Three Legged Cleaning

Today our church library was cleaning out old books so Paul picked this old one up on teaching children.  I thumbed through it during our 5 minute drive home and these were the words that jumped out at me:

MAKE WORK FUN FOR CHILDREN

We returned home to a very messy house, much worse than our usual "get out the door to church tornado" so I thought I might as well put those words to work.  When I announced it was time for a big pick up some of the kids ran and hid and the others just groaned.  

The thought immediately came to me........ "three legged clean up" so I ran down to my sewing station and tore some fabric strips.  It was Peter and me in charge of the front hall, living room and homeschool room vs. James and William in the kitchen and toddler play room, so the fun began.  And I think it was the most fun I've ever had cleaning.

Peter and I got in sync and we were working so fast that our picture blurred.  James and William worked just as well together and I believed the teams tied as we all ended up at the freezer to claim the popsicle prize at the same time.  Just for fun we continued the race to the front porch where we enjoyed our popsicles still tied together.  This was memorable and definitely worth trying again.  

Baby Wearing Revolution

I both blame and thank Caryn for exposing me to a huge community of baby wearers at thebabywearer.com .   I had plans to sew up a few more slings but after reviewing the gallery there my interest switched to wraps and I am now permanently hooked!

A wrap is pretty much a specially woven piece of fabric.  I first tried it with 5 yards of discount silk but that proved to be way too uncomfortable.  So I bought a didymos from a kind lady off craigs list.  Even used they are pricey but after trying one on I discovered it to be so great that I needed more than just one.

The tying is not as hard as it looks - it just took a few youtube videos and practice in front of a mirror to get it right.  When I get good I'll post my own video here.  There are so many ways to wrap and wear it but for me the back feels the most comfortable.

What more can I say than I wish I had this with my first baby!  This is by far my favorite baby carrying device.  I can cook (even stir fry), bend and do laundry, work in the garden, wash dishes, and sew all with a very content baby (and sometimes toddler) on my back.

Not only that, these wraps fulfill more than one of my intentions.......to be nurturing and practical all with a bit of style.

To Smile in the Face of a Challenge

This year it was my turn and privilege to present the Julie Wirthlin memorial scholarship at Andover High School.

When I think about my sister Julie I can't help but smile, and even if a tears are to surface, it is always a smile that radiates in her memory.

Her smile was contagious.  Her smile was true to her character, pure, honest, courageous and kind.  She gave of it freely.

Julie was the 15th child in our family of 17 children, it was her bold smile and sparkling eyes that set her apart from the bunch, it filled our home with joy.

This smile also filled the halls of Andover High School and was carried with her as she participated in both cross-country and track.  She understood the joy of physical activity and raced solely for the fun of it.

She built many strong friendships on the teams and on occasion, when track practice was through, she'd gather up some teammates to fly kites across the football field.  When there was not enough wind, she convinced them that if the parking lot was empty they could fly the kite out of the passenger window - which they did.

Julie was diagnosed with cancer at age 16.  She went thru treatment and then returned to school with her bald head held high, without a trace of self consciousness and a smile brighter than ever.  She did not fear - she smiled in the face of this challenge.

When she was well, she joined her teammates in running again.

When the cancer resurfaced, she still attended every meet she could, acting as the team photographer.

Julie lived life zestfully, and instead of turing to self-pity, she took each literal breath with gratitude.

Her example has inspired and lifted me as I have faced my own challenges.

My family has set up this scholarship fund in her memory, not only to support continued education but also that her legacy may be a source of inspiration to both the chosen recipient and all the graduating seniors.

To them, and all those who remember Julie so dearly, we boldly encourage to go forward with confidence, smile in the face of your challenges and live life as the precious gift that it is.

I will also add that the above image may not be of the highest quality because it is a scanned copy of the one I keep floating in my purse...... it always seems to pop out at me just when I need a smile.

Also the above text are the notes from my presentation.  I scribbled them down on the car ride over to the event and with a frozen computer and barely enough time to nurse the baby Paul's dad very kindly and carefully hand wrote them out for me.  Had he not done so I may have lost my cool and just blubbered a  mess of words and tears.  

Quick Cardigan for Church

Because I am behind on my spring sewing Maryanna has only had a few options for church.  The dress she is wearing above is sleeveless and luckily I had just enough time Sat night to complete a quick cardigan re-fashion.  Too bad we couldn't find her church shoes - it was back to the winter dress boots but I believe she pulled it off.

I started with this women's $2 cotton cardigan from Salvation Army.

I laid over a T-shirt to get an idea of the size and shape I wanted.

You may be able to barely see how I free handed where to cut for the arm holes.

The sleeve was cut off the original sleeve making use of the finished edge.

Then  I put it all together cropping the bottom letting it naturally roll.  I didn't forget to save the shell buttons either.

Here it is again, super cute and super quick!

Baby Massage

It seems I had more time for baby massage with my first couple of children but after picking up this lovely book from the library I decided it was time to make more time.

I don't know who enjoys it more me or little George.  He smiles and coos and I can't help but return with the same.

The girls play along rubbing their dolls with pretend oil and talk about how they are practicing to be good mothers.  But practicing is not enough and they beg for a turn.

It is funny because taking the time to massage each of the younger children has actually shortened our bedtime routine, it relaxes them and they are soon sleeping.

Henry is especially cute as he lays unusually still for a 2 year old saying things like "more back mommy" or "mommy feet".

I love this time with my children, it is very simple, it is free and reminds me of what a joy it is to be a mother.

Gluten Free Crusty Boule - It can be done!

After subjecting our family to a gluten free diet for almost a year it felt good to sink my teeth into something with a hard crust and soft fluffy interior.  I'm not saying it tasted as good as a regular artisan loaf but only reassuring it can be done.

We discovered a few of our children were gluten intolerant last year, so ended our Happy Homemade Bagel business .  So ended homemade pizzas, cakes, cookies, cinnamon rolls, soft pretzels, tortillas, pita bread, baguettes and everything else that I had mastered under the mentoring of my talented sisters.

Transitioning to a gluten free life style has been stressful.  It is hard enough to feed children but the new restrictions added a huge layer of complexity and there were no mentors to teach me the art of gluten free baking.  Instead I've been spending way too much money at Whole Foods and other specialty grocery stores.

Gluten free baking has been the challenge I have been avoiding - I mean come on, who wants to spend time cooking something that is not even going to taste that good.  But I set it as a New Year's resolution so it was time to research and experiment.

Above is our gluten free 5 minute artisan loaf which I could not have done without these instructions .   The book has other great gluten free recipes and techniques that I can't wait to dig into as soon as my reserved copy shows up at the library.  Until then we'll keep practicing on this one loaf because it actually did taste good.

Mr. Stadium to the Rescue

Last Friday our dryer broke.  It was very bad timing because the laundry was already piled high and we were running low on cloth diapers.  The situation was desperate and if someone did not get to a laundromat that Saturday there would have been several individuals without clean underwear for the rest of the weekend.  

It was the day before Mother's Day so Paul kindly came to the rescue.  He loaded up the van with the equivalent of 6 loads of laundry including some wet laundry from the loads that had been washed but not dried.  He also loaded 6 kids.  I got the afternoon off and got to drop by the mall and Stake Women's Conference with baby George.

Paul had actually been itching to check out the Mr. Stadium laundromat , I think because of their famous T-shirts you sometimes see around town.  He called me halfway into the task to share how impressed he was with the facility - the cleanliness, the raw power of the machines, the sense of community, the broad selection of snacks etc - and admitted to finally sharing my vision for a dream laundry room setup.  Never mind the sorting, he bragged how all six loads fit into one industrial machine.  It was a successful trip - 6 loads in about an hour - but the kids got a little impatient and Paul had to cut some of the drying a bit short.

I still can't believe he attempted it - all the laundry with all the kids.  But when I came home I was confused by the couch draped in still slightly damp clothing.  The banister and Paul's office chair were also draped in cloth diapers, while a fan blew at full speed and all the windows were open on this cold (54 degree) Saturday.  The clothes still weren't completely dry but I really was in no position to question or critisize.  Instead I just complimented how great he looked in his new T-shirt.  He wore it proudly just like I use to wear my race T-shirts from cross-country state finals, fun runs and larger races like the Boise marathon.  He wore it as if to say, "yes I was there and I accomplished something great".

I forgot to mention that a new dryer was ordered that same day but would not be delivered until Monday.  There would be no more laundry excuses with a brand new large capacity dryer.

A few days into last week, I think it was Wed., one of our children wet the bed then decided to climb into our bed where they then completely emptied their bladder.  Paul was the one to discover it, it was on his side of the bed and I was already asleep.  Not wanting to wake anyone he laid towels over the puddles then tried to get comfortable along the foot of the bed.  I don't think he got much sleep and sighed when another child tip-toed into our room regretfully confessing they too had wet their bed.  But when one of the older boys came bounding into our room in the early morning screaming "Henry took off his diaper in his crib" we couldn't help but laugh.  We stopped laughing when we discovered it was a poopy diaper that he had taken off.  Paul bravely announced.... "it looks like I'm going to have to make another trip to Mr. Stadium".  It was early in the morning so I gladly gave him the job.

$9.25 in quarters later (including $0.75 for 3 Ms. Pac-Man games for William) Paul returned home with William carrying their trophies of fresh clean folded bedding.  This time they bought the huge Mr. Stadium laundry bag because Paul said "we just might need it again".  

Days later Paul told me this nugget.  As he was finishing unloading the Dexter Thoroughbred 1200 washing machine he discovered something flat, circular and brown.  At first glance, from a distance, it looked like a penny.  But as Paul reached in to pluck it out he soon realized it was actually an original piece from Henry's removed diaper.  Cleaned, polished and pressed flat from the force of the industrial machine.  Paul didn't tell me that for a few days, maybe because I would have sent him back to rewash it all again. 

   

Weekend Treasures

The garage sale scene has been weak here so far.  Still I set out determined to return home with a new bike for James but instead only picked up 2 Orvis suitcases and the above treasures.

It was actually William who picked them out because ever since Oma sent him a plate block he's been interested in starting a stamp collection.  The French/English dictionary was just for fun and it certainly generated some funny conversation.

Peter in the way back seat:  "This is not a good dictionary....they don't have 'Den Leader' in here, what if I want to say 'Den Leader' in French"

William:  "That is because Cub Scouts is only in the U.S.....it is actually part of Boy Scouts of America.  Notice 'America' not France"


Peter:  "But what about Frodo Baggins.... he's not in here either"

William:  "That is because this dictionary is really old and the movie came out in 2001"

James:  "Actually guys the book was written in 1921"

Mommy:  "Are you sure?  How do you know that"

James:  "Well I know it was just after WWI because JRR Tolken was a solider during WWI and was inspired to create the 'dead marshes' from his brutal wartime experiences"

William:  "well the dictionary does smell like Daddy's Book of Mormon so it still must be really old"

These kids really do keep me chuckling and if you want to read more you can check out James' blog - he started awhile back.

Moms Sometimes Do Crazy Things

After wearing George in the sling all day I couldn't help but be bothered by the huge bald spots I was noticing.  I told myself .... I'm going to shave his head tomorrow.


But tomorrow came and went, before I knew it it was 10 pm with all the kids and even Paul comfortably asleep or at least half asleep in their beds.  The thought kept coming to me that I had to not only shave George's head but give the boys haircuts as well.

I shook Paul a little and told him what I was going to do but all he could mumble was "what?....you need to go to sleep".  I couldn't even rest, and despite my resolve to ensure my children receive the proper amount of sleep I pulled them into my room and told them it was time for haircuts.

It is starting to get warm and sticky here in MI so I selected the 1/2" guard and went at it quickly. The boys were cooperative but still it was nearing 11 pm by the time we were through.

I suppose I could have let them go to sleep and just done George's head on my own but this was going to be his first haircut and I wanted it documented.  William is my photographer so he quickly came to the task and kind of chuckled as he took the pictures.

When finished I gave William a big hug and thank you upon which I spotted something strange on his scalp.  I pulled him close to examine it and at first glance it looked like a dark irregular mole so I looked closer, picked at it a bit and it moved!  Instinctively I called James to grab me a ziplock bag and carefully dislodged the creature from his scalp.

Trapped in the ziplock we were able to quickly identify at the computer as an engorged female deer tick.  Upon further research we learned about the risk of Lyme disease .

William has very thick hair - I would have never known it was there if it wasn't for the haircuts (or the 1/2" shave)!

I feel I was prompted and although at the moment it seemed like a crazy thing to give them haircuts at 10:30, I'm glad I acted on it.

We are now acting on simple preventative measures to ensure he does not end up with Lyme disease which in children can take months to show its self, the result of which can lead to years of chronic health problems.

We also now require hats and socks when playing in the woods and do daily tick checks before bed.

And although I'm still trying to get use to George's bald head, experiences like these always increase my confidence in being a mom.

Spring Sling

After borrowing my sister Mary's Hot sling I decided I needed one for myself.

The design was simple enough to replicate so I sewed one up and George likes it.

It seems I have added a new wear your baby contraption with each new baby and if I didn't already have so many I'd be tempted to make a few more of these slings in several different colors and prints.

What I like about it is that it is made of a woven cotton Lycra giving it a little bit more snugness with out feeling too tight.  I also like the padded band in front for the baby to rest his head on or let his feet hang out without discomfort.

Here is the list of other carriers I like and use.  They all have pro's and con's but one thing's for sure I love to cuddle my babies and have free hands too.

Baby Bjorn (actually I don't love this one but Paul does)
New Native
Maya wrap
Moby wrap
Kelty
Baby Becco