!) so I need more memory.

Speaking of pictures, take a peek at my new favorite pic of Natey.

BTW the url on that picture is not active yet.

Isn't he just a dollface? I could just eat him for breakfast.

Anyway, more later, Craig wants to discuss bills, always fun!

A good day

So I broke down and bought a new laptop today. I just couldn't deal with it anymore, plus when I go on photo shoots I NEED a laptop, sooo. I got a Toshiba Satellite. It's really quite purdy. Unfortunately now I"m having to learn Vista.

I wanted a Mac, but I simply can't spring the bucks for one just yet, soon maybe.

Today was Shay's birthday. We had fun. She got to pick out her birthday presents since I really just had no clue what to get her and she decided that she wanted to get a build a bear. So the tan puppy Angel with the pink sneakers and outfit is the newest member of the family. She also got a bunch of candy from the candy store in the mall.

The kids' appts today went well. Nate is up to 21 lbs finally! The doc was quite impressed with his jump in weight. He's now 30 inches tall. He's doing great. We talked about him getting the fire shits everytime he drinks juice and she said that unfortunately the only solution is to not give him juice until he's a little older and his system gets tougher, to just get his fruits into him in the original form.

Shaylin lucked out and didn't get back x-rays today!!!!! The doc said that on visual inspection the curve really didn't seem to have progressed much in the last year, so she'd rather not subject her to the x-rays if it was ok with us. Since they take a lot of pictures for scoliosis and Shay will need a lot of them in the coming years she'd rather just not subject her to the radiation now if it's not really needed. We were ok with that, we trust her judgement.

Uh oh, gotta go to a friends house, her family was just evacuated, something may be on fire!

Another week down

So, Nate has now spent three nights in his own bed, in his own room. And the last 2 of those nights he has slept completely through the night for the first time EVER! Woohoo! This is just what we all needed. I'm finally getting some good sleep too.

As much as I loved co-sleeping there comes a time when it's time for them to gain a little independance, and for mom and dad to gain a little privacy....... er.... sleep.

Monday is Shay and Nate's appts, but it's also Shay's 8th birthday! I cannot beleive she's going to be 8 already. She's really excited because 8 is the magic age the state of Wisconsin says she no longer needs to be in a booster seat in the car. She's looking forward to sitting in the regular seatbelt. I'm probably the only person in this little town that abides by this law, as I see many kids every day much younger than Shay not in booster seats, so she's ready to join her friends as a graduate of Graco.

Speaking of birthdays, the idea of school starting is really seeming to stress Jacksen out. We've seen a drastic increase in his sensory issues the past couple of weeks which has lately lead to baths sometimes 3 times a day to wash off imaginary bugs crawling on him. Poor guy. I'm trying to keep my patience with it all and see it for what it is, but it's trying sometimes. No one can prepare you for a child with these issues and once you think you get it, it changes and you are back to square one. I'm not sure what his issue with school is, he did SO well last year. But just last night he told me he doesn't want to go to schol... *sigh*. He has one of the best teachers this year, I hope he gives it a chance.

Austin is at his dads for 2 weeks. He wasn't thrilled about it but decided that the mature thing to do would be to honor his obligations. I hope things go well for him. Even though he's 14 two week visits still really are hard for him. Maybe things will improve there and it won't be so difficult next summer. I certainly hope so, for all involved.

What else.... Did you ever notice how the people who claim not to be dramatic are usually the most dramatic? Just an observation. Same is true for the people who act like they don't care what people think, they seem to be the ones who thrive on outward appearance and what other people expect, and end up so materialistic and fake you can't figure out who they really are. What a crazy world we live in. This isn't coming from anywhere in particular, just thought I'd share my perception of the world for the day.

Anyway. We decided today to try to get our chevy venture on the road again. Yeah right. We are 97% certain at this point that the head is cracked due to it's inability to regulate temperature, surprisingly empty radiator, and draining out 8 quarts (EIGHT!!!) of oil that looked like mud. Joy. Honestly I think I'd just as soon part it out than anything. Not like it's big enough for my family anymore anyway.

Update on the family front

I've been posting about everything else under the sun, maybe you want things a bit more personal for once..... or maybe you don't really give a crap, but that's tough now isn't it.

So last night we went to the drive-in theater to see the new Batman movie and Journey to the center of the earth. Half the crew was asleep before the end of the first movie so we moved inside the truck (had been sitting in lawn chairs in front) so they could be more comfy for the second movie, not to mention the skeeters were chewing us alive.

Wouldn't you know it, 10 minutes to the end of the second movie, which I really LIKED mind you, the bulb breaks on the projector and we are told it cannot be fixed tonight and are sent on our way. Bummer! They said we could use our tickets to get in free any night this week but I didn't like the first movie well enough to watch it again, since I don't really get into those kind of movies anyway, so it's a bit silly to arrive at the theater at midnight to watch the second one. Looks like we'll be adding it to netflix to finish it.

So we got home at 1:30am and Nate won't go back to sleep. It's play time! So we were up til 4:30 and I had a client meeting this morning at 10, an hours drive away. Nice. Needless to say I've been a bit out of it today.

Today we moved Nate's crib into Jacksen's room finally! My husband and I have our own bedroom again after a year and a half! Woohooo! Now I can lay down there and watch tv at night again, or hey.... maybe even go to the bathroom without worrying the sound of the flush is going to wake him. Mind you he's only across the hall, but still. He's in his own room!!!!!

Tonight I got an interesting phone call. It was a personal invitation for Hailey to come to the Barbizon modeling interviews this weekend, I guess they are looking for girls her age in our area and have invited a select few to interview for it, or whatever they call it. We'll check it out, I'm sure they'll want money out of me......

Off to watch Americas got Talent and Baby Borrowers while I knit.... yeah I'm old.

Prayer request

Please say a prayer for little Nate. He's been through a lot in his few short months here and is now fighting another battle for his life.

http://mamahen15.blogspot.com/

Hold strong, mama....

Extended rear facing

You know what they say. Your baby should remain rear facing in the car until age 1 AND 20 lbs. Not OR, AND.

But you may not know that your child is by FAR safer riding backward in the car for many years after your pediatrician says you can turn him around. In fact, the longer you can keep your child rear facing in the car, the better his chances of survival are.

A child's head is 25% of their body size. That's a big ole head! Think about what happens when you go bowling. You swing the ball back, then forward and let it go. But what happens if you don't let it go? The strain on your wrist, arm, and the jerk forward of your whole body is quite impressive. Now imagine that bowling ball is your head, and in a crash your head is thrown forward pulling on a spine that is still very immature, as the human spine isn't fully supported until well into the pre-teen years. This motion can easily cause death from internal decapitation, or paralysis.

When a child faces backward the seat absorbs the blow of the crash, disbursing the force all over the child's back and head so that the force is very much reduced. It's much like if you put a pot on your head and hit the pot with the hammer, you can feel the blow of the hammer, but not all in one spot. The force radiates down the pot and your head is left intact.

Many people feel a child will be uncomfortable if turned backwards. The truth is, a child who has never been turned forward will not really notice the difference. They grow slowly so they become accustomed to their legs being bent and will rarely complain. If you watch your child sit on the floor and play, you will notice that children naturally sit with their legs bent at the knee anyway.

Keep your children rear facing as long as your carseat allows and they will be 4 times less likely to die in a crash than a child who is facing forward.

Observations

I'm a tad judgemental. News flash right? Well, I don't like to think of it as being judgemental, rather very observant. Ok, judgemental. And while I do beleive God judges us in the end and all that jazz, I also beleive that being judged here on earth, to some degree anyway, keeps us, as a whole, walking somewhat of a straight line. I mean just imagine if there were absolutely no judgement here on earth? No rules, no regulations, no one telling you what's right or wrong. Basically defunct idiots running the streets doing very bad things to one another. Because let's face it, babies really aren't born with empathy, sympathy, or a sense of right and wrong, they have to learn it.

So, having said that There are some things I have a problem with. A lot of things actually, depending on when you ask me. I'm kind of flippy like that.

Right now i'm being bugged by nannies. Most of you already know how much I detest daycare, so it really ought to be no surprise I'd have a problem with nannies. It seems to me the people who have nannies tend to look at their children like every other aspect of their lives, nothing more than a trophy to be displayed when the time is right, and shoved back into the closet when it's over. Now, it would be against the law to shove children in the closet (for any extended period of time anyway) so instead we hire nannies. People to come and live in our home and tend to our brood, keep them prim and proper and entertained until the next social gathering in which our beloved trophies must again be showboated for all to see.

People I cannot imagine going through 18 hours of labor, an episiotomy the size of the grand canyon, and engorgement to have someone else do the job of raising them. It's my job, i've got the stretch marks to prove it.

Now I know those of you with nannies are right now saying "but my nanny doesn't RAISE my child, I do!" Really? Then why do you need a nanny at all, I ask? Because it doesn't make sense to me. So you can get housework done? Why not hire a maid instead, they are cheaper. Why would anyone want to give up such an important and rewarding job for mundane ones? I don't get it.

Another large family I despise

Warning- Parts of this post may offend those who may be neurotic, dramatic, selfish, or impatient. The rest of you, please keep reading.


Ok, so I don't despise the Duggar's, just read this post... I do have a few nice things to say.

But I do absolutely despise another large family in the public eye. Many of my large family friends seem to adore the cast of Jon and Kate plus 8 which airs almost constantly on TLC. I must be cut of a different cloth because honestly, to hear Kate's voice shrilling out of my tv speakers if I happen to have been watching something entertaining on TLC (which is a rarity, as the entire channel is full of crap generally) and forgot to turn the channel in time makes me want to stick hot pokers in my eardrums.

Now I have watched a few episodes. When it first aired those adorable kids made me want to like them, and again when other large familie moms would talk about the show, I really wanted to like them. I tried.

But I can't.

And it turns out I'm not the only one either. Check out this blog which is apparently written by the sister of a sister in law of the Gosselin's. And then there's this blog which is slightly annoying in it's detailed recaps of epidsodes, but redeems itself with the hilarious and accurate comments.

As I said, I wanted to like the show. I wanted to like this mother who was a bit of a kindred spirit. I myself can be slightly OCD, after all.

What I noticed the first time I watched the show is that Kate didn't seem to enjoy her children whatsoever. She was constantly annoyed by everything they did. Her behavior struck me as that of the toddlers she was chasing around, temper tantruming every time the need arose.

The children are quite ill behaved. But that's not surprising. No one reprimands their mother for her tantrums and they learn from her. Being dramatic is how Kate gets through the day, drawing the attention to herself when she feels too much is being paid to the kids. The kids have then learned to get attention in the same way.

It also surprised me how little patience Kate has for ANYTHING. Every other large family momma I have ever met oozes patience. I figure that's probably a combination of a couple of factors, Kate seems to have been the type who surrounded herself with people who are at her beck and call, princess syndrome as I call it. So she has a very big need for instant gratification. The second factor probably is that since her children were born pretty much at the same time she never LEARNED to be patient with a child.

And then there's Jon. Poor Jon. Everyone feels sorry for Jon. I tell you what, Jon needs to grow some kahunas. No man with an ounce of self respect would allow his wife to talk to him that way, ESPECIALLY in front of his children. Those poor boys are destined to grow up being walked all over themselves unless he steps up and teaches them how to be men. Is it any wonder those children treat each other the way they do? Fight like they do? They have their mother teaching them that it's ok to be nasty to whomever doesn't do your bidding, and their father teaching them that it's ok to be treated badly. So the children lash out instead of dealing with problems like civilized people, and cry like babies when someone lashes out at them.

Then you've got the fact that these parents think it's ok to exploit these children for monetary gain. The parents speak at various churches and venues and tell what is coming to light as outright lies to garner sympathy and cash from people. They sell photos of their children, they pimp their children to any company willing to pay the right price. It's disgusting. There's a difference between going on tv to tell your story and making a living off children who aren't old enough to decide for themselves. Sure, this happens all the time with child actors, but child actors go HOME where there aren't cameras after a days work.

And here's the part I'll get flamed for. Now I'll keep my personal opinions on assisted reproduction as a whole to myself, but I think it's all a bit rediculous that people see these kids as nothing short of amazing. If these sextuplets were a natural act of God It would be a miracle, if this family were blessed with twins and sextuplets through an act of God that would be amazing, and you know..... I would be interested then! But they weren't, they were the product of manipulation. Kate was given the fertility medication clomid and was hyperstimulated. Her doctor hospitalized her and refused to complete the next step, IUI or Intrauterine Insemination because she had many ripe follicles. John and Kate had sex anyway and 5 weeks later she was diagnosed pregnant with 6 live embryos and 1 that hadn't formed. That's not amazing, that's irresponsible.

All in all I cannot bring myself to enjoy any part of this show. I hope those children somehow grow up well adjusted people. Maybe some sponsor will offer Jon some testicles so he can become a man and show his boys how to be men. Maybe someday Kate can let go of some of her mental issues and let her children enjoy life and maybe, just MAYBE enjoy it with them. Or maybe some day the fans of this show will come to their own senses and stop supporting the exploitation of these children, although I fear what would happen if Kate were to parent those children without the eye of the camera on her to keep her in check. *shudder*

Sadly, these are the families that represent other large families. That represent other families with high order multiples.

Little girls

Sometimes our daughters are smarter than we take them for.

The other night watching tv with Hailey, a commercial came on the TV for Gardasil, the "cervical cancer" vaccine (which really "prevents" HPV, a common sexually transmitted disease). When my almost 13 year old daughter scrunches up her nose and says...

"Ugh, why do they want to shoot us up with stuff? Why not teach us about condoms instead? Or, here's an idea........... teach us to respect ourselves and not have sex!.... Sure, that stupid shot prevents HPV, but does it prevent HIV? or BABIES? NO, it just makes us think that if we get this shot we won't get cancer and die... so teenagers just think it's ok to have sex and not use condoms or anything because we are supposedly protected!"

After which she gets up, stomps to the kitchen and gets some chocolate, with me watching with my jaw hanging off my face. After a few minutes she comes back and says "sorry, I just get so MAD that they think teenagers are so DUMB".

All I could say was....... wow. Which made both of us crack up laughing. And no, my daughters will not be getting Gardasil, in case you were wondering;)

Momma, am I crooked?

Time is getting closer and closer. Shay and Nate's dr appt. Shay will have x-rays of her spine again and we will find out what her rate of progression is. Shay has jeuvenile thoracic scoliosis.

Most people know someone who has scoliosis. Some of us have it ourselves. We all remember bending over in phys ed while the school nurse looked and our backs. We remember that child that got pulled off to the side afterwords with a note to bring home to her mother. No big deal, right?

It depends. Some people are born with scoliosis or develop it before age 3. Infantile scoliosis. Those children generally outgrow it and are fine. Some children are diagnosed as teenagers. Those children generally end up with small spinal curves and go on to lead normal lives. Then there are those in the middle, the children with Jeuvenile scoliosis, these children face a much less favorable fight.

70% of children diagnosed with scoliosis between ages 3 and 10 will have curve progression requiring treatment. Half of those will require wearing a brace for years, half of them will require a very risky spinal surgery or risk heart and lung problems as the bones of the ribs are twisted into the very organs they are meant to protect.

Shaylin was diagnosed at age 6 at which time it was mentioned and the plan was the re-evaluate in a year. At age 7 the pediatrician noticed progression on visual examination and periodic x-rays were required. The problem is.... Shaylin is only beginning her time of rapid growth. Between now and age 13 she will grow immensly in height. This growth will put tremendous strain on a spine that is already bending, very likely causing it to bend more and more. Shaylin will spend her pre-teen years in a brace that goes from her armpits to her waist (under clothing) and may require surgery after she's done growing.

Time will tell if now is the time she gets her brace or if she is given more time. The brace will not fix any curving already done, rather hopefully prevent more severe curving while she grows. As of now her shoulders are visibly uneven, and her hips are becoming so every so slightly. She does not yet have the "hump" in her back that frequents the diagnosis.

It's one of those things that you never know what's right. You have to put faith in the doctors that she will get her brace when the time is right, and that she will be confident enough to deal with the questions and stares as she goes through the years of her life that are so very difficult on their own for a young girl.

So, I'm nervous as the time draws near for this appointment. I pray that her spine hasn't curved much if any this year.

Teenagers aren't that bad

As parents I think half our job is to mold and shape our children, and the other half is to be molded and shaped by them.

Lately I've been amazed at the growth in my 14 year old. This past year, even just this past few months he has grown up before my eyes. He is becoming a man and losing some of his irresponsibility, some of his selfishness. He's struggled in life. Been flip flopped from one parent's house to the next every other weekend. I still remember forcing him into the car and watching them drive off, him kicking and screaming. That killed me and I would drive home sobbing. His wishes have often gone unheard, as he was just a child.

But his wishes were and are just as important as ours. His father and I disagree on things when it comes to parenting him. Of course we do, we couldn't even make our relationship work. He thinks I'm to soft, I think he's too harsh. Often times I probably AM too soft, in an effort to balance the harshness of his ways.

Sometimes I fear he doesn't see Austin, really see him. The child who knows more about history than anyone I know, it amuses me because my father, who Austin has never met was a high school history teacher. The child who has helped his friend off drugs, off alchohol. In doing so he created a reputation for himself. Being judged by the company he kept and that was the risk he took to help his friend. The child who will wear a t-shirt to school that reads "my mom ROCKS" and not think twice, he's THAT confident. Sometimes I think his father misses out on who Austin is, constantly overshadowed by what he's not.

Austin hasn't always been easy to deal with, what with inheriting his fathers goofball nature and eagerness to amuse, even when it means getting himself into trouble. He has inherited some of the very traits that made the relationship with his father impossible. He has behaviors that make his teachers and his parents want to string him up by his earlobes to the flagpole until he comes to his senses.

Every parent teacher conference starts with "Austin is such a spunky boy with that smile that will melt your heart". I actually have to supress a giggle everytime I hear it because I know it will be followed by "but...." Austin struggles immensly in school. I often wondered if he'd ever learn, how he would pursue his passion of going to culinary school if he couldn't pass a class. Austin is the first person I've known to fail phys ed........ It has kept me up nights.

Until this past spring Austin showed me something that renewed my faith in him, calmed my fears, and made me realize that things were going to be ok. This walk with him was a walk that I will sometimes lead, sometimes follow, and sometimes walk beside him.

I had planned to homeschool Austin through the virtual school program. In preparation I had to give Austin an 11 page test, to figure out where his placement would be and what books we would order. I went page by page, making sure Austin understood what to do and leaving him to do it. It was that day I realized that my son is a VERY intelligent child. He had led us all to beleive for so long that he coulnd't and as it turned out he was paying attention all along. Even through the behaviors, the being asked to leave class, the detentions, the suspensions. HE GOT IT. All this time I didn't even think Austin could properly read, then I watched him write a 2,000 word essay with nearly perfect grammar. I thought Austin couldn't do math and then I watched him figure out equations like nobody's business.

It turned out all my son needed was some confidence. All he needed was to show someone, without pressure, that he wasn't an idiot. That he didn't need a "kick in the ass" like his dad mentioned at the last conference. He needed someone to beleive in him and support him. He didn't need me in his face telling him what he was doing wrong, he needed me to allow him the space to figure it out on his own.

It was a wow moment for me and I'm unsure why I hadn't realized it before. Austin learns like I do, his way. To this day I don't do algebra "right", however I'll get the right answer every time. In high school they decided I couldn't do algebra and gave up. In college they tried to teach me the "right way" and then conceded that my way WAS my right way. Austin knows what they are teaching him. Through all the giggling and paper throwing and comments and whatever, he's absorbing everything they are saying and really is unbelievably smart.

So this summer I've been working on supporting him and building his confidence in what he knows, no pressure. Sometimes I sit in awe listening to him tell his siblings about the attack on Pearl Harbor, or talk about the theories on how the moon was formed.

Austin and I have been developing a great relationship. We talk excitedly about his plans to start fresh in 9th grade in the fall in a new school. Public school is the right place for him, I now know that.

He does his chores without being asked and offers to do some of mine. He watches his siblings when I teach prenatal classes on Wednesday nights and refuses to take my money for doing so. He goes grocery shopping with me even though he hates it, because he wants to help. And best of all, he cooks with me... asking questions and itching to learn everything there is to know.

So, John.... I know you think I'm too soft on Austin. I know you think that I should be strict and harsh and demanding on him because that's the correct way to parent. But you know, when Austin tells me that he loves being home because it's calm and no one is yelling and screaming all the time, that tells me that maybe your way isn't really working as well as you think. Maybe your way is only serving to push Austin away.....

Oy

The roof is done, the roof is DONE! About frickin time! Poor Craig is just absolutely drained spending all his time off work on that roof then working a full week on top of it. Then to top it off he lost a cook this week and 2 more gave notice. Nice! Now we just hold our breath that it's done to the insurance company's liking.

We had some icky weather a few nights ago and amid all the chaos (I had 5 of my kids plus 2 friends spending the night plus my friend with her 6 kids and hubby over) my laptop screen got demolished. Oh well, at least I can hook it up to the pc monitor and still use it. Just means I have to cram everything I do online into the time when (if) Nate naps since the computer room is downstairs. I'll make it work.

We bought a new truck. My mom's boyfriend sold us his '89 Chevy 3/4 ton for dirt cheap. It has less than 100,000 miles on it. We didn't really need another vehicle but Craig has always wanted a truck and for all the crap we do it will be nice not to have to borrow a truck from someone all the time to haul this or that. It will also be nice not to have to pull trailers and such with my Suburban, we already had to replace the transfer case on that last year and I really hope we'll get another 5-8 years out of that truck. So it will be good. And hey, it's a vehicle NOT owned by the bank so it's a good step in the direction of our debt free goal. The Suburban will be paid off in no time and then the only debt we'll have is the car and the house! How awesome.

I did it

Last year a place opened near here called Faith's Lodge. It's a vacation spot for families with seriousely ill children or children who have died. I have finally filled out the application to go, just have to get the kids' doctor to sign the refferal form when we go on the 28th. So, a little prayer that we get accepted if you can spare! It would be great for the kids..... it would be great for all of us. We deserve a vacation where we don't have to worry about the cost of it I think. I'm not telling the kids until I know if we are accepted.. wouldn't want to dissapoint them.

A hard day's work

Craig and Dan replacing the shingles on our roof, Tuesday.


















Notice my hubby, scared of heights.... with the rope anchoring him securely to the chimney! Hehe

Shay's parade pics!

As the parade starts they do a fly over





































Here come Miss Photogenic and the winner of Best Dress in the 5 and 6 year old category!





























Nice Ride!




























Gosh, lookit all that candy....

Ok, next time they throw candy, RUN!

Go!!!!!

Who says princesses can't fight for candy in the street too?

Jackpot!

Love ya sista!

A close up of Shay's hair

How to make rag ringlets

As promised, a tutorial on how to make rag ringlets. Thank you sooo much to my fellow LF momma who told me about this! The girls love it.

Start by washing and LIGHTLY conditioning the hair. I'm just going to assume you all do this on a regular basis and do not need step by step pictorial instructions on this part. I'm also going to go way out on a limb and assume that you will be able to cut strips of fabric (old bedsheets work great) about 2 inches wide and about twice as long as the hair you'll be working with (you can trim later). Cut about 15, you may or may not use them all.

After you towel dry the hair, work some mousse or styling gel through it. I prefer Redken (my one non-frugal indulgence) but whatever you have will work. This step is very important especially when working with fine children's hair, without it your curls won't stay very long.

Then you'll need to decide how big or small you want your ringlets. The less hair you wrap in each rag, the tighter and smaller the curl will be.... keep in mind that although teenie tight ringlets are adorable, the more you have to wrap the longer this is all going to take. If you are working on a child, bigger is better because I guarantee you they will start complaining after about 36 seconds of sitting.

You can section the hair off and clip it if it makes you feel better, but I never do. Just try to make sure your sections each contain roughly the same amount of hair so your ringlets are the same size.

Lay your rag over the child's head with the halfway point of the rag at the part of the section of hair closest to the scalp.

Then begin wrapping the hair around the rag, spiraling from top to bottom. You will have some rag left at the end. Try not to twist the hair.

Once the hair is all wrapped around the rag you will be wrapping the other half of the rag down the hair from root to tip, around the hair. Make sure you wrap this part tight so your rags don't fall out in the night.

When you get to the end, tie the 2 ends of the rag in a knot. You might end up tying the last bit of hair in the knot, that's ok. You can now snip off the ends of the rag if you wish.

Repeat around the head and viola! A raggamuffin.

Notice I kept her natural part for a more natural look in the morning

In the morning carefully untie and unwrap each curl being careful not to pull the rag out. Spritz on a tiny bit of hairspray for a finishing hold. Then you can either leave the ringlets like this, Nellie Olson style or gently separate them with your fingers for poofy curls. Never, ever, use a brush or comb to separate the curls or you'll end up with frizz like no other.

Enjoy! If you try this I'd love to see pics! Feel free to share this tutorial on your blogs, message boards by posting a link to this post.

Another quickie

Nate's appt went well. His cataract has not grown but his vision in that eye is less than optimal. He is quite nearsighted in it. They don't want to remove the lens and put him through all that risk since the cataract itself is so small so they will see us again in 8 months where they will likely put him in glasses. They want to hold off a bit because I guess it's a lot easier to put a 2 year old in glasses than a 1 year old. I dunno, Austin was in glasses at 4 and it was quite a pita then... I'm releived.

I'm leaving in 15 minutes to drive 5 hours round trip to take Nate to the pediatric ophthamologist for his annual cataract check up. Please pray today that it hasn't grown and that he doesn't need the lens removed. Pray that his vision is good in that eye.

Also pray for my dear husband today. He's afraid of heights and will be on the roof of our 2 story house today shingling. yeeeek.

In other news, went out and got drunker than a skunk last night with some friends and Craig for my birthday (29 with 3 years experience) . It was a great time but I'm feeling it this morning......... almost puked taking my shot of mouthwash hehe!

Just in case

The rag ringlets post is coming, sorry! Someone hit the cable line in my neighborhood and never reported it which led to use not having tv, net, or phone for over 24 hours! I realized in that short 24 hours that I am NOT up to living as simply as I thought I was, because I felt so unbeleivably cut off from the world it made me want to cry...... well, not quite. But close.
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How many times have you said to yourself "Dagnabbit! I wish I could seduce one of those hot polygamist sect men that already have 4 wives, including my sister, but I just don't have a dress made out of a table cloth!"

Well ladies, a special treat for you. You can now, of have your VERY OWN tablecloth made dress. Sure to attract a slew of creepy old men who marry their first cousins! All for the bargain price of $48.07!

But wait, there's more! You can also, thanks to the wonderful women who put blood sweat and tears into these dresses purchase one for you, and one for your barely teenage daughter! Bring on those grandbabies/cousins/neices! Available in a variety of feminine colors such as Aqua, Peach, Lavender, and Lilac in a Poly/cotton blend. (Note: Colors subject to change pending availability of colors on the dollar Walmart fabric rack or clearance tablecloths at Goodwill)

And for the boys in your life, whom you strive to raise to be great little sexual predators just like daddy, there's the licensed FLDS overalls, trousers, and standard blue button up shirt that can also double as a prison uniform later! Talk about frugality. And for those cold days when the walk to the cult church is long, get yourself a pair of fashionable long underwear!

And coming soon to the FLDS dress website near you.... Hairstyling tips, A book: The easy way to make Tater Tot Hotdish for 20, and a 30 minute documentary on VHS entitiled "How to pimp out your daughter in 3 easy steps". (ok I made some of it up, sue me)

Things that make you go awwww

I am fortunate enough that although I live on town, the woods behind us allow us to get some nature in our little lot. It's very common to see bunnies and even deer in our backyard. But my favorite critter friends are all the birds that make their homes in the trees and bushes in my yard. A couple years back one of the kids made a bird house at school and we hung it up and they got to witness the life process from nest to eggs to hatchlings to flying babies by peering into that little hole in the birdhouse every day. It was quite an experience. The momma bird got so use to use peering in there she wasn't even bothered by it after a while, and I'm sure she was ever so grateful the day the wind blew the birdhouse down and we ever so gently picked up each egg and placed it back in the nest (It's a myth that birds won't return to the eggs if you leave your scent btw).

On monday my husband was tending to the yard and I was, well, sitting here doing nothing when he comes in and tells me there's a baby bird on the trampoline. Our trampoline is surrounded by a net to keep the children from ending up in wheelchairs (or try anyway) and the baby wasn't able to fly. I went out there and we tried to figure out what to do, we didn't want to interfere with nature but the poor thing was visibly upset and so were it's parents who kept swooping down from the nearby tree.

We decided to save the baby bird, wonderpets style. (or not lol but the song from that show kept going over and over in my head... "there's an animal in twuble, there's an animal in twuble!")

Much to our surprise the little thing just hopped right up on Craig's hand!

As soon as he got out of the trampoline it flew over to the nearby bush where mom and dad were waiting.

Check back tomorrow for a picture tutorial on rag ringlets (think Nellie on little house or Shirley Temple) that a friend on a message board introduced me too.