Happy New Year

***I started this post at the end of 2013 and so I cannot remember everything I wanted to say, but I had enough of it going I could not delete it***

At the end of every year I do a mental review of what happened, what went well, what I need to do better in the upcoming year, what absolutely sucked, what I want to do differently in the next year........2013 was not a bad year, but it was not the best, it for sure could have been a lot worse, but it also could have been a lot better.

It is hard to recap it all, but somethings that stand out to me are after a year of trying we finally got pregnant with our 3rd baby, we are finally in a place of our own....well its an apartment, but it is ours, Jeff was able to find a nice job in his field of study BEFORE he graduated school, we had a relatively medical free/healthy year, I finally figured out this crochet thing after about 20 years of not understanding it, Payeton sleeps in her own bed all night long (most of the time). 

Jasmin is starting to read and loves it.  We also discovered that she is our Sci-Fi scary movie kind of girl.  Some of her favorite movies include Avatar....not the anime, but the movie with the blue people with tails (as she calls it).  She is also into zombies and vampires.  She loves Monster High and other scary movies. While Payeton is my Strawberry Shortcake, rainbows and butterflies kind of girl.  She HATES scary movies....Hotel Transylvania scares her.  She is a love and very sensitive.  I love that the girls are starting to develop their own personalities and likes.

Both girls are growing like weeds.  They are both 90th percentile plus for height and weight, they are both left handed, they LOVE to watch movies and read books.  It is a punishment to them if we tell them they have to go to bed without a book.  Which does not happen often, but when it does they act like their world is coming to an end and I am THE WORST MOM EVER!!!

I have learned how to be thankful for even the small things in life.  To be grateful for my situation because it could always be worse.  

2013 was not a bad year.....could it have been better?  Of course, but 2013 was our turning point and things are getting better and we are hoping and praying that 2014 only gets better!

Stop Buying and Start Doing.......

So I have serious ADD when it comes to finishing projects. I want this sign

 I cannot tell you (ok I am embarrassed to admit) how many projects I have the materials for and have even started, but have not finished.  We are not talking a few weeks lapse I have fabric or materials for various sewing projects, counted cross stitch projects, Super Saturday projects that I bought a few years ago.  They either sit untouched or unfinished.

I was thinking the other day if I were locked in a room without distractions, plenty of food and water and movies or music for background noise, and ALL the materials I needed to finish each started project or bought for project I would be busy for a couple of years.

Here is just one project I started over a year ago. A quilt for my brother called "Tumbler Quilt".  It is a great quilt to use up the scraps of fabric that are too big to throw away, but not really big enough for anything else.

This is fabric chain sewn together waiting to be cut and ironed.

This is the tub of already cut fabric

I got all of the fabric cut now it is waiting to be ironed and sewing together
to make strips of 4.  I know right now it does make sense but it will later!

I have close to a dozen quilts either started or the fabric has been purchased, I have fabric for crayon rolls, pillow cases, clothes, hot pads/pot holders (it depends on what you call them) and fabric that I bought because it was too cute to pass up.  I have probably 20 + counted cross stitch kits and patterns sitting in boxes waiting to be done and at least 6 started counted cross stitch projects.  I have yarn for different crochet projects......Ok ok I think you get the picture.

Anyways I keep buying and buying and buying and I will start some and soon get bored so I will start another.  I have overwhelmed myself by what I have staring at me to get done.  So my main question is why can't I finish a project?  On the rare occasion that I do finish something it feels soooooooooo good.  A weight is lifted and I can breath until I turn around and see the next project.  Not only do I keep buying I cannot say no to people.  When someone asks me if I can make something for them I always say yes.  I need to learn to either keep my mouth shut or say no.

I have tried banning myself from fabric stores unless I NEED something, but once I walk in I loose self control and come out with more......

I cannot blame anyone for my overwhelmed feelings of unfinished projects, but myself.  I need to attend Unfinished Projects Anonymous!

I just need to not be distracted and finish projects!!!!!!

Distractions......

Ok so I started this post last month......so now I feel the title is even more appropriate.   Life happened, I got distracted, thought I saved what I started.......but I didn't!!!

I have been trying to figure out why I don't have enough time in my day to get it all done.  Now I do realize that some days you do it get all done because the stars align, the moon is reflecting the su. Just right, the gods are on your side....whatever you want to call it.......you are on top of the world.  By the time you fall into bed, you pat yourself on the back and say to yourself...."I am awesome" you feel, like your perfect spouse, the best parent, the best sibling, daughter, etc........but than it seems like you have a day where at the end of the day you think to yourself.....well what did I do today, laundry is not done, we had cold ceral for dinner, the kids made it to bed with the clothes they wore to bed the night before and played in today.......you did not get anything done and can't put a finger on it.........it could have been your kids demanded your attention every waking moment.....you did not get out of bed until noon.....were you distracted? 

I have found a pattern the day I am on top of the world, appointments, made phone calls made, laundry was done and put away, kids did work sheets, house was cleaned, dinner made and ready for my hsivand when he got home, kids bathed.........I think you get the idea......after a "perfect" day it seems the next day......I put kids to bed and I look around at the sink full of dishes......the cereal bowls on the counter from dinner.....I did not even get dressed......I think what on earth did I do today?  Apparently nothing......oh wait yeah I did I pinned 400 new pins on Pinterest, I updated my Facebook status almost every hour, I read everyone else's posts and commented on every single one of my friends, I played my unimportant Facebook games, iPhone games, I watched movies all day, I think I fed my kids lunch or maybe they just out of the snack drawer...all well they ate something....I hope.  I go to bed feeling an inch tall a horrible person, mother and wife.  So as I try not to beat myself up too much I vow to myself tomorrow I won't even touch the computer, I will leave my phone on my dresser, I won't even think about Pinterest.     But it never happens.  

I also get that once in a while we all have lazy days where we never got dressed, the kids watched movies all day, they had cold cereal for all 3 meals and even their snacks, your lucky if dirty dishes even made it to the sink.....everyone needs a lazy day once in a while to recharge or just to snuggle the kids because it has been a long time.....or the kids are extr needy because of not feeling good, or they are cranky or they are clingy and won't let you leave their sight.  

I know the world that I have created in my head......"Leave it to Beaver" world does not exist....but I would like to have something close something so when my husband comes home after 10 + hours at work (some days that does not include commute time) he can have a yummy dinner ready, an almost clean home, kids bathed, etc so when he does get home we can eat dinner and watch a movie or go play or just have snuggle time.

It amazes me at how helpful technology is, how it has improved, how much easier it is to stay in touch with friends and family, you can keep all of your appointments in your phone now and not have to carry around a calendar, how we can have the world literally at our finger tips on our phone, but now it seems we have even more distractions.  Not saying these things are bad, but it is crazy to me that I can sit down and I am going to spend 5 minutes while the kids are eating lunch to catch up on Facebook and the next thing I know the kids have finished eating, watched a movie and my husband is going to be home in an hour and I have no idea what to make for dinner.  I was distracted from spending time with my kids, folding laundry, quickly putting dishes in dishwasher, making dinner, going for a walk outside in the sunshine......whatever it may be.  How did technology take over?  

I laugh at this thought, but there is marrit to it. I wish we were in the 50s again.  You know the time where there were only 5 tv channels, kids played out side until dark, there were no cell phones or computers, etc.  life was hard back then no doubt, but a lot simpler in many aspects....kids were not demanding toys they saw on tv, everyone knew their neighbors, the only time we were able to talk on the phone was at home...etc. ok so maybe we don't have to go as far back as the 50s, but it better illustrates my idea. 

I need to become unplugged, but it is so hard.  Having the world at my finger tips is so handy I can look up anything online and get my answer, but by being attached to my phone I miss out on what my kids are doing, I don't talk to my husband like I should because we are both busy looking at our phones, I even have noticed how irritated I get when I am trying to read a frivolous article online and one of my sweet children asks me a question.  

I am struggling to find a balance in my life.  Technology has been a huge blessing in many ways, but detrimental in others.  Do you remember having all of your friends phone numbers memorized? I do......can you tell me what your husbands phone number is at work? Or what your best friends number is now? I know I can't. Have we stopped making out brains work hard because we can plug it all into our phone. Are we damaging out brains by not making them work?  I think of it as becoming out of shape. I quit working out years ago....life happened, marriage jobs, kids, injuries......I tried to do a basic workout the other day and oh my gosh I have gotten weak and to think a few years ago I could play college soccer for 90 minutes and now I cannot even walk up the stairs without my thighs burning and breathing heavy.....is that what is happening to our brains?  Are we creating Alzheimer's by not working our brains like we used to, like muscle atrophy has set in on my for lack of using my muscles?

Oh look there we go again I got distracted...again....

How do you limit distractions? And not just Facebook distractions, but in general, we are all plagued with our own distractions weather it be technology, talking on the phone, writing, etc.

I have so many things I need to get done and I know if I limited my distractions I would get a lot more done, so why can't I walk away from them? HELP!!!!!!

March ORT

So I thought I had my phone set up to notify me when it was time to post......I was wrong....or maybe it did and I ignored...which I never ignore my alarms and alerts...EVER!!!!  Technology is awesome....if you use it and don't ignore it.  

Anyways, I am late as usual!  SURPRISE!!!!

I am focusing on 2 different stitchings right now.  1 started about 2 years ago and the other one I started about 5 months ago.  

This is an alphabet "sampler".  It is about families and each letter of the alphabet
 depicts a different aspect of the family

My ORT jar

This is one I am turning into a birth sampler for my daughter that was just born

I know it does not look like I have gotten much done, but I have been a little be preoccupied by the newest addition to our family and trying to get caught up on my quilting projects as well.  I have so many unfinished projects it is crazy!

This is the source of about 90% of my distractions right now.
She is 2 months old and is a happy little baby

Now that I have officially joined the stay at home mom world I hope that I might get more done durning the day and have more time to stitch at night. I can hear all the giggles from other moms.....they can stop now....I know I won't have more time for me.  I am a mom of 5 year old 4 year old and 2 month old.........

My three daughters that keep me on my toes and boy do I love them

They all make me want to pull my hair out, but they also provide me hours of entertainment and laughter.  My two older girls have turned into such wonderful helpers that love their baby sister....a little too much!

I am loving my life though!

January TUSAL - ORT

http://itsdaffycat.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-totally-useless-stitch-long-2014.html

A few years ago I stumbled across a blog that I immediately fell in love with.  Part of the blog is motivating us cross stitchers to get projects done.  We use a jar and collect the ORT's (Old Ratty Threads) and put them in a jar or container of your choice and about once a month you take a picture and post even if there was nothing added to the jar.  A lot of people also take a picture of their project(s) and post them as well.  This is fun because when you think you are not EVER going to finish you can look at the pictures and realize how much you really got done.  

I like it because it motivates me to keep going.....even when I am SO DONE with a particular stitching.  And as you collect the ORT's you watch your jar slowly fill up and the colors mixed together is actually kind of pretty.  Some people can fill their jar monthly....however....I am not that lucky.  I think it is because I have a "waste not want not" type attitude when it comes to floss and I use every last bit and so I only add the short small ends.  If I am done with a section and there is enough floss to use later on I keep it......

Ok enough so here is my jar and a stitching I am making into a birth announcement for my newest baby that was born a month ago.  I had every intention of having this finished before she was born, but I had the virus, cold, crap that laid me out for about 6 weeks...the last 6 weeks of pregnancy so I had no energy and desire to do anything...ANYTHING....I forced myself to not beg my doctor to induce me early so I could take medicine.  My cough so was bad it was probably boarder line bronchitis...my mom was thinking walking pneumonia...I lost weight and all because I had no appetite....It was BAD.  Even after the baby was born it took me a couple of weeks for my ears to return to normal.....

Ok sorry for the side note.....I am random...

Back to the topic at hand her is my ORT for January!!!

This is a cute picture of Tigger and Pooh holding Tiggers tale and Piglet is "jumping rope"

I will finish Tigger...I see orange everywhere!!!

Here is my ORT jar.  I am determined this year to fill it. I added a little bit of yarn because I finishing up a crocheting project.

Tonsils

So I was looking at my blog and I was really surprised at how many "drafts" I have.  I started them and got distracted and did not finish them.  This one took place at the beginning of October.  

Jasmin was diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnea....OSA.  Which means her tonsils and adenoids were blocking her air way as she sleeps cause sleep apnea, which was causing her to sleep walk.

We went to Doernbecher Children's Hospital up in Portland.....Our second home it seems like sometimes.  When we were waiting they had some volunteers there helping the patients make beaded necklaces, key chains, bracelets....Jasmin was excited and said she wanted to make one for her sister.  So we got her set up and she was started beading a necklace.

They soon called us back to get her prepped for surgery.  The volunteers were amazing and told her she could take her necklace back and finish it. But as you can tell she got distracted by her own TV!!!! 

After we got through all of the paper work of surgery and asking our questions they gave her Versed...we have nicknamed it the silly medicine because it affects Jasmin in a way that makes her super goofy and gives her the giggle big time.

I had a picture of her necklace where you can tell where she was "normal" and when the medicine started kicking in because her pattern was off.

But here is a short video of just before they took her back to surgery and silly she was being!!

Multiplicity

Today as Jeff is laying bed resting from his ACL and Meniscus surgery that took place on Thursday, as the girls are playing with their V-Tech reading books and the iPad, I sit at my computer wishing I could be cloned, kind of like the old movie Multiplicity.  Only I want one of me to keep scanning documents and I work towards de-cluttering my house of the tubs and stacks of paper.

I would like one of me to finish up laundry.....I just made a new batch of laundry soap today.  I would also like one of me to be sitting and stitching to finish at least 1 of the 6 in progress projects.  1 of me could be finishing up pot holders, a quilt, or a baby blanket or 2.  While another one works on crocheting the last of the wash cloths that I have started.

It is amazing to me how complicated we make life.  I am whining and complaining I know.  But all well.  Sometimes I just feel like I have so many things pulling me in different directions that if I sit and work on one I keep nagging myself.  You should not be working on this you need to be working on that. But if I switch tasks than I feel like I am being pulled towards a different task!

Anyways, that is my randomness for the day and my vent for the day.  I know that getting different projects done will not take one day it will take in some cases months to complete. I just tell my brain to shut up and chip away at the project I chose...only today that is not working!!!