Momma Me

Digesting and Preparing

I apologize for my extended silence. Our lives have taken a dramatic and sudden turn with news of my husband's deployment in less than 30 days. This is something that we did not expect and are grappling to find our way. Things will be changing in lives. Unfortunately, my blog will be on hiatus for a bit, a while. I don't know. I hope to return, though I don't know if my story will be the same. I doubt it will be. So we will see. 

For now, love those close to you and not so close to you in the spirit of the season.

Giving Thanks

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Ours was quiet, but oh so sweet and memorable. I love spending days and days of quiet time with my little boys and big one. It was hard to return to our normal schedule yesterday. The Inventor cried and I got a little choked up too. But once we got back into the swing of it, it wasn't so bad. He came home from school with a big smile on his face and lots of stories to tell. 

Using this random number generator, The Inventor helped me select the winner of our giveaway before he left with his Dad to go to school. The winner of our first giveaway is Gen! Thanks to everyone for participating. A big, big thanks to Natural Parenting Center for hosting this and for providing such a great product to families. Hopefully I can have another giveaway in the near future.

   

Our situation is still a little tenuous and stressful, but I am hoping we have it all behind us in the next week or so. I will then feel like myself and can get things back on track.

In the meantime, I am working on one of the biggest and most important projects I have ever worked on. I am assembling squares for afghans. The squares were knit by members of a pregnancy loss support group that I founded and moderate online. They were sent from all over the United States and even Australia and Hong Kong. The were knit with the most amazing love and I can actually feel it when I am working with them. We have squares for a blanket for baby and a blanket for mom. I have a lot of work before me, but I think I can get some help from our local LYS on SIt 'n Stitch nights on Thursday. I am going to try t put panels together first and then turn to them to help stitch those together and add the borders. Focusing on trying to put these together has been of great comfort to me, when I start to feel anxious. I think of all of the amazing people in the world, all of the strength that each of us has, and the bonds that connect us all. 

i love feeleez: (my first giveaway)

I have been wanting to write this post for days, but the past week has been chaotic to say the least. I've been under an undue amount of stress and seem to be racing against the clock constantly. There have been quite a few days, when I have felt like this:

 

Frazzled

Thank goodness I have the opportunity to workout regularly. I don't know what I'd do without my kickboxing classes. After those, I feel like this:

 

Strong and Empowered

My emotions are difficult to get a handle on these days. Imagine being a kid and just learning to deal with the plethora of emotions that we all possess. It's a challenge. The older The Inventor becomes, the more I realize I can't just give him a kiss and make everything better. Like all of us, he needs to learn to understand his emotions and cope with them in intelligent ways. So, when I saw the Feeleez game online, I had to get it for us. 

 

The concept is simple. The tin includes 25 pairs of feeling cards, plus ideas on how to use them. You can use them for a simple matching game for younger kids. It helps kids learn to identify different emotions that we or they might feel or encounter someone else feeling. Also included are instructions for using the cards with older kids. With The Inventor, who is six and a half, we use them to find cards that describe how he is currently feeling and how he wants to feel. Sometimes he and I have different impressions of how he is feeling and we will pull out different cards. This leads to great discussions and a learning experience for us both. We also use the cards to make up stories, which gives us the opportunity to create scenarios and talk about coping strategies. These simple cards have proven to be remarkable communication tool in our home. I cannot say enough good things about them.

 

I love Feeleez so much that I contacted the company to see if it would be okay with them, if I let my readers know about them. They agreed, something about which I am thrilled. They were also terrific enough to offer a FREE Feeleez game to the winner of a giveaway on my blog. All that you have to do to enter is leave a comment between today and Monday, November 26th at 8 PM. I will close the comments at that time and using a random number generator, select the winning post. I will notify and announce the winner. All you then need to do is email me your address and we will have a game shipped to you. Good luck!

Panicked

Personally, I am dealing with a lot right now. I'm feeling a tremendous amount of internal turmoil about serious matters that could effect my family's life in many ways. I do not wish to discuss them here, but suffice it to say that I am distracted and stressed out big time.

In the midst of some serious real-life issues, I am on the calendar to be the secret reader for my son's first grade class. And as if my stress level was not high enough, I find myself faced with having to choose an exciting book to read aloud to his class this Friday. In typical Type A Mom fashion, I tried to do my research online, so I could make an informed decision. Now, I don't know if my stress has me so distracted that my Google-fu is not functioning properly or what, but I cannot find a damn thing through those means. It's hard to choose the perfect picture book through reviews. 

While The Inventor was in his violin lesson yesterday evening, I scooted over to a nearby indie bookshop hoping that the personalized service and great selections would end my misery quickly. But no. I walked out with a hardcover picture book that sounded great when the salesperson told me about it and flipped through the pages, while Gigglyface tried to destroy the place; but, in the light of day I realize it just doesn't have enough pizzazz. Six year olds are known for their honesty, and if the book sucks, they're not going to hold back. They are not going to laugh to appease me. No. They are going to make that fifteen minutes hell for me, and I've got enough hell going on in my life. I don't need a bunch of snaggly-toothed, nose picking sweethearts throwing rotten tomatoes at me. 

So, I decided to head over to a larger bookstore this morning, but for some reason Gigglyface has developed a deep aversion to his jacket. It causes him to melt to the floor, spreading his arms out and screaming like his coat is aflame. What this is about, I have no idea. None. I'm not going to say that things can't get any worse because we all know those were famous last words and I need good things to happen right now. So, I'm hoping to head out to the bookstore this evening, while Dad holds down the fort to find the perfect book and have a little me time. I need to exhale, decompress, let down the window and feel the air on my face. Whatever it takes. 

Cool Stuff: I Found It...Finally

First, let me make this really clear. This is not an advertisement. I'm not even sure it qualifies as a review. I am simply in love and bragging about my knitting bag!

Several months ago, I went onto Ravelry seeking information in the Remnants forum. Here is the link to the thread, if you are interested and have access. I wanted to find the very best knitting bag ever. In the past I have used a Vera Bradley Villager tote, an Amy Butler Sweet Design bag, and most recently a Lexie Barnes Flo knitting bag, all of which served met some of my personal requirements for knitting bags. Yes, I have a thing for awesome knitting bags. Can you tell? It's a bit of knitting bag lust, I will admit. One gripe that I had with all of them was how busy the fabrics were. I am just not a "print" person, floral or otherwise, when it comes to the exterior of a bag. I love snazzy linings though. Snazzy linings make me happy. 

Many people posted in my thread. There were numerous suggestions, links and photos. Some were nice. Nothing was exactly what I wanted. Then at the very bottom of the page, I saw an advertisement for Julip Bags. I clicked on the link and it took me to an Etsy store. The bags were awesome. I especially loved the Lily tote. Here's one that darling! I thought I'd found my favorite bag ever, but I couldn't find it in a solid color in her listings. I sent a message. I never send messages to Etsy sellers, asking about the details of other than what I see on their pages. That's how much I was drawn to this bag. I wanted it. I just wanted it in a solid color. I asked if she did custom orders. She did! Then I came up with this crazy idea. I had a pair of jeans, 7 for All Mankind. They'd never fit right and never would (I am just too old to wear jeans that low-cut. I'm not sure anyone should, but that's another post.). However, guilt prevented me from getting rid of them because they were expensive. I asked her if she could use them somehow to craft a bag, a one of a kind bag, just for me. I think the new term for that is upcycling. She said she could and was willing to try. Oh, the joy and excitement I felt. I never get anything custom made. I sent her my beloved jeans and a favorite belt. She sent me images of linings to choose from. We talked details and specifics via numerous convos. The personalized and professional attention was amazing. It was like Nordstroms on Etsy. It took a couple of weeks for my new bag to arrive in the post. I was like a kid at Christmas because I'd decided to be surprised rather than view images of the finished product. I'd come to trust her judgment and knew I would be delighted. 

Oh my God. Amby of Julip Bags did it. She created THE PERFECT KNITTING BAG for me. Just for me! my dream bag.

It is lined with Amy Butler Nigella fabric, Passion Vine in Lime. There are inner pockets and because the outside of the bag was a pair of jeans, there are outer pockets as well. The handcrafting is amazing. Amazing. There isn't a loose thread. The straps are reinforced. She added something to the bag to make the bottom sturdier, so that it can pretty much stand especially when it's full. Now, I know that everyone will not think my bag is perfect for them, but it the most absolutely perfect thing for me.

I am so in love. Oh, and there is an adorable matching pouch for my stuff. I filled it with my beautiful handmade stitch markers, my tape measure, etc. 

Did I mention I was in love?

Amby, I cannot thank you enough. A dream come true!

Cool Stuff: Design by Me Lego Creations

Oh my. From time to time the demands of home life and all else that involves me in the world, just seems to overwhelm me. I am exhausted beyond words and still have a to-do list a mile long. What is up with this? 

So much to write, so little time in which to write it. Ah, but I'll get to everything, all in due time. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

The Inventor was sick with strep a few weeks ago. He was home with it for quite a few days; first with a sore throat, then just lethargy and a rash. While he was home, it didn't take long for boredom to set in. It never does. It's harder to entertain a sick kid though. He didn't have a lot of energy or patience. He asked me if he play on the computer, which he did. While he was on the LEGO Club website, we came across some software we could download to design custom LEGO creations. You can design your own LEGO creation, upload it to the company, design your own box, request building instructions, and have the entire kit sent to you. 

So, he spent hours doing just that. The wait for the box to arrive seemed interminable. This past Friday was his lucky day though and he seemed to know it. He was home from school for teacher's convention. When the mail truck arrived on our street, he spotted it right away. The letter carrier came to our house after going to all of the houses on the opposite side of the street, while he waited at the door. I saw nothing in her hands but letters. I thought he'd be disappointed for sure. Then she headed to our side of the street. As soon as she spotted him in the doorway, she turned back to the truck. He watched her reach in and pull out a box. He couldn't contain his excitement. He flung open the door and shouted, "Is that for me?" She read the return label and said, "I think so. It says LEGO." 

Oh my God, the screams of excitement shook the house on its very foundation.

He loved that his name and the name he chose for his creation were printed on the box, along with the image of the creation itself. It was really exciting to watch him put it together from his original, one of a kind building guide.

Here's a photo of the box. He's at school and I can't find the creation. I'm not sure where he put it. Sometimes he puts things away in safe places to keep them out of the little, destructive hands of you-know-who. When he gets home, I'll snap a pic of the finished product and add it to this post. 

This is cool stuff. He plans to do another design for Christmas. I told him I'd put it under the tree, as a special gift from me.

Our Review: Pickin' Time (iPod/iPhone App)

The last few days have been a bit hectic for us. Perhaps it was the change in time or the time we lost while The Inventor was sick with strep. Whatever the case may be, it seems that we've been playing catch-up for about a week now. 

During the week though, we've been fortunate enough to spoil ourselves a bit. Everyone deserves to be spoiled from time to time. Right? We have a bit of fun stuff to share -- things we've bought, created and tried, but we'll do it one at a time.

Last week we were asked to try out a new iPod/iPhone application called Pickin' Time, a new family-friendly game/application by Iconfactory.com. The timing was perfect because being flopped out on the sofa gave us plenty of time to try it out. The Inventor has agreed to help me review this neat little application.

 

Here is the Inventor's review (with a little help from Mom):

The game is called Pickin' Time and the object of game is to pick vegetables and fruits as fast as you can. In single player, when the game starts it tells you which fruit or vegetable to pick. Then it shows you a bunch of them and you have to choose yours as fast as you can. It's tricky because sometimes you pick the wrong one. You try to beat the high score if you can. 

 

In multiplayer, you can play with other people on one iPod/iPhone or multiple iPods/iPhones. Mom and I tried it both ways. When you play multiplayer, you have to choose "Together" or "Separate." If you choose "Together," then each person picks an avatar (fruit or vegetable). Then the round starts. If yours comes on the screen, you pick it as fast as you can. The fastest player wins the round. Usually The Inventor wins when we play this way.

 

When you choose "Separate," the game is played on multiple iPods/iPhones. We tried this and it was tons of fun. We each chose our own avatars and then played on our own iPods. We have iPod touches. (Yes, The Inventor has his own. It's a long story involving a six and half hour plane ride to Dublin in June. More later.) This is Mommy's favorite way to play and mine too. 

 

From Mommy: The game has beautiful graphics and fun music. It's a simple game, but it's surprising fun. I was afraid it might be too simple to hold The Inventor's interest. He loves computer games with more complex rules. But he loves this little game. I find it to be entertaining too. It's an easy way to pass a few minutes, if ever you should have any. 

The price is right too; it's only $1.99 at the Apple App Store. 

We'd like to thank The Iconfactory for giving us the opportunity to try this great new game!

a wonderful love

I honestly think there is something unique and special about the love between these two boys, who are nearly identical to one another, except that one is 6 1/2 and the other 1 1/2. Each and every day I am asked, "Mom, aren't we lucky to have Gigglyface," or something along those lines. Their connection is so much stronger than I expected it to be considering the age difference, the love so much deeper. I can remember back to the time before Gigglyface, when it was just The Inventor. He told me that our house needed more children and that we needed more kids in our minivan. When we told him I was pregnant, he said he didn't care whether it was a brother or sister, that he'd love the baby either way and teach it all the things it needed to know to "be a kid." When he came to the hospital room after my delivery, he lay on the bed and curled his body around the tinier boy. It seemed as if he'd been waiting his entire life to do that.

Sure, there are times when Giggleyface disassembles a Lego sculpture that took hours to build and he hears all about it. But even then after a brotherly scolding, the big guy exhibits great patience and sighs a bit while reassembling his spaceship or robot.  There are other times when he spends time building towers and buildings and Gigglyface waits patiently by his side because the good part is about to come. Then the announcement, "Okay, where is the big giant who destroys the city?" And then he is allowed to knock over the buildings and towers with wild abandon and the laughter is loud and raucous. 

It is a wild and wonderful brother love. 

How lucky a mother I am to bear witness. 

indecision

I love autumn and winter. They are my favorites times of the year. What I don't love are the illnesses that seem to accompany them. I don't know if people actually get sicker because it's cooler or because we tend to huddle a little closer together, stay indoors more, and so forth. Whatever the case may be, we seem to have our fair share of seasonal illnesses. This week we had our first encounter with strep. It wasn't pleasant, but quickly subsided with antibiotics. The Inventor was home from school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but went back today with a smile on his face.

Then there's the H1N1 flu or the swine flu, as some call it. The media coverage has me going just a little bit crazy. To get the shot or not, that is the question. But apparently no one has it yet to give in our region. I think about it often, trying to make the best decision for my little ones. These are the times it's tough to be a mom. I love The Inventor and Gigglyface above all else, and need to do what's best. I just wish I knew what that was this time. Perhaps as more time passes, it will become clearer. 

I have been trying to pass what little free time I have with some autumn knitting. I've cast on a new pair of fingerless mitts for The Inventor, as he finally outgrew the ones I made in 2007. I had originally bought the yarn for socks, but he chose it out of the stash. I am holding it double to make the mitts nice and warm, but new I'm worried that I might run out of yarn. 

 

strep

Strep is in our house. Ugh. I'll be back very soon.

seeking balance

One of the hardest things about being a family with school-aged children is striking a balance with how we spend our time.  Knowing when enough is enough. Knowing when the plates are too full. Knowing when to just say, "No" or "Maybe another time." I am working really hard to do just that. After just posting a rave review of a time management application that I love, I realize I still have so much to learn before I master the true art of time management. I think if I was truly managing my time or our time the right way, we'd have a lot more of it in which we had nothing to accomplish. We would have much more time to just be. Time to day dream. Time to watch the leaves fall or marvel at the beautiful changing colors. Time to take long, slow walks and collect more pine cones. Time to knit more. Time to go pick apples. Time to just be. To be alone. To be together as a family. Just more time. 

I'm working on it. I am working on both organizing our time and simplifying it. I had signed the boys up for reading/story time programs at our local library. They started last week. First I purposely missed The Inventor's first session on Thursday after school. Tuesday after school he has violin lessons. Wednesday after school he has soccer practice. Monday through Thursday he has homework and practices his instrument. When is a six-year-old boy supposed to invent with all of his time accounted for? As much as I love library programs, I am calling tomorrow to have them remove  his name from the roster. Maybe another time.

As for Gigglyface, his first session was supposed to be on Friday morning. On Friday morning at 9:30, the time we were to leave, I watched him. He was busy at play. I'd filled one of his toy bins with balls of all colors and sizes. He was throwing them, kicking them, rolling them and giggling happily. It was raining and windy outside. He hates his heavy jacket for whatever reason. And so, I said..."F*&# it." We missed our first day as well.  He is read to daily by me, his brother and his dad. An ever-changing basket of books sits rests beside the sofa. Sometimes he'll go pick a book on his own and bring it to a reader. Other times one of us will select the book and scoop him onto a lap for a read and snuggle. I couldn't stand the thought of ruining spontaneous fun with a scheduled program. We'll see what happens next week. 

The weather is gray and cool and I want to play and walk, knit and bake, jump in leaves and snuggle under blankets, not sit under fluorescent lights. There's plenty of time ahead for that. Still, it's been a crazy week, even with eliminating those two activities. 

I did bake my weekly scones though. I use a recipe called Simple Scones from AllRecipes.com, though I have modified it here and there. You can get away with using less butter, fat-free Greek yogurt, less sugar, and substitute 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour with wheat flour. I use chocolate chunks, but the recipe calls for raisins or currants. They never get old and I can usually always find time to make them. 

 

Earlier this week, I shared a few with The Dubliner and a good neighbor. So, this morning I replenished my stash. I made double and froze half. I think this will free up some time later in the week. I'm hoping. 

Last night, The Inventor, wanted to make homemade Hawaiian pizza. We rolled our own dough and added our toppings. Messy fun at its best. It was delicious. Better than any store bought pizza. Though, today he is sick with fever and sore throat and I fear for our health.

 

There has been some crafting, but photos have yet to be taken. Stay tuned...

How are you with time management? Have you found balance? Do you have enough time to just be?

So Much to Do: Software/App Review

via culturedcode.com

When I first bought my iPod touch, I thought it would serve me as a glorified music player on which I can play a few games. After a year of using it though, I can safely say that it is a Mom's gift from the Apple Gods. The tiny device can be easily organized and enhanced, so that it does far more than play your favorite music playlist.

I will sing its praises often, but I have to start by telling you about my favorite application in the world. It's called Things and it was developed by Cultured Code. I had thought about buying another Palm when I realized i was a disorganized mess, but I couldn't stand the idea of having another device. My diaper bag already contained a cell phone and an iPod touch. I decided to search for an application that I could use similar to the way I had used the "To Do" list on my Palm. Things is it.

Things is a task management application, which is available for $9.99 for the iPod touch/iPhone, and it is worth every single cent. It enables you to keep track of everything that you have to get done, now or in the future. It gives you a way to manage small tasks and larger projects with tremendous ease. The interface is user-friendly and well-designed. It is a gorgeous program

After discovering this gem, the only thing that I was then lacking was the ability to sync the application with my computer. That would make it function just like the Palm I had grown to love.I then checked Cultured Code's website, and lo and behold! They do have a desktop version of the program for $49.99. Now I know that your thinking. That's expensive. But listen to me. One cannot put a price on sanity. It is worth every single cent and works flawlessly.

I can enter and manage everything on my computer and on my iPod touch, then they sync automatically. There is something powerful about being able to breakdown the things you have to get done into a list of manageable tasks, then creating that list, and checking them off when completed. It enables me to plan things AND to be able to see the things I've actually accomplished. I love having a sense of accomplishment. When I wonder where my day went, I can actually see what I've done. When I wonder what the heck I've accomplished all day long when I feel overwhelmed, I can actually see a log and get a real sense of my greatness.

Being a women and/or Mom can be extremely challenging, but who better to do it than us? Things makes it easier though. I do not typically review products, but this one is awesome.

I should add that currently Things desktop version is only available for Mac computers. The iPhone/iPod touch app functions fine without the desktop version.

an awesome hat

via cocoknits.com

When I will find the time to knit, not one but two of these hats for the boys, I have no idea. But I love the pattern. It is calling my name. Trina, knit me. Hear it?

stop sleeping

I love the kind of world music I hear when I'm shopping in some great boutique that I just happen upon. I always try to find that kind of music to add to my own music library, but I am rarely successful. The songs that I find never resonate with me, or even if they do, the melodies just aren't appealing to me. But just this once I think I was successful.

Musical preference is deeply personal and what makes me shake my groove thing, might make you cringe and vice versa. But this song, Africans, is doing it for me right now. It came up on my iPod in a random shuffle on my way home from kickboxing Thursday night. I can't get it out of my head and thought I'd share.  Enjoy.

10 Africans