Life With 3, Plus You And Me

Our little family is 5 months in to being a family of 5. Appropriate time to reflect on being a family of 5, no?

So far three kids really has not proven to be that much more of a task than having two. Sure, there are more clothes to keep clean. Sure, my time is a bit more divided. Sure, there is often a baby in our bed come morning. Other than that, not all that much has changed.

Except that Kyle comes home from school so excited to make Keelee laugh, saying he really missed his brother and sister all day long. And Kaleb wants to show her every picture that he draws. And they literally fight over who gets to sit by Keelee in the car. Screw the window, they want to sit by the baby. They take diapers to the trash for me, they wipe her face when she urps, they read stories to her or sing to her to keep her content. They are amazingly wonderful in their big brother roles. Keelee is one lucky little lady.

As far as Larabee and I go, we are in a pretty good groove. He is so helpful to me in so many ways. Even after working a 12-15 hour day, he helps with the kids and the house. He makes my life easier when and where he can. He is a rock star.
We are busy with work, with our family, with friends, and with hobbies. It is a balancing act, but we are so very glad to have added this final addition to our family. She is a complete joy and we are all thankful to have been blessed with her!

Keelee Anne

Keelee has not made her appearance on the blog since birth. That is a total bummer.

On April 9, 2013 Keelee Anne Willey joined our family and we could not be happier! She is such a little doll and has such a sweet, content personality.

And see how cute she is?!

Catching up....again

I finally figured out how to write blog posts from my phone, which should not only make things infinitely easier for me but should also mean that I will actually quite some posts again!

Now I just need to figure out how to put in photos and then I will be golden!

Stay tuned!

Is Raising Children Like Baking Cookies?

Yesterday Kyle helped me make a batch of The World's Greatest Cookies. Since Kaleb had gone fishing with Daddy, Kyle got to help me with every step. I was able to set aside my own well-honed routine and allowed him to really take part in the process. Did it bother me that instead of carefully unwrapping the margarine and letting it roll off the wrapping into the mixing bowl without a mess he chose to fully unwrap each stick, grab it with his hand, and toss it into the bowl? Hell to the yes, it was all I could do to bite my tongue. Did it irritate me that every single ingredient I grabbed he stated "I can do that" instead of asking politely if he could do it? Yes! Most importantly though, did the cookies get done and did they taste awesome? Of course!

This morning I was laying sleeplessly in bed, unwilling to commit to getting my butt out of bed but also unwilling to admit that I was too uncomfortable to go back to sleep. As my thoughts wandered around in my head I had a thought that seemed to require more in-depth thought. Is raising children like baking cookies?

When you set aside time to back cookies you first decide what type of cookie you would like to end up with as your final product, right? Once you decide you want chocolate chip cookies, do you grab a recipe for peanut butter cookies? Of course not, you choose your go-to, tried and true family recipe for awesome chocolate chip cookies. Once the recipe is chosen you then simply follow the directions. You carefully measure each ingredient and add it at the proper time, taking care not to mix the dough to just the right consistency. You set the temperature of your oven with great care as well, knowing that getting the temperature right will keep you from either undercooking or overcooking an entire cookie sheet of yummy deliciousness. You space your cookies out in the sheet and, when the oven has preheated, you place them in the oven, set the timer for the absolute proper amount of time, and trust the oven to handle the rest. When the timer goes off, you remove the cookies, likely let them cool for a bit, and place them on a sheet to cool. If you are like me, you cannot resist trying one or two while they are still warm and fresh. And they are mostly perfection! A few here or there may be too done or not quite done enough, but they are all very good and you do not throw one own for slight imperfection. Let's face it; some people like cookies that are overdone or burnt. And some people like cookies that maintain a level of gooeyness because they were slightly under baked. My point is, there are varying opinions of what the final product should actually be, though they are all chocolate chip cookies.


When we make the choice to have children we are not able to simply decide what type of children we want to have. Even if science has come to the point that gender selection is technically possible, we do not have the option of deciding our final product. Most of us want to produce respectful, smart, successful, contributing members of society. So...where is our recipe?

Some parents believe whole-heartedly that they possess the recipe required to raise their children into the ideal final product. Actually, some non-parents believe in their recipes even more, which is a whole different blog post! What is your recipe? Is it one based in faith or science? Is it a combination of the two? Do you have a one-size-fits-all recipe for all of your children or do you have hand-tailored recipes for each child? What makes your recipe superior to mine, superior to that of your neighbor? Does my faith in my recipe give me the right to make you feel like your recipe is never going to work? Does your belief in your own recipe give you the ability to feel better than other parents about your own skills? Are you still searching for the recipe, believing it exists? Do you hold no illusions that a recipe exists?

All too often it seems that parents are in the Betty Crocker Cook-off, Parenting Edition. When are we all going to wake up and realize that everyone's ideal final product is different, everyone's recipe for achieving the ideal final product is different, everyone's recipe changes and requires adjustment over the course of hands-on parenting, and everyone is desperately trying to appear as if they know exactly what they are doing when they are simply learning through trial and error.

For me personally, I feel that as soon as I feel like I have a rough recipe figured out life comes along and changes it up for us. The recipe may work for a month, it may work for a week, but at some point it will simply stop working and the recipe will need to be tweaked...or thrown out for an entirely new one. I try really hard not to dole out advice about parenting to others who are in the trenches, though that is difficult because it is human nature to give others advice. When someone comes to me seeking out advice, I try to give it with the disclaimer that these are the things *we* have tried and are what works for us *most of the time*. I try not to give advice so much as I try to help people see another approach to a situation that they may not have tried, something that may or may not work but is worth a shot. I fail at this, I know I do. But please, know that I am working on it. When I ask for advice please do not say "what you should do is....", just let me know what you have tried and what has worked for you.

We are all in this together and it is not a competition. Let's help each other succeed.

"Our Perfect Life"....And Other Blogger Lies

Life is just peaches and cream, isn't it? We wake up in the morning to the sun shining and birds singing, our perfectly perfect children asking oh-so-politely for a wholesome breakfast. We jump out of bed, our feet barely hitting the floor and we fawn over our children and whip them up a breakfast fit for princes and princesses. Our children never say anything rude or mean, they never fight, they never makes messes or throw fits. They are always clean and their clothes are never rumpled. Our house is basically a show house, no sign of lives being lived or memories being made, but by-golly it is ready for the photographers from Home Beautiful to stop by for a photo shoot at any time! We never have money problems, acne, aches or pains, issues with family, or fights with our husbands (or wives). Our husbands are perfect and only care that our every happiness is fulfilled. We do not have to try to keep up with the Joneses because, well, we ARE the Joneses.

This is what SO.MANY Mom blogs lead us to believe.

Please, someone gag me with a fork.

Let's talk reality.

Our kids faces are a mess, their rooms remind us of a natural disaster zone, our sink is occupied by dirty dishes we have no desire to take care of, we have baskets of both dirty clothes ready to wash and clean clothes already washed sitting on the floor....and we are not sure which is which, and we are always worried about something.

Life can be peaches and cream, but that is not how it is all of the time. Life is hard. Having children is hard. Just. Be. Honest.

It kills me when people blog about how much they love their children and how pseudo-perfect they are at parenting and showing patience....and then they turn around and whine on Facebook about their situations. Kids are work, or did you not get the memo? But you know what? Cherish it! Some days it is damned hard to cherish it, we all know that. Take the time to cherish your life and your children and make the most of it every day. And hold off on the perfect life blog posts please. Being gagged with a fork hurts!

And right now I am going to sit on the floor in the kitchen and put together a HUGE puzzle with the two little Tasmanian devils we call our sons, all the while leaving at least one heaping basket full of clothes to fold and a sink full of dirty dishes to be put into the dishwasher. Because that is how we roll.

Random Information About Yours Truly

If I could, I would sleep until 11:00 every single morning simply because I am a night owl and I seem to get my most restful sleep after 8 am.

My life is so different today than I would have ever pictured it 5 or 10 years ago. And I am humbly grateful for that.

I would really like to move out of the country, if only for a little while. Australia...maybe South America.

Having our first child scared me to death.

Having our second child scared me to death.

Having our third child is currently scaring me to death.

Being a Mom scares the holy living shit out of me. It is so much responsibility on so many levels.

I prepare an Arby's Roast Beef sandwich the same way I always have. I dissect it, put half the meat back on the sandwich, add ketchup and horsey sauce, put the rest of the meat on it, add more ketchup and horsey sauce, then put the top bun back on. That is the only way I will eat it.

The older I get the less I give a crap about what people think. Or maybe it has more to do with getting busier.

The older I get the more selective I have become in choosing friends. I am blessed with friends that have been by my side for...oh, 20 years. Those friends are simply family. I have friends I have met more recently that I would not know what to do without. If I am friends with someone it is because I genuinely want to spend time with them, not just because they are someone who lives close-by and the friendship is convenient.

If I could go work with the guys from Antique Archaeology every day I would probably be in heaven. That kind of stuff is in my blood and it is genetic for sure. Our boys will sit and watch "the junk show" (their term, not mine) all day long.

Even though it is not fancy and flashy I would not trade my engagement and wedding band for something more extravagant if you paid me.

I would, however, wear something awesome on my right hand!

I have a 'thing' for argyle.

I have a 'thing' for cookie dough.

I have a 'thing' for mushrooms sauteed in butter.

I genuinely love to cook, when I have the time.

I am sure I will think of more, but now it is time for bed!

Pseudo-homeschooling

Homeschooling. It is a topic that has laid on my heart for a long time. If I am entirely honest with myself, it is a concept that I have felt drawn to since before we even started a family. For some reason, a reason that is not entirely known to me as of yet, it is something that simply feels...right for our family.

Kyle is so much like me it is just silly. He has an extreme love for learning, is passionate about the information he is given, and wants to gain knowledge simply for the sake of knowing things. He is so much like me it is scary. There is rarely enough information to satisfy his curiosity and he has a wonderful ability to understand concepts on a very deep level very quickly.

Kaleb has a different way of going about things a lot of the time, but he is just as hungry for knowledge and passionate about learning as his big brother is. He sometimes prefers to learn by watching and processing what he is hearing rather than going the '50 questions in 60 seconds' route, but he retains information like Larabee does. I swear my husband's brain is a safe; he retains knowledge and information much more efficiently than I do.

I am a Mom just like any other Mom; I want my children to have the very best education they can. I want them to be well-rounded and knowledgeable on many subjects. I want them to be able to have intelligent conversation about those topics rather than rattling off a series of memorized facts. I want their education to have meaning above and beyond what the Government of the United States and/or the State Government deem fitting. I want their education to have purpose beyond a simple cookie-cutter education.

Perhaps homeschooling is the solution we are looking for. Perhaps it is not. One this is certain amidst all of the fretting; it will be a scary and exciting ride no matter what we choose!

I would love to hear your thoughts, opinions, and advice on the matter! Leave a message below if you would like; I generally do not bite!

Catching Up

I am still here. We are all still alive. I have just allowed the hectic lives we seem to lead pull my attention away from this blog!

I guess this post will be a simple catch up post. A lot has changed in the past year after all.

Things that have been going on for me in the past year.

• I got a promotion at work.
• I learned how to do a whole new job on top of what I already took care of.
• I was very involved with Head Start program in Stanley.
• I became an active board member for the Stanley Commercial Club. I love it!
• My craft business has been growing and doing really well. I am excited to see how much more I can do with it!
• I have made new friends.
• I have strengthened friendships that I value.
• I got my fish tank back.
• I became known as the Fish Hitler by my husband because of how many fish have died on my watch.
• (We have  terrible water for fish-keeping here, so it is a whole new learning process. Give me a break!)
• I got my sewing machine(s) back!
• I became an Auntie again!
• I got news  that I am going to be an Auntie again this June!
• I became a homeschooling Mom, though it is not really official just yet.
• I am now a work-from-home, homeschooling, business-owning Mom. It is daunting.

Things that have been going on for Larabee in the past year.

• He has worked a crap ton of hours per week every week that he has not taken vacation. A crap ton. That is a lot, by the way.
• He has been given more responsibilities at work and is now a Foreman.
• He went fishing every chance he could this summer. We ate lots of yummy meals thanks to his love/obsession with fishing.
• He started taking the boys with him when he goes fishing. Both boys. Without my help. He is a superhero in my book!
• I did go one time and it was fun, but I personally think we need a bigger boat!
• He got himself back into the dog business. This time it is a bird dog and not a hound, but he is happy to be involved in a dog sport again. Penny is a Brittany Spaniel and she is just a great dog all around!

Things that have been going on for Kyle this year.

• He went to Head Start 4 full days per week until the Minot head office closed down the program in Stanley.
• He went to daycare a bit and while he liked it, I was unimpressed with the things he picked up in that environment. We pretty much decided daycare was not for us.
• He learned how to swim entirely on his own with no floatation devices.
• He got a bigger bike and is a total hot-shot on it.
• He started Wee Care, a local preschool program.
• He made the decision to stop going to Wee Care and to start homeschooling.
• He learned how to read. Or, is in the process at the very least. He is doing really well and is a self-starter who never wants to stop doing schoolwork. I wonder where he gets that?

Things that have been going on for Kaleb this year.

• He mastered dressing himself, even his socks!
• He became a big boy...aka, became potty trained. That happened December of 2011, but it still counts.
• He got a big-boy bike and learned how to pedal it like a pro.
• He learned his colors, his ABC's, and how to count.
• He learned that he loves to draw and color.
• He went to daycare while Kyle was in Wee Care. He was the victim of a 'biter', and we were not that impressed. Again, daycare is not really for us.

Things that have been going on for our whole family this year.

• We made the decision to add another little one to our family. We were originally going to try to conceive baby #3 in January, but we were unsure of what our futures held and decided to wait a bit. We held off until June and conceived in July!
• We made the decision to stay in North Dakota for the semi-long-term.
• We bought a home in North Dakota. Well, we bought it in Minnesota and moved it to North Dakota. It got here in June and we love the extra space!
• We traveled home to button things up and put our home on the market. Going home solidified our decision to stick it out in North Dakota for a while. We spent two great and busy weeks at home and enjoyed ourselves a ton.
• We conceded that 'home' is now more North Dakota than it is Idaho. At least for now.
• We built a shed and a fence and skirted our new home. We worked sun up to sun down for months to get everything done before winter.
• We found out that we are having a baby GIRL!
• We freaked out when we found out we were having a baby girl!
• We are so excited that we are having a baby girl!
• We had a 'gender reveal' at the boys' birthday party. The boys and everyone else were shocked that baby #3 is a girl, though Kyle will tell you he knew all along.
• We got to celebrate Christmas in our new home. Our first 'real' Christmas ever, complete with a tree and an elf that visited the boys for the month of December.

I am probably forgetting more than I wrote. I guess that happens when you never update your blog. I am trying to be better. Honest.

To Judge or Not to Judge

The friends I have here in North Dakota are wonderful. Two of my friends I met at the local coffee shop/thrift store. Yep. They combine them here; that is now North Dakota rolls. It rocks. Anyhow, these ladies are blessings from God and I thank Him regularly for allowing our paths to cross.  Two of my other friends I met through CMG; one is the wife of Larabee’s supervisor and the other is the wife of my ex-supervisor. Again, I am so thankful to have them in my life. In fact, I am thankful that they are not only in my life but in the lives of my husband and our children as well.

With Kyle being in Head Start I really thought it would be a great opportunity to make friends with some of the other Moms, that way play dates would be easy to get. When I started working more during the day I became completely disinterested in making friends with my fellow HS parents because I simply had no time to do so. Of course, we exchange pleasantries outside of the room while waiting for the kiddos to get done with their day. We say hi to each other in the store or at the post office. Very superficial, very low maintenance.

In all of the time I have ‘known’ some of the other parents, I will admit that I have formed some pretty solid opinions about what type of people they are. I try really hard not to judge others, especially if I do not know them in any way. I guess it is a bit harder not to judge someone if you feel you know them on some level, no matter how little you really know them. Additionally, I guess I somehow forgot that judging is judging. Voicing your judgmental opinions to others? You are judging people. Thinking judgmental thoughts? Yep….still judging people. Just because you do not say it out loud does not make it any less wrong.

Anyhow, the mother that has been bearing the brunt of my internal judging is the reason I am writing this post. Up until today I knew that she has 5 children; one son and one daughter (I think) older than her son in HS, her son in HS, a daughter who is a bit older than Kaleb, and a baby girl born about 3 weeks ago. The oldest two have the same dad, which I believe was her first husband. The youngest 3 have the same dad, who is still in the picture and who is her boyfriend. She seems to be an….unenthusiastic mother on many levels, and not just because she has so many kids or just because she just had a baby. She just seems sort of ho-hum about the whole parenting thing. See. Judging.

Today, while waiting for the kids to get out of class, we started talking and somehow our conversation led to her years growing up. Recently there was a lice outbreak at the school, of which this mother knew nothing. She said that she had lice a few times growing up and that it was terrible. Then she said that when you are living in a group home nobody can make fun of you for having lice because it is likely all the kids there have lice.

Wait a minute; back the truck up. Group home? I just nodded and let her keep talking, which essentially meant she told me that she grew up in the Denver ghettos and was in and out of group homes and foster care basically her whole childhood.

Ok. So maybe this woman views parenting differently than I do. Does that give me the right to judge her? So she is a little ho-hum….but maybe that is just her personality. Maybe she is WAY more patient than I am and is, ultimately, a better mother than I am for it. Or maybe, just maybe, parenting is not a damn contest that we are all automatically entered into when we bring new life into this world. Maybe we should all just leave each other alone and stop judging every gosh darn little thing the other does or does not do exactly as we think it should be done.

That 5 minute conversation began innocently and then lead to her sharing a bit more about herself, which made me feel like a loser for having preconceived notions about her…oh wait…. I mean JUDGING her when I really had no idea who she was or what she was about. I got a very good reality check today. I need to be a nicer person and think nicer things about people.

In all honesty, she is a great Mom. Her childhood was unstable and very difficult. She might have 5 kids by two fathers, but she takes care of all of her kids. They are home with her every night. They are fed and clothed and clean and healthy. They are well-mannered and kind children. She is doing a good job. She is not following the same path that her own Mom did. Her children are not scattered to the wind.

She is someone I would like to know more about.

She is someone I would be honored to call my friend.

Now I am off to work on becoming nonjudgmental in my own mind.

Pray for me.

**Edited to clarify that I did not mean to imply that having children by different fathers is 'bad' or something that should be judged. I meant to imply that many people would judge others because of something like that. Her Mom had 4 kids by one father, so I guess that was in my mind too; that she was different than her Mom in that way.

Twice the Fun!

Who is a little trooper? Who has been excessively accident prone? Who is always up for a cuddle? Who doles out a multitude of faces, each of which is perfectly timed and suited to his current situation?

THIS GUY!

 

 

After a birthday dinner of….well, I don’t remember what I made in all honesty….Kaleb got to open one present. He only got to open one because his birthday PARTY is actually on the 4th of December rather than on the 21st of November. We decided to combine the boys’ parties again this year so there will be more pictures and fun to document that wondrous occasion.

Anyhow, Kaleb was thrilled to get the movies Bolt and Despicable Me. He did not even want to watch them or de-plastic-ifcate them. He just wanted to look at them and ‘read’ them and hold them. I am so glad that he was so happy!

In the last year of Kaleb’s life we have done so much, all the while seeming as if we have done so little. I think we got so accustomed to the faster paced life of Salt Lake that North Dakota seems incredibly dull. Nonetheless, we have had a great year and this little man has grown and blossomed into such a remarkable boy!

 

Kaleb,

You have been my little snuggle bug from day one. I adore that about you, especially since it makes me feel like you might be willing to stay my baby for just a bit longer. I will take the snuggles for all of eternity. Please do not ever get stingy with them. Even when you are 40, I want hugs from my baby! This year was a big year for you! Being one is full of milestones and hurdles, some that are fun and exciting and some that are harder to manage. One of the biggest milestones you hit this year was giving up breastfeeding. I know when you read this at 14 you will be repulsed and embarrassed, but lets face it: you were a hard-core booby baby! I never thought you would give it up without a fight, but we slowly cut out feedings and by the time you were 15 months old you moved on without much fuss.

I was so proud of you!

And I was also much more emotional than I ever expected! I missed our snuggle time and thought it would go the way of the 8 track player. What? You don’t know what an 8 track is? Well, sweetheart, neither do I. We will google it when you get older. Anyway, my fears were unwarranted and unfounded because the snuggles kept coming, thank GOD! Lord knows there are days that I need a good Kaleb snuggle.

Another milestone you hit this year was learning how to run. You finally decided you just HAD to keep up with the older kids and POOF! Away you went, like a rocket. Every time you ran your entire face would light up, as if you had discovered some fantastic and well-kept secret the rest of us were just dying for you to discover. You were, all of a sudden, completely in on that secret. You were in the club. You were adorable!

As the second child, or perhaps simply as yourself, you were a boy of few words for quite some time. You rarely complained, hardly ever cried, and were just plain content with watching the world unfold before your eyes. Oh buddy, how things have changed! You found your voice, realized you have opinions, and threw caution into the wind and began expressing yourself. This newly discovered and daily improving skill has given me laughter worthy of a world class comedian and the exasperation of a Mama who has an increasingly sassy little boy.

(In case you did not catch it, that sassy little boy is you Kaleb. Come on kid, keep up!)

You are sweet, charming, cuddly, cute, impulsive, careful, observant, action-packed, smart, sassy, silly, precious, brilliant, fabulous, fantastic, and ALL OURS!

Everything you are and everything you do is cherished by a great many. You are very well loved our son, and will always be as loved as you can stand to be. My heart desperately hopes you are as open to all of the love that presently surrounds and engulfs you for your entire life!

My darling son, may being two be twice as nice as being one!

Just do not hurt yourself twice as much now as you did when you were one.  My nerves and your little noggin cannot handle it!

We love you darling, from now to eternity!

Love Mama, Daddy, and Kyle

"The Big One" craft show in Minot, ND

This evening I just finished up 11 of my books and they are ready to send out to their (hopefully) adoring new owners. Today, while at my sister's house, I created a few hundred bookmarks that are now ready to laminate. I am gearing up for my next two shows and getting orders out from the last show. Then I remembered that my Mom told me she was disappointed that my last post did not go into more detail about The Big One last weekend. Ok Mom, here ya go.

In late September (I think) sometime I decided to give the people at The Big One a call to see if a) they still had any booths available and b) what it would take for me to get into this show because it is juried. For those of you who do not know, a juried show usually requires that you bring or send in examples of items that you create and sell. Those in charge of the show then scrutinize your items and decide among themselves if they wish for you to participate in their craft show. That made me so nervous, just thinking about people sitting together in a room picking apart my creations! Oi! In fact, I had considered applying for the show mid-summer, but decided against it because of the entry fee ($120) and the fact that it was juried. Well, I gave them a call anyway, last minute (in my opinion) and all. After speaking with the gentleman in charge I learned that they did, indeed, have a few spaces still available. He hesitantly asked what I make, fully expecting me to say "jewelry". If that would have been the case I would have been turned down because they had so many jewelers this year. When I explained to him that I make laminated magnetic bookmarks and laminated children's educational books he got very excited! I asked if I should bring in samples of my work and he said it was not necessary at all and mailed me an application that afternoon. When I filled out the application I did give them my etsy shop address, just in case they wanted to check it out.

Not a week after I sent in my application I got a letter back with my booth number, instructions, and information. My first thought was "woohoo!". My second thought was "what did I get myself into?!?!" I had been to two VERY small craft shows up until that point, and while I did fairly well I knew instantly that I did not have enough product to make it through this large craft show. I got to work immediately, making bookmarks like a crazy person. Life happened and about 2 weeks before the show I got terribly sick. Awful. Horrendous. I was so sick! I lost a week's worth of prep time and the kids got sick too. Blah!

After I came into the recovery phase of my sickness I got the idea that instead of my books being strictly made-to-order I would make a few ready to sell books with me. A few turned into 20, and 'just a few more bookmarks' turned into hundreds more bookmarks. I had bookmarks and books overtaking our itty bitty trailer! Well, they are pretty small, so maybe not overtaking. Still, it was a lot more product than I have ever had on hand.

When the first day of the show came I met my sister in Berthold (20 minutes from Minot) because she had graciously offered to take the boys overnight and deliver them back to me in Minot the next evening. How awesome is that?! After dropping the kiddos off I made it into town, ran a few last-minute errands, and got to the fairgrounds. When I saw how HUGE the building was I nearly ran away! There were so many booths and vendors it was insane! After a lot of huffing and puffing I got my stuff to my booth. After looking at the other vendors' booths I realized that I had very few things to haul around, and for that I was very thankful. 15 minutes later I was all set up and ready to do business. Things were slow at first; a lot of lookers, a few that asked me about the bookmarks, but no purchases. I was not too worried because a lot of people walk around and check everything out before they pull out their wallets. I did start to get worried when the lady next to me had gotten 5 or 6 sales and I was still at 0.

Things started picking up about 45 minutes after they started and they did not slow down the rest of the day! My friend and co-worker, Sasha, came by to allow me a potty break and to hang out for a bit. I loved spending that time with her and greatly appreciated the help. My friend Laura also came by to help for a bit. You will hear more about this wonderful woman in a future post. I feel so blessed to have friends who are willing to take the time to help me; you all mean the world to me!

Friday was hectic and crazy, but according to the other vendors Saturday was the big sales day. As things began winding down Friday evening I started looking over my inventory. I had sold 15 of the 20 books and probably 65-70% of the bookmarks I had taken with me. I had some more bookmarks ready to put the magnets on, so I sat down at every possible moment and put those together. The adhesive needs to cure overnight, so I knew they would be ready by morning. I finished up 80 bookmarks Friday evening and hoped it would be enough!

Ahh! I might have screamed a bit. But only just a little. Maybe.

I went home, slept, got up 20 minutes late, made it there, got set up on time, and prepared myself for another day. I cleaned up the bookmarks I had completed the prior evening and put them out on display. I tried to make may my now-sparse book table look more appealing, which never really worked. I processed some sale, took a few orders for books, and thanked God that my sister in law Ancela was kind enough to come in and spend nearly the entire day helping me! She is such a natural, honest saleswoman that I probably owe more than one sale to her! Thanks Ancela!

Saturday actually ended up being much slower than Friday. The news had predicted a snow storm on Saturday that was to bring between 3" and 6" of snow, so that may have been why. Or it might have been the beautiful weather and perfect blue skies. Darn those weathermen! One neat thing about Saturday was the fact that I had several repeat customers from the day before. Some wanted one more bookmark, some wanted a few more, and a great many brought their friends to check out the booth. Many of those friends made purchases as well. I love networking! And I love that the customers seemed happy with their purchases enough to encourage friends to purchase items from me as well.

I did make it through Saturday with inventory to spare, though I was worried until about noon. I made just over $500 too, which was nice. I am still in shock at how well I did. It fills me with great pride to know that I DID THAT! I MADE THOSE! I CREATED THAT PROCESS! I love my job!

After the show Ancela and I met up with Bobbie, Tom, and the boys at the Hibachi Grill for Chinese food, my treat. It was awesome! I went home Saturday night a very content woman with a head full of ideas on how to expand my business. I cannot wait to act on some of those ideas!

Underpaid Overtime

This Mama has been working a lot of overtime the past few weeks. A part to 3/4 time to full time job, a small business, and two small children should be enough to keep anyone busy. Most of the time I can handle it without any problem. Sometimes I struggle, but who doesn't!? Throw in horrid sickness and a few craft shows and things get very interesting!

In the past month or so I have been preparing for The Big One craft show in Minot, ND. I had no idea what to expect except that it was supposed to be pretty busy and, obviously, the largest craft show I had ever done. OK, no problem. Piece of cake. Then it happened. I. Got. Sick. Gah!

Moms are not supposed to get sick. It is in the handbook. Underlined. And written in RED. It is contractual and from what I under...Wait! This just in! Moms are allowed to get sick after all. We just have to keep on doing what we do while we are sick. Oh. I guess I should read the fine print!

Anyhow, whatever unnamed illness (or illnesses) I ended up with it certainly took hold of my body with a vengeance. I, of course, helped it along by providing an exhausted body from lack of sleep. Apparently one should NOT see 3:00 a.m. quite so often as I do. I ended up all but laid out for 5 days with a 103 fever that would only ever go down to 101.5 with medicine. Once I started feeling better the boys started feeling like poo. Poor Kyle got sick, lost his voice like I did, and ended up with a rash that covered his whole body! He was out of school for a whole week and did not like that one bit. Kaleb never got it too bad but I think he is dealing with teething at the same time.

I tell you, it was rough when I was sick. It is downright devastating when our kids were sick. Every cough followed by a cry, indicating a terribly sore throat, broke my heart. Every time Kyle asked why he had spots all over him I just wanted to take them onto my own body so he would not have to be concerned anymore. Getting up every two hours with a crying, miserable child is not a hardship at all, even when I did not get to bed until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning. Who cares if Mama only gets two or three hours of sleep? Not I. Who cares if Mama can get in to work to get paperwork done? Not I. Who cares if the craft show is looming? Not I. I just wanted to make them better. All I could offer was medicine to soothe the pain and lots of hugs and cuddles to ease their minds. They come first. Period.

Now that we are all well and the craft show is over I can see that it was really no big deal. The craft show was amazingly successful and I cannot wait to do another. I have a more well-rounded idea of what to expect at larger shows and I am currently in the process of formulating new products. I figure I am on a roll and I have gained a bit of momentum; now is NOT the time to slack off! I have to strike while the iron is hot! Bring on the late nights and the underpaid overtime! After the kids are taken care of and everything is as it should be I shall craft until my fingers fall off! I just hope that this time I do not let myself get sick. Perhaps I should start taking vitamins again..... :)

Busy Busy Life

This is pretty much a boring post. I have been super busy with work and Purely Chic Designs and traveling and the kids. That is life and I love it!

I have been creating left and right for my business and I am really enjoying it. I have two shows coming up and I am very nervous! I want to have enough product on hand and I want to have things that appeal to everyone. I hope that the books go over well, especially since they are definitely more profitable than the bookmarks in overall dollar value.

Other than that I am just trying to stay on this crazy ride we call life :)

How to make him understand

My lovely and wonderful friend Tiffany just gave birth to her second child, their sweet baby boy Kaden Douglas James Fuller. He is a child that was longed for, fought for, prayed for, and probably bargained with God for. At no time in his life will he ever be able to think for one second that he is not wanted or loved. I cannot wait to meet him and, though I was not able to be at the birth, was thrilled to be on speakerphone at the time of his birth and able to hear his first cries! Ah, what a glorious sound! I am so thrilled that they were able to add to their family, no doubt about it!

 

Start Rant:

Sitting here this evening I am, of course, haunted by baby fever. I have had baby fever for months and months. I desperately want another child and I feel our family is not complete. I am so thankful for our boys, they are my world. I am actually happy that they are both out of the baby stage because there is added freedom to having two children who can walk and talk. Kaleb, I feel, is in the beginning stages of wanting to potty train and I am thrilled. At the same time, I have always pictured my life with more children. Never did I ever, at any time, think that I would ‘only’ have two kids. I do not want to seem ungrateful at all, and I know I probably sound whiny and immature, but I do not care. We have talked about becoming involved in foster care when we move back to Idaho and I would still love to do that, but would we ever adopt any of those children? Would I be able to deal with the potential problems that could come from adopting a 2 year old who’s birth mother was a drug addict while pregnant with the child? Would I still feel and empty spot in my heart, the way I do now?

 

Larabee and I came to an agreement several months ago that if I could make $500 a month from home we could have another baby. I am into my third month of making well over $500 a month from home. When I brought it up with him I was shut down. He now says that the $500 a month has to be able to be sustained when we move back to Idaho. What?! That was never part of the deal! Sustainable, sure, but not “Unless you can count on it for 25 years it does not meet the requirements of our deal”. I feel like he threw down a challenge, I met (exceeded) the challenge, and then the deal was revoked. I feel as if he defaulted on our deal. He declared bankruptcy on our family’s future.

 

The economy is still in the crapper, there are very few jobs at home. Those that are available are seasonal to VERY seasonal. We both have good jobs here, we have the opportunity to stay here a few more years and build our savings significantly, and it just seems like the logical and practical thing to do. I know that we have been away from home for a long time and we both miss our house and North Idaho and our old lifestyle. I also know that he brought me to North Dakota and now I have a life here, Kyle is starting school here, my sister is having a baby, and I have very good friends. It was his decision to come here and I feel as if I did not have a say in that decision. Now, when decisions about the future need to be made, I feel as if I still have no say. I do not necessarily want to stay here but I certainly do not want to go home to poverty. I do not want to be ‘kid poor’, but I want one more child. Our children have nice clothes (almost exclusively purchased used, and Kaleb wears all of Kyle’s old clothes for the most part), they are well fed (home cooked meals, not take-out), and they are happy, healthy, and smart. I feel as if I am a pretty good mom and that Larabee is a pretty good Dad. I know he is not against more kids, just against the financial burden they can bring. Have I not proven that I am personally unwilling to spend more on the care of our children than is practical? Have I not struck out and gotten a job even though I have 2 children full time and a small business to run? Have I not shown that I am willing to go the extra mile to take care of what needs taken care of? How can such a big life decision be at his whim alone?

 

Why do I have to be such a whiner? Because it is something I want, something I am not going to un-want. I really doubt he or I would ever regret having another child once the child was here, but I know I would always regret NOT having another child. I really fear that I would eventually hold it against him in a very big way, even though I would try very hard not to. This is not a diamond ring I am talking about, this is not a fancy home, this is not a lavish vacation. I am taking about a living, breathing, loving reason for even being alive. It is not a passing desire, a fleeting wish that will blow in and out like the wind. Nope, it is here to stay. I certainly do not want to cause problems for us or our relationship, but in all honesty, his deal-breaking and backing out on something he agreed to without trepidation are causing problems of their own. The deal he made with me was agreed to under free will and I rose to the challenge, so sue me.

End Rant………………

I am having a very hard time with this…..

A Day at the Zoo

Grandma and Grandpa came to North Da-cold-a Dakota for Auntie Ancela’s graduation, so on Monday the 16th of May we decided to take the kiddos to the zoo. Ancela’s friend needed a hand with her 3 kids, so we figured the more the merrier. Damian, Anna, and Mason joined us for the fun!

 

Here is a picture of Kyle and Damian in the penguin cut-out. Are they not adorable? Maybe I should have the boys dress as penguins for Halloween, complete with pants they cannot walk in. That would be funny. And short-lived. Hmmm. Maybe I will come up with something else.

Kaleb got a bit tired since he donated his stroller to Mason for the day. What a kind-hearted little boy! (As if he had anything to do with the decision….but just go with it!) Grandpa was kind enough to give him a lift. This photo would have been extra funny if Grandpa’s undies were showing too, but he tucks his shirt in. SOOOO sorry I could not give you more of a laugh. Maybe that is a good thing though.

Next was the mini-merry go round! This was a hit for the boys. Anna rode too but she lost interest after a round or two. Kyle, Kaleb, and Damian were thrilled with a capital thrilled!

All 4 kids! Yay!

We visited the leopards. If you look closely through the various layers of chain link fence you can see them snoozing in the background. Lazy kitties. For this picture I pulled out the big guns to try to get the kids to ALL smile at the same time. I YELLED “FART!” Yeah….Damian looks impressed, Kyle looks silly, Anna looks shocked and dismayed. Good job Lisa, sheesh!

So then we tried for making kitty sounds. Kyle won because he not only made the sound but he also acted it out. There was NO preferential treatment in deciding the winner in this case. In fact, there is no prize so it does not matter a snit. Oh yeah, and I took the picture, so I am the Judge and Jury on this one. Sorry kids!

Such a precious little lion. Entirely too precious. I must go kiss that face NOW! Except he is sleeping like an angel right now, completely the opposite of the little….um….not-so-angel he was acting like earlier today. I think I will mentally kiss him and call it good. Better to just let that cranky kitty sleep!

 

This one I WILL go kiss right now. He will not wake up. Well, he might. He will just tell me to leave him alone because he is trying to sleep, but when I tell him I love him he will reply with a sleepy, adorable, loveable, kissable “I love you too Mom”. These are the kinds of things that make life worth living. Like, totally!

And….because I am nice and because he is just funny and silly and precious even when he is being a not-so-angelic little boy, here is the silly precious lion. What a face!

Since December…..

Slacker. Lazy bum. Stingy.

 

No, none of the above.

 

Lacking time is more like it!

 

My last post was in December….and it is almost June. This post will get you all caught up in a jiffy!

 

Since December…….

….we have survived the worst North Dakota winter since 1970. In our RV. With small children. I am sensing a round of “I will survive” coming on! In fact, maybe I should try out for Survivor! They would never pick me because I am too capable.

….February 10th Kaleb burned his little arm on the inside of the oven. It has healed marvelously but it was very hard to see him in pain.

….February 15th Kaleb tipped over in a kid’s chair at the library and bit *almost* all of the way through his tongue. The poor kid was just falling apart!

….we went home at the end of February to attend our mediation with Allstate. Things got settled, we were able to move forward with our lives, and we celebrated with Lobsterfest at Red Lobster!

….I did schoolwork. A lot of schoolwork. And many exams. And had lots of late nights paired with early mornings. “I will survive”?

….we made some good friends!

….Kyle learned how to swim all by himself!

….Kaleb learned how to run, and boy is he good at it!

….Kyle never stopped talking. Since December. Ever. Even in his sleep.

….Kaleb has not only learned how to talk but has become much more understandable.

….Larabee has worked and worked and worked. He even put in some 23 and 24 hour days, which is just plain crazy!

….I graduated from LCSC with my Bachelors in Business Administration with a Psychology minor!!! I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.89 GPA. My Mom also graduated with the same degree, except she graduated Suma Cum Laude….the stinker! I am so proud of her!

….We went home for graduation and got to spend a fantastic week with Tara, Zack, Macie, and Ava! Tara and I needed that!

….On both trips home Grandma Agnes came up to see us! It is so nice to have such a great mother in law!

….Sasha had her baby! Braxton is such a little cutie!

….Tiffany found out she was pregnant! Well, maybe she found out in late December….I do not remember! But that does not matter because Kaden will be here in about 3 months!

….We had some drama. Said drama did not originate from us, but it engulfed our lives nonetheless. “I will survive”???

….Spring finally came…sort of. Maybe. I will just leave this one out for now.

….I began looking at Masters programs offered at U of I. And then I told myself I was crazy and finished my homework.

….I started making laminated magnetic bookmarks and selling them on etsy.com! So far it has gone pretty well, though I now have some more ideas in the works!

 

****Shameless plug: Here is the etsy address! http://www.etsy.com/shop/PurelyChicDesigns    Check it out!

 

All in all we have been doing just fine. I promise to keep up on the blog posts from now on and not let 6 months go by without one!

And I will do some with pictures…but right now, I have 2 little boys to play with!

Oh, to be Three!

Three years. That is approximately 1,095 days of being your Mama. Where has the time gone? Though three years may not seem like a very long time to some people, three years has been a lifetime for you. Three years ago I learned what it really meant to live, to love, and to give of myself completely. Three years ago I felt defeat as Dr. Woodall, bless his heart, confirmed that I would indeed be having you via c-section. Three years ago I felt terrified at the thought of a c-section, but much more terrified at the thought that something could happen to you if I did not put on my big-girl panties and head to the operating room. Three years ago, my heart ceased to reside in my chest and instead took up residence in all that is you. 

Your young life has been atypical, especially compared to most children your age. You have lived in one house for nearly all of your life, but in several different states and cities. You may wake up in North Dakota, Utah, Texas, or Wyoming, but you almost always go to bed in the same room. Through all of the travels and the changes, you have thrived. You know that as long as you are with Mama and Daddy everything is fine, which is just as it should be.

You are determined, defiant, kind, pesky, loving, irritating, generous, loud, well-spoken, intelligent, inquisitive, a know-it-all, a wonderer, and a bit dangerous if left to your own devices (think….mascara and baby gas medicine….). You are all of the things that a preschooler should be.

You are NOT mean, unkind, angry, spiteful, or rude. You have a good heart and a kind soul. You are a joy, but you also know how to test one’s patience. You are so mature in some ways that it makes it hard to remember that you are still only three.

At this point in your life you LOVE your cars, you adore your brother, and you could spend all day every day swimming. You squabble with Kaleb here and there, but you are the first to rush to his aide if you think he is hurt or in trouble. This is especially funny if he is in trouble with Mama or Daddy (mostly because he is getting into the dog water dish); you tell me, with all the conviction you can muster, “Don’t tell MY brother NO” or “Leave my brother alone!” This is even funnier when Kaleb is not in trouble at all, but you want to make sure that he is protected. I hope and pray that you always carry that protective spirit, not only for your brother, but also for those who cannot stand up for themselves for whatever reason. It takes moxy to stand up for others, but in doing so you show that you are willing to step out of the bounds of comfort to come to the aide of another. That, my boy, is a fine quality and one to be proud of.

As much as it exhausts your Mama and Daddy to be riddled with billions (and yes, I really do mean billions) of questions every day, I absolutely LOVE that you really do want to know everything about everything. I adore that, even at three, you are not satisfied with simple answers meant for children your age. I am often frustrated with myself because I feel so unprepared for all of these questions; you expect me to have all of the answers! I am honored that you have that much confidence in me, but at the same time, I cannot wait until you are old enough to help me look up the answers. I pray you never loose that inner drive to know more, learn more, and be more.

Three years. 1,095 days and counting. An absolute lifetime. I can vaguely remember my life before you came into this world, back when I could sleep in as late as I wanted on a day off and never EVER had to clean up throw-up. Back when all I needed in order to go somewhere was my purse and a set of keys, and back when I spoke to grown-ups all day long. I will tell you a few secrets Kyle! First, while I love sleep and love sleeping IN even more, I do not miss a single moment of the snooze time I have missed out on since you were born. Second, throw-up is yucky and not fun at all, but I will do anything in my power to take away your hurts and sickies, puke cleanup included. Third, who needs to go somewhere at the drop of a hat? It is very overrated. Fourth, grown-ups are not as interesting as they are cracked up to be for the most part. The things you say and the silliness that is you is often more entertaining than a barrel of monkeys with ADD. Who needs grownups!? My life was made more complete when you were born and you fill my life with joy (and the occasional…ok, sometimes more than occasional…frustration) on a daily basis. I am so proud to be your Mama.

While watching you grow up gives me terrible pangs of sadness, I am also filled with great anticipation as I watch you growing and learning. I am very excited to see who you will become and know that we have a lot more wonderful memories to make along the way. I love you, dear sweet boy. I love you to the moon and back, which is a very long way.

A Whole Year of You

Kaleb, you are now officially a one-year-old. I am so excited for you to grow and so sad that every day you are that much further away from being my baby. It is hard to believe I only really met you a year ago; I feel as if I have known you for the entirety of my existence. While I was pregnant with you you gave us a big scare, so on your birthday I was so happy to meet you I would not have given a snit if you had been green with four eyes. You are far from green with four eyes, my boy. You are indescribably pure and an undeniable miracle.

In the last year you have hit all of the milestones ‘they’ say you should, but you did them in your own time. That is one quality that I admire about you; you are not in a rush to grow up. I hope that never changes. I hope you really take the time to be a child. I pray that your Daddy and I provide you with the best childhood you could ask for as well.

While you are certainly a ‘good’ baby, you are becoming more confident and more of a troublemaker as you get older. You pull your brother’s hair and downright bully him whenever you can. You are not being mean, you are just a rough and tumble boy. That surprises me because you have always been laid-back and cuddly. I guess the more mobile you are the more you are going to test the waters of trouble. Just do me a favor- do not jump into the water entirely!

In your first year you have been quite a few places. You were born in Salt Lake, then we moved to Rawlins Wyoming. After that we went to Layton, UT, then on to Blanding, UT. Back up to Ogden, UT we went after that, and finally back to Salt Lake. When you were about 9 months old Daddy changed jobs and we came all the way to Ross, ND. Through all of our travels and all of our scenery changes, you have been a trooper. You rarely complain and are generally OK with anything. What an awesome quality!

You have been a booby-baby for all of your first year. You are currently in the process of giving it up and that makes me a bit sad. I never thought it would, but I love having that time with you, holding you, examining your soft face, touching your baby-fine hair (that, admittedly, there is not much of).

Now the mushy gushy stuff. Kaleb, you are an absolute treasure of a boy. You have made our family more wonderful and more fun than we could imagine. Your big brother adores you and would do anything for you. He even shares his hot chocolate with you willingly! You have Grandmas and Grandpas and Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and friends that think you are wonderful. You exude a light and a sense of joy wherever you go. You are so very uniquely you, and this Mama would not have it any other way. We love you Silly Bean. To the moon and back, which is a very long way.

10 Days

Kaleb Joseph, did you know that in a mere 10 days we will be celebrating the fact that you came into this world and that God blessed us with your splendidness? When I say splendidness, you may think that I am being sarcastic, but believe me when I say that I am not being sarcastic. You are absolutely, beyond a shadow of a doubt, splendid. True, you are starting to voice your opinions. True, they are not always our opinions. True, you are at a point where you do not have the words to express how you are feeling and more often than not voice your opinions with a screech. No matter; you are still simply splendid.

Thankful for the Small Stuff

Today, as Kyle sat on the couch next to Daddy, Daddy reached over and tickled his back. After he was done, Kyle promptly told Daddy, "Thank you for the tickle Daddy." It is nice to see he can be thankful for the small stuff.