Projects

Here are a few things I've been doing lately:

This guy was in my best colander and a mixing bowl for awhile. I finally got it set up last week, and already there are nearly-ripe cherry tomatoes! Exciting! I hope it gets as big as the one I had to give up when we left Wisconsin. I still mourn that one.

These are in the wrong order. Can't figure out how to fix them. But a few weeks ago, I painted these little pots to make an herb garden. I bought oregano, basil, and chives, and planted cilantro seeds. (I love to see the little green sprouts.) They're doing okay. The chives have been the most fun to have around.

I made this so Jina wouldn't be stepping all over bath toys when she showers, and also just to better organize. I got the idea from Make It and Love It here. I didn't sew my own bag, though; I just took a lingerie bag that we'd been using for washing Jamie's socks and added some ribbon straps with velcro and a little green ribbon for color. (We won't be washing baby socks for awhile. It's too hot here already.)

I used this fabric to make curtains with blackout lining for Jamie's room, but he's in there and although I just heard him fuss, he's stopped for the moment, so I'm hoping I still have some time. They're just very simple curtains anyway, not that exciting.
(It looks dirty, but that's just because it's folded and the brown dogs on the other side are showing through!)

And the most exciting addition to our home:

TA-DA!
We've never had a real table before! Kaylea's dad was done with this, so she and Joseph asked if we wanted it--free! They even brought it down here for us from Southern California. They're such good friends. I wish I had a before picture of the table, but I'm bad at remembering to do that. Let's just say it looked more like a plain, colorless, rather dirty old picnic table.

Jason (with a little bit of my help) sanded it and put like seven coats of stain on it. We had to do it in Joseph and Kaylea's garage since we don't have anywhere to do it at our place, so it took a few weeks; we couldn't get over there every day, they live about ten minutes away, drying time for each coat, etc. There are still two matching benches that need to be done, too...sigh...but isn't it nice??

And I got these flowers for 50% off at Joann last night; I think I paid $7.50 for the bunch. They're just roughly arranged right now. The vase was $2 at Goodwill.

I can't tell you how nice it is to have things coming together!

We ended up taking the brown slipcovers back, and then a couple of misfortunes popped up that are costing us a pretty penny and preventing us from being able to get different ones. So the pillows and curtains I was going to make for the living room are on hold at the moment, but I have plenty of other projects I can work on in the meantime--and a crafting buddy to work with! It's been such a blast having Jina with us! While I made Jamie's curtains, she made these for her own place. I'll post a pic when she's finished spraypainting hers.

And one more thing: I found a Father's Day present for Jason that he has been wanting forever last night--for only twenty bucks!!

...Jamie went back to sleep. Sweet!

Jamie picture/16 months update

I'm so behind in posting pictures from grandparents and other family, so this post is a big catch-up one. (And it STILL won't let me get in ABOVE the picture to type. Blogger, how you torture me! ;))


This was yesterday. I'm SO glad I took his shirt off before feeding him lunch. See the mac 'n cheese in his hair?

At the park last night. The weather was PERFECT!

These are from today.

These are from 5/8.

5/4, I think? I know. They're all mixed up.

Too bad you can't hear the cute little grunts that accompany this kind of thing.

And my little guy was 16 months on Friday!

• Jamie loves to shut doors.

• He's over being so excited to eat "big boy food" that he'll eat anything, and has started to get picky.

• He's pretty much saying "Daddy"--it sounds like "Dai-ee."

• He loves his new friend Jina, our good friend from college who just moved here and is staying with us until she gets her apartment. (She already got a job just days after arriving!)

• He loves to shut doors and tries to squish me into the laundry closet when I'm trying to change loads.

• He walks most of the time now.

• He has TONS of teeth.

• He can often point to or reach for what he wants.

• He may be starting the terrible twos early. He has learned how to whine and screech incessantly. Jason calls him the little banshee.

• He's doing very well having Jina as a roommate. He's hardly had any problems sharing his bedroom with her.

• He loves to throw things, especially food, on the floor. I've been praying for extra patience.

• He loves to carry things around with him while he walks around. Favorites are things with handles he can easily get his little hands around, like a toy hammer and the toilet brush (which has never been used and apparently never will be, because he won't leave it alone).

• Clingier than ever. Mommy and Daddy are his favorites, in that order, and he wants us right in front of him all the time. I was AMAZED yesterday when I left him downstairs while I went to the bathroom (one downside to this place is that both bathrooms are on the second floor) and he DIDN'T start screaming.
• Also, he is weaned from his binky. He kept throwing them all out of the stroller and getting them lost, and by the time we bought more he seemed fine, so we figured he (and we) are probably better off if he quits now, before he can argue with us. :) But I do miss seeing the sweet little suck-suck-suck.
  

I know there's more that I notice each day and then can't remember when I get on here to do this. I'll try to add things when I think of them.

There's A Parable In That

On Saturday we did some shopping, and we took the stroller. Later that night, I thought to myself, I should take the stroller out of the trunk so it doesn't accidentally go to work with Jason on Monday.

What do you think, did I do it or put it off?

I've been going for a 3-mile walk almost every single morning, partly because exercise can be addictive and partly because I would go crazy if I didn't get out and feel a little independent at least that much.

Today I got all dressed in workout gear, had my Nikes on, got my Gatorade bottle full of ice water, and went to put it in the stroller--only to see the empty entryway, and widen my eyes in horror at the recollection that the stroller is still in the trunk and therefore somewhere in Mesa.

I know it's silly, but I was actually fighting tears. I felt trapped, and kind of pathetic. It sucks having to ask for rides when I need to go somewhere, having to miss out on activities at the library, doing all the shopping at night or on Saturday, and not being able to sign up to take meals to anyone from church who needs them because I don't have a way to get there. So my one freedom was at least being able to walk around the neighborhood, listening to my iPod, getting more fit, and breaking up the day for both Jamie and me.

You know what I realized? This situation is a lot like sin; illegal drugs is what first came to mind. I made a decision, and because of it, I gave away some of my freedom. I can exercise at home, and I can maybe take Jamie to the pool later, but I cannot go on the walk that I love to go on. I can't go very far, because Jamie is too heavy to carry and doesn't walk that well yet. I am bound. I nearly did some weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. ;) I've never done illegal drugs, but it's easy to see that they are extremely addictive, and that you give away your freedom to be healthy--to begin with--if you let yourself get sucked into that trap.

Maybe it sounds silly, but it hit me with some force when I first thought of it. Jason took a course for work on illegal drugs the other day and shared with me some of the extremely sobering things that he learned. How grateful I am for modern-day prophets who guide us under the Lord's direction through all the horrifying things that pop up in this world! Parents, learn about drugs so you know what to look for and can better keep your kids safe!

On a lighter note, I did my old Denise Austin Kickboxing VHS, which used to KICK my butt GOOD. It was still a workout, but at the point where I was thinking, whew, I'm getting a little tired. There must be one more combo and then it'll be over, the music slowed down, she told me I did it and I'm awesome, and we started stretching. Cool! I wasn't totally dying! So my walks (with a little jogging thrown in, until I discovered I seem to have shin splints) are really doing something. We don't have a scale, but I know my legs and butt are a little more shapely, and I'm getting a decent tan. It's so nice to do something that seems hard, and then see results.

Jason just called. I sent him a desperate text earlier asking if he could possibly come back after his morning meeting, and since he doesn't have an appointment until 4 p.m., he's actually going to bring some paperwork home and work here. Does that ruin my parable? Well, it's already probably about 90 F outside, and I already did the kickboxing, so maybe not. Kinda funny though.

Reading Aloud

I want to do some catchy tagline that will instantly make all of you want to read this book, but I'm afraid it will just sound stupid.

I took a children's literature class in college, and an earlier edition of this book, in addition to lots of children's books, was our main textbook. (Oh, man. That class was so awesome.) Jamie hasn't been interested in books, which has been frustrating for me (an avid bookworm), so I started reading my copy that I saved, hoping for a little guidance.

This book, surprisingly, is very readable. The author has done and collaborated all sorts of research on the connection between kids reading and succeeding in school--and therefore, in life. Here are a few key points that Mr. Trelease touches on, expands on, and gives interesting and inspiring anecdotes about (with many simple ideas and tips thrown in along the way):

• Kids who aren't read to by their parents or primary caregivers usually don't like reading.
  
  
• Kids who don't like reading aren't good at reading--and the only way to get good at reading is to do it. Which they don't, because they don't like it.
  
  
• Kids who aren't good at reading have a MUCH, MUCH more difficult time succeeding in school, are more likely to drop out, and therefore are more likely to be incarcerated. (Most prison inmates are dropouts and have a low level of literacy, or are illiterate.)
  
  
• You can't start reading to your child too early.
  
  
• You pretty much can't read to your child too much.
  
  
• You don't need flashcards and expensive phonics programs to teach a child to read. You lay the groundwork for reading by reading to your child.

I tore myself away from the book in order to get on the library website and try to find more good audio books to download.

I really recommend reading this book, not just for parents, but for anyone. It's inspiring, enlightening, and motivating. I wish I was better at book reviews, but I'm doing my best. :) Maybe I should be more formal...

BUY THE BOOK!! IT'S AWESOME AND IT'LL TELL YOU HOW TO MAKE YOUR KIDS WAY SMART AND STUFF!!! :D

You can get it new for under $20 and used for around $10 (shipping included) on Amazon.
Take a look, read the book, and I promise you won't regret it!

And if you really just don't want to read the dang book, read aloud to your kids, have lots of printed materials available for them, and let them see you reading!

The Oh-So-Fun Box

Mothers

Okay, it won't let me get in to type at the top. Grrr.

Anyway, I wanted to post a quick tribute to the moms in my life.

I don't know what I would do without my mom. She has been a mom to so many people, blood and non-related alike. She's known as "Mom" to more than one of my friends, and has shown that gentle kindness, interest, and concern for many of them over the years. Some of them, I suspect, didn't get it in their own homes.

If I need someone to tell me I've done a good job, I call my mom.
If I'm annoyed about something and need someone who will be on my side, I call my mom.
My mom loves babies, and I've learned since I had Jamie that people who truly love babies are people who love goodness and innocence.

She never gets impatient with my never-ending requests for her to send me this book or that toiletry that I left at their house, or to read me a certain recipe of hers--while she's trying to cook her own dinner. (Or if she does, she hides it well.)

She is my cheerleader, my advice nurse hotline, the person I can always count on to tell me not to work too hard and to go to bed at a decent time.

And she is a sweet, kind, and incredibly loving grandma to my little boy, as I've always known she would be.

My mom is special. I know that many people agree.

My mother-in-law, Cheryl, is also a very special lady.

She is totally devoted to her family, and her family doesn't end with her husband and kids. Anyone she meets who needs help, compassion, or a listening ear, become family to her, and her love is boundless.

She's an extremely hard worker, who has sacrificed and continues to sacrifice much for those she loves. She is constantly working to improve her mind, her testimony, and her knowledge of all kinds of things. She has a lot of wisdom, and her self-discipline has amazed me many times.

Cheryl and Robert are wonderfully devoted to the gospel. If the bishop or the prophet or anyone else in the Church wants them to do something, they do it--not grudgingly or with an air of it being a favor to the Lord, but unquestioningly and gladly.

And, obviously, she is also a sweet, loving grandma.

I love my mother-in-law so much. I'm so glad I've had opportunities to get to know her better, to learn from her, and to feel the love she and Robert have for me, undeserving as I am.

I love these two women. There's no way to be able to write of all their amazing qualities on one little blog post, and many of them overlap. They're alike in many ways, yet they bring unique gifts to the table, too. I just wanted to let them know how much my little family and I love them, and that the only way we could ever begin to repay all they've done for us is to pay it forward--which is what we're trying to do now with our own son.

We love you, Moms! Happy Mother's Day!

Another giveaway on makeit-loveit.com. Please don't enter! ;)

Ug....

Oh man. I fell asleep in an uncomfortable position in our recliner and it did more harm than good. Do you ever do that, where the sleep makes you feel awful instead of rejuvenating you?  I feel so groggy and out of it, and I've been awake for an hour now.  I was afraid to get in bed and take a better nap for fear that Jamie would wake up from his nap just as I was drifting off and I'd feel even worse.  Now time has passed and I see I probably could have.  Dangit.

I was going to put pics and video up, but Jamie did just wake up. Blaaahhh...it'll have to wait.

Eclipse Trailer

I've been seeing blurbs on blogs (try saying that five times fast) about the Eclipse trailer and how amazing the movie looks.

Really?

Maybe it's because Jason and I have both been listening to the audio book for the last week or so and I'm a little tired of the story. (Did you know that you can get those for free from the library over the internet? At least the Sacramento library. Just request it on their site, they give you a link when it's available, and it's downloadable to your iPod or whatever for two weeks. I already received an email that Breaking Dawn is ready for me. It's pretty awesome.) Anyway. It looked all right. Not amazing, though.

Of course I'll still be going to see it. Of course. It's a Twilight movie. It's fun to have something to look forward to, and I'm happy it's coming out June 30. And I'm happy I'll have friends to go see it with! Jina will be moving here in TWO WEEKS!! We haven't lived near each other since before I got married! I'm so excited!!