Just hanging around

Ben was home sick today. He had a bit of a stomach virus, so he had to stay home. When I walked in the front door this morning after taking Macy and Eleanor to the bus stop, I saw this:
Upon closer examination I discovered a firetruck and a backhoe hanging on for dear life to our wall.
As you can tell, we have some killer stucco on our walls. No, we didn't put it up. We'd like to get it off our walls, but other than tearing out the walls or getting a heavy duty sander, we're unsure how to deal with the stucco. This stuff is lethal. It has done some serious damage to our arms, let me tell you. It makes for a good place to hang a firetruck and a backhoe though.

Ben is feeling better. We're hoping he can go to school tomorrow. The firetruck and the backhoe? They're still there on the wall.

One Year

It's been one year ago today that I started my blog, so to mark this momentous occasion (HA!) I will tell you 10 things about myself that I feel you must really know.

1. I'm extremely shy. So shy in fact that it's painful. I had a chance to meet Michele once. I was going to be in her neck of the woods with my children, had always wanted to meet her and had it all set up. As it got closer, I got more sick about the meeting. I would get lost, the weather was too hot, I wouldn't know what to say, blah, blah, blah. So I cancelled. My shyness manifests itself in two ways. I'm either so quiet that I come across as rude or I'm so talkative that you're wondering if I will ever stop talking. I also end up saying really dumb things that I regret and live over again and again in my head.

2. I've always wanted to meet Linda. I've known her and Michele the same length of time-about 9 years. I've only known them via on-line. We first met at the Nursing Mother's Sewing List. I think Linda would be a lot of fun to visit, but I probably never will. See #1.

3. I really like to read blogs. They make me feel like I'm having a chat with my friends, but without the pressure of having to think of something to say (see #1). I also love to learn new things and I'm so thankful to everyone who shares new recipes, patterns, sewing techniques, etc. so that I can continually learn from the comfort of my own home. It's also one of the few things I can easily do while feeding Kate.

4. I can knit and crochet. I'm much faster at crochet, but I'd rather knit. I rarely do either. They both make me sleepy.

5. I always weigh less than my pre-pregnancy weight right after having a baby. I start gaining weight soon after the birth though. I've gained 5 pounds since giving birth to Kate. I'm not happy about this at all. I find it hard not to snack while nursing and snack I do-on chocolate, cookies, leftovers, crackers, pretzels, whatever that's easy and tasty. Especially chocolate. I do like things like broccoli, but my family doesn't. So it's their fault that I eat too much chocolate and not enough broccoli. :)

6. I used to be a school teacher. I taught mostly kindergarten. I loved it. I didn't always like dealing with(some of) the parents/other staff/my principal. In addition to being shy, I'm also socially inept. I have this way of saying the wrong thing. It's awful. Most places I've worked, they probably threw a party after I left to celebrate the fact I was finally gone. People always want to know if I will go back to teaching when my children are grown. I don't know. Sometimes I think I would like to teach at our local community college and teach others how to teach children, but then again sometimes I don't.

7.As much as being pregnant made me so sick, I loved being pregnant. My favorite part was my big belly. Loved the big belly. Also loved being so skinny right after the birth. Hated everything else, especially being so sick.

8. I'm a terrible housekeeper. My messy house drives me crazy, but usually the only time I have to work on it is at night and by then I am too tired. I hope that when Kate gets older, I'll have more time during the day to keep it dusted at least. I think I'll always be messy. We try to have people over once a month so that I have to clean the piles of mess up, but it doesn't always happen. I spend the whole month dreading that the people are coming over (see #1) but most of the time it goes well and I'm glad that my house is less messy for at least a day. Five children can make a small house get messy in a very short time.

9. I no longer have a sewing room. I didn't have a whole room, just a corner, but it was somewhere I could keep my machines, material, etc. out all the time. Now it's packed away so that Ben can have his own room. So now any time I want to sew, I have to set everything up and then take it back down when I'm finished. This happens when everyone is asleep. Usually I'm too tired. If I'm not too tired, then I feel like I should do a bit of cleaning and by then I'm too tired.

10.I'm a Christian and I'm very religious. Sometimes I've done things that are very unChrist like and that bothers me. I'm not very good about forgiving myself for my shortcomings.
11. Okay, I know I said 10, but I have to just say one more thing. I am very blessed. I have a nice house, wonderful neighbors and the best husband and children anyone could ever ask for. I have especially enjoyed the baby shown above. She just got her first tooth this week. Who knew the fifth baby could be so much fun?

Toys

Welcome to our little people village. This is the creation of Ben, Macy, Eleanor and Claire. They've been working on this for a couple of weeks now. There's quite a storyline going on. Ben is in charge of the Eddies, Macy is in charge of the Marks and some of the Sonya Lees. Eleanor is in charge of the other Sonya Lees and Claire is in charge of the babies because she loves Babies. It makes me feel good that even though Ben and Macy are considered by the world to be too old to be playing with Little People, they still do and enjoy it. Don't tell their friends. I'm sure they would deny it.
Ben also likes Legos. They are everywhere in our house. His Lego men have seen many adventures. These have jumped to their deaths from our top floor to the bottom of the stairs. I think Ben thinks I will clean them up.
Then there's box. There were Lego people in here, but Ben did manage to remove them. He's leaving the rest for me I guess.
Ben also likes cars and Bone books. They are everywhere else that there are not Lego people.
I guess he thinks I'm going to clean these up too.
And here's a close up of this backhoe. Just hanging there where Ben left it. Left it for me to clean up I think.
Ben leaves his toys all over the house and it just drives me crazy. I mean it's hard enough with five children as it is. There's toys everywhere and I can never clean like I'd like to because there are toys and books on every single flat spot in our house. The girls are bad, but Ben is the worst. Where does he get it?
Oh, this is just some boxers I'm working on for Trent and a few other little projects that I will finish up in an evening or two.
Oh, this is just some fabric I'm getting ready to make into pillowcases for the "You Be the Judge" contest for next year. My sewing machine is under there, but I need to clean out my craft cabinet to make room for it now that I no longer have a sewing room since we made it into a bedroom for Ben.
Oh this . . .this is more fabric, which is in . . . Ben's bedroom.

I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :)

First Day of Preschool

Today was Claire's first day of preschool. It was only for an hour, but she was ready to go! Every child gets a purple bag that they can decorate any way they want. Claire likes pink, fluffy and her baby sister, so there you go. She went right in, I was the one who was crying and had to leave quickly. You'd think it would be easy with number four, but for some reason it seems harder!
Claire was cranky and tired and kept whining about being hungry. I assured her that she would get a little snack, as all my other children have had a little snack on their first day of preschool, even if it is only a short day. I was the first to pick her up. She ran up to me and very loudly said, "You said we would have a snack and we didn't get a snack!" Oops! Oh well, she'll have one next week.

No more pictures please!

Macy's Socks Completed

The pattern for these socks came from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I knitted them on double pointed needles using Koigu yarn. I even knitted them from the top down, even though I said I wouldn't try the kitchener stitch again. Then I found this how-to video that was just like having a private lesson.

I think I will be working on a sweater next, although these socks were so much fun, I want to try another pair!