Scratches

Ahh..finally a warm day!  Spring is just around the corner (Sunday, people!), and we are finally feeling it.  Yay!  Today began baseball practice for Clay.  I let him take the phone with him, since there was time between when his daddy left after the parent meeting and I picked him up (maybe 45 minutes?), and I wanted him to be able to call me!  Funny enough, he did.
His coach had said practice would be over around dark (7:45ish), so I made it there at 7:37, thinking I'd be a little early.  When I was two streets away, he called me.  That had to be the first time ever.  He never wants to pretend he knows me.  Yes, it happens at ten.
Anyway, he was in love with the phone, and wanted to chat, chat, chat, then he talked to me (on the phone) on the way home, and to his sister (on my phone!).  Oh, what a phone can do!

I missed Mary Claire's orthodontist appointment yesterday (for the second time).  I don't know how I can write it in my calendar, and still miss it!  They called me to reschedule (again) today, and I definitely feel I've won the Worst Mother of the Year award.  How could I keep forgetting?  I have learned to use the calendar on my phone (Bravo for me!).  I know it's not rocket-science, but I've been worried to have two calendars going (part of my problem..I start to rely on my phone, and I forgot my real paper calendar!).  I'm trying to switch over, but I haven't made it quite yet.  I know I have two appointments for the kids on Monday of Spring Break, and please God, help me remember!  I am working to put my score back in the positive numbers.  With God, all things are possible.  Even overcoming my memory problems. : )

Today we ordered Clay new grips for his bicycle handlebars.  My van got more metal-deep scratches, and I had to do something.  I have about four deep scratches down my driver side.  The kids keep their bikes between the vans, and it happens way too often.  Clay came in, upset, and told me he'd scratched the van again.  Boy, did he.  We haven't fixed the others yet, since we have to pay the deductible (and I had a feeling it would happen again.  and again.).  I told him he had to pay for the grips ($9-10) since they were worn through (exposing the metal underneath) every time he threw his bike down instead of using the kickstand!  (Isn't that what it's for?).  I couldn't squeeze the deductible out of him, so this is suffering enough.  It's all I could do.  (Besides scream and throw a fit, and that doesn't do much good anyway.)


I feel so bad having warm, beautiful days when there are so many people suffering right now in other places.  All my little things seem so tiny in comparison.  Earthquake (and aftershocks), tsunami, overheating nuclear reactors, radiation on the "loose" (supposedly-but we now have radiation "detectors" in Hawaii, California, Oregon, and Alaska), does it ever end?  No, not really.  I'd sworn off television for Lent, but there is so much happening, so I'm checking it out online.
Anyway, just pray for the people trapped (it's snowing now!), for families to find relatives, for their safety and basic needs.  There is a peaceful "exit" going on, and I hope we can help them with housing, food, and shelter.  I can make room for them in my house-could we set up some refugee help?  and asap?

Keep a Child Alive

Hey ya'll!  Today I got my hair done, and since it was the last time before Christmas, it was GiFt TiMe!  : )  My favorite time, heehee. (really!)  I have been thinking about it for a while, and I have a guy who does my hair, so that's impossible, but he has this precious wife-and an adorable little girl!  So, I thought of them (sorry, Taylor).  I made a towel for their kitchen:

Not so impressive, but it was something for the grown-ups.

The real fun was for their adorable little girl, Stella!  I just love to make things, and to have someone to sew for-ahh..perfect! : )  So, I worked on a plan.  I had gotten her a bath towel (pink, of course!), then I set out looking for fabric to match.  It was a medium pink, not too pale, and not too hot-pink.  I found a great toile (pale lime skinny stripes and pink trees & people) with some lime green in it, so I used lime green embroidery thread.  I picked the dot font and applique, and here it is (I'd already folded it, so I don't have a good one just of the embroidery-that darn bow is in the way!):

I used pink for the bow (again-sorry, Taylor!), then I stuck their little towel in the bow too!

It took an hour to sew it!  Remember it stitches the outline, then I place the fabric, then another outline, next I trim the fabric, and finally it does the pretty stitches.  Then really last, it stitches out the name-this is a great font with tight stitches, so it took about 25 minutes for the name.  These are not things I can whip out (actually I don't know how long it takes until I load the design in my machine!).  I was so happy with it!  (if I'd had a daughter named Stella I probably would have kept it!)  Here's a close up:

Scrumptious!  Now, my kids need one..don't yours?

My hair always takes most of the day-I think it's because I don't go in till 10, and he didn't rinse my color till after 12!  I was starting to worry that my hair would fall out, I have to say I got a little stressed.  He doesn't use a dryer, so it takes at least 40 minutes to process.  It's a little darker this time, but I always complain about my roots, so I think he's trying to blend it, but keep me light (impossible, I know).


Anyway, after that was errands, more prescriptions and some fabric/thread at Jo-Anne's (I'm really liking that place!).  I can't find the stabilizer I love, so I'll have to order it online.  I hate that I can't buy it locally, since I have to use it.  I always have to make sure to have some for back-up!  I'm actually making three cups to sell this week for teacher gifts!  Someone saw the SHS ones, and liked them.  I'll take pictures of them when they are finished.  I think I'm doing zebra, polka dots, and maybe something sophisticated...like leopard (heehee).  I'll show you.  It's a good thing I keep my camera by my desk and sewing machine.  I like to take pictures partly because I forget what I've done, and if I have a picture, I can remember!  Two Christmases ago, I did over 70 designs for cups/tumblers, and I've totally forgotten what fabric/thread I used.  Even my little jump drives (USB portable drives) stop working after a while, and I lose my designs.  I have 8 now, but only two work. : (  I'll have to figure out how to harvest my stuff...

In other reality news..there was a small incident on the bus today (just a naughty joke about a wiener), but we got mad, and I'm not letting them ride for a while.  I'll call the school tomorrow to complain about the dirty joke-teller, but both my kids heard (thank the Lord they didn't know what the boy was talking about), and they are too young for that junk.  I am always a little sad they don't want me to pick them up anyway.  I like the pick up line, and getting the kids, and I really like the 15-20 minutes of reading in the car!  I just won't do it if I'm home!

Our phone isn't working (and our internet is only half-working!), so we are having it serviced tomorrow.  They were kind enough to narrow our window of be-home time down to 8:00-3:00 (from 8am-7pm!).  Umm..I have a life!  I have to take Ethan to gymnastics, and then pick up the kids (heehee) minimum.  I guess I'll leave a note with my be-back time?  Crazy.  The phones are hilarious (if you don't need them): you pick them up, dial, and hear non-stop dial tone.  And if someone calls the house?  You hear them, but they can't hear you.  Hard to have a phone conversation with no sound. ; )


I really hope we get it cleared up!  For the first two years we lived here, we could hear our one of our neighbors' conversations, but they couldn't hear us screaming that we could hear them!  It finally got fixed (or they heard us?), so we don't know what's up at their house anymore. : )  I really like my phone-it's a connection to the world, but my cell phone is the one I can't give up!


Today is a big day.  First day of Hanukkah (light your first candle!), the 55th anniversary of the day Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white person (which sparked a boycott, and changed the rules! You go, Girl!), and World AIDS Day (text your favorite celebrity's name to 90999 to donate $10 to the Keep a Child Alive Campaign, see BuyLife.org or here for story)..we have to realize how blessed we are to live in a healthy country with sanitary water, food, and social rules against abuse.  We value life (most of us do), and contribute to the good of the world.  Oh, praise the Lord for the peace we've earned, and the peace we owe.  Please help us give life to others.  We have no future if we can't help others.

"Service is the best anti-depressant" : )