I've been cleaning like a crazy person for much of the day. It is time for a breather before tackling the next task! Melanie is sleeping, Megan and Marina are watching a movie, and I am quite pleased to just be sitting for a moment.
It's crazy how you can clean and clean and clean for an entire morning and early afternoon...to look around and realize exactly how much you have LEFT to do. Ugh. It's never ending. Doing laundry all day hasn't helped, but it's good to have that almost finished too. The goal is to have everything done today, because I have to be gone all day tomorrow to make jam. Then I can come home to a clean house, keep it that way for an evening (which is easy on Wednesdays, since it's Christian Ed night at church), then wake up Thursday morning and do something creative. I've got several sewing projects waiting in the wings, and I'm eager to get cracking on them.
I spent the weekend at the Make It Alaskan Festival at the Sullivan Arena selling jam and such. It was crazy! Three very, very long days, but good sales overall. The highlight was the two new wholesale customers that I gained on Sunday. Wholesale is always good, and one of them is the new specialty food shop at the airport! It has the potential to be very big, especially during tourist season. My mind is a little befuddled trying to figure out all the details...especially since I could now, potentially, make the business bigger than it is. I've been easing towards more professional packaging and the like, and it seems like now is time to take the plunge. Who would've thought that my little homegrown jam business would turn into such a big thing????
Also exciting is getting ready to head to South Carolina again soon. I looked at the calendar today, and we leave in less than a month! Boy, that snuck up. It seems that a phone call to my sister in law may be in order...gotta check on her and see if there's more wedding stuff I can help with.
Well, the kids' movie ended and now the phone is ringing. Back to it, I suppose!!
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, October 3, 2011
Look Out! It's a Rant.
I love being on Facebook. I love to turn it on, read something funny my friend's kid said, see some neat pictures, read a funny cartoon, comment on something here and there, then turn it off and go about my day.
What I don't love about Facebook is turning it on and seeing pictures of attroicites against children.
I am as pro life as they come. I despise abortion, think it is a horror, and pray for the day that it is illegal. But coming across pictures of aborted babies on a social forum is A) horrifying, and B) in such poor taste by the poster. I don't need a bloody photo to tell me that abortion is murder. Nobody who is pro-life does, and the people who are pro-choice aren't having their minds changed by them, if the last three decades is any indicator.
Nobody needs to see a video of a woman being raped to know that rape is a terrible thing. Gruesome pictures of a murder victim would never be allowed to remain. In the same vein, posting pictures of aborted babies in a public place is a bad, bad idea.
What if my children had been in the room? It makes my stomach churn just to think about it. I was so glad when the pro-life booth at the fair removed their photos of aborted babies. They were awful for ME to see, but there is no way on this earth I was going to let my chilren see something like that. And that's what is so dumb about this post I saw last night--the person who put it up should have known better. Oh my gosh, they should know better.
If more people in the world possessed common sense, what a wonderful thing that would be.
What I don't love about Facebook is turning it on and seeing pictures of attroicites against children.
I am as pro life as they come. I despise abortion, think it is a horror, and pray for the day that it is illegal. But coming across pictures of aborted babies on a social forum is A) horrifying, and B) in such poor taste by the poster. I don't need a bloody photo to tell me that abortion is murder. Nobody who is pro-life does, and the people who are pro-choice aren't having their minds changed by them, if the last three decades is any indicator.
Nobody needs to see a video of a woman being raped to know that rape is a terrible thing. Gruesome pictures of a murder victim would never be allowed to remain. In the same vein, posting pictures of aborted babies in a public place is a bad, bad idea.
What if my children had been in the room? It makes my stomach churn just to think about it. I was so glad when the pro-life booth at the fair removed their photos of aborted babies. They were awful for ME to see, but there is no way on this earth I was going to let my chilren see something like that. And that's what is so dumb about this post I saw last night--the person who put it up should have known better. Oh my gosh, they should know better.
If more people in the world possessed common sense, what a wonderful thing that would be.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Recent Quips from the Kids
I'm doing a show right now at the Sullivan Arena...but Marina keeps calling it the "Solomon Marina."
Megan told me this morning, "Mom, when Melanie was in your tummy, I had no idea she was going to be THIS cute."
Also, Melanie has been watching hundreds of people wave at her all day for the last two days at the show...then yesterday, she started waving back!!! It was so stinking cute.
Megan told me this morning, "Mom, when Melanie was in your tummy, I had no idea she was going to be THIS cute."
Also, Melanie has been watching hundreds of people wave at her all day for the last two days at the show...then yesterday, she started waving back!!! It was so stinking cute.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Happy birthday Dn. John!
Happy birthday to my fantastically wonderful, supportive, handsome, and just all around awesome husband. I'm the luckiest girl in the world to be married to you.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Double Take
I was driving through town the other day, and the reader board at McDonald's read: World's Gayest Employees Work Here.
After nearly getting in a head-on collision, I realized that it said: World's GREATEST Employees Work Here. Whoops. That would've been fun to explain to a police officer.
Anastasia and I took the kids to the Imaginarium today. It still boggles my mind that between the two of us, we have six kids. SIX. Much of the day was spent in two parts--Stasia watched Megan, Luke, Hannah and Emma, while I ran after Marina like a mad person, Melanie hanging onto my hip for dear life. But we did have a good time. Afterwards, some ridiculous part of me decided it was a good idea to take all the girls to Old Navy. We found a cupcake costume for Megan for Halloween, and some new shirts for me. Despite the fun shopping, it was exhausting trying to keep up with Marina. Every time I turned around, she was gone. I've never been a big advocate of leashing your kids, but today was one of those days when I wished it didn't bother me so much.
I've been working on a dress for my sister-in-law's wedding. I put the finishing touches on it yesterday, then went to try it on. Epic fail. I'm a bit depressed about putting all that work into something that just doesn't look good, but I'm attempting to move on. Thankfully, I found an outfit in the back of my close that I haven't worn in about two years. I bought it for a Christmas part at Dn. John's work, then got pregnant with Melanie and never wore it again (for obvious reasons). It looks great, so I'll be wearing that now. I think my husband is beyond bemused that I was worried about wedding clothes seven weeks before the wedding, but at some point he just chalks it up to me being a (slightly crazy) girl and lets it go. :)
After nearly getting in a head-on collision, I realized that it said: World's GREATEST Employees Work Here. Whoops. That would've been fun to explain to a police officer.
Anastasia and I took the kids to the Imaginarium today. It still boggles my mind that between the two of us, we have six kids. SIX. Much of the day was spent in two parts--Stasia watched Megan, Luke, Hannah and Emma, while I ran after Marina like a mad person, Melanie hanging onto my hip for dear life. But we did have a good time. Afterwards, some ridiculous part of me decided it was a good idea to take all the girls to Old Navy. We found a cupcake costume for Megan for Halloween, and some new shirts for me. Despite the fun shopping, it was exhausting trying to keep up with Marina. Every time I turned around, she was gone. I've never been a big advocate of leashing your kids, but today was one of those days when I wished it didn't bother me so much.
I've been working on a dress for my sister-in-law's wedding. I put the finishing touches on it yesterday, then went to try it on. Epic fail. I'm a bit depressed about putting all that work into something that just doesn't look good, but I'm attempting to move on. Thankfully, I found an outfit in the back of my close that I haven't worn in about two years. I bought it for a Christmas part at Dn. John's work, then got pregnant with Melanie and never wore it again (for obvious reasons). It looks great, so I'll be wearing that now. I think my husband is beyond bemused that I was worried about wedding clothes seven weeks before the wedding, but at some point he just chalks it up to me being a (slightly crazy) girl and lets it go. :)
Monday, September 19, 2011
My Big Fat Update
So, I'm a little embarrassed that it's been this long since I've blogged. My friend Ellen commented today that I've gotten worse about it ever since I've had three kids. :) So yes, it's definitely the three kids, plus the jam, plus the house, plus this, that and the other...whew, we've been busy!
Melanie has changed so much in the last few weeks. She crawls like a crazy person now, and is into everything. I had to fish her out twice from behind one of our recliners today, and then she just turned around and climbed back behind it again. She's started pulling herself up on things, and--as a direct result--falling over a lot more. She has her very first little bruise right on her cheek from a close encounter with the coffee table last night. We've started all the solid foods (which she loves) and she can feed herself little puffy baby food. She can also feed herself trash, paper, kleenex, hair, small toys, rocks, and various other things that she finds on the floor...but we won't talk about that. Rest assured, I vacuum like it's a religion right now. We gave her her first "big girl" bath a few nights ago, and she flooded the kitchen splashing. The one thing she doesn't do well is sleep, unfortunately. If I could get her down to only waking up twice a night, I'd be so, so happy...
Marina adores preschool. She has made all kinds of new friends, and we had them all (ALL) over for her third birthday a couple weeks ago. I can't believe she's three, and I also think I was lame and missed doing her birthday pictures on the blog. (Sorry little girl! I try and get some belated ones posted soon.) This biggest change in her little life has been the removal of her pacifier. It's been a week and a half since we threw it away, and it's been touch and go...she has figured out how to fall asleep a little better (at least without an hour and a half of screaming), but she has a very hard time staying asleep. The one-two combo of Melanie waking up every three hours and Marina being up at least twice a night also is well on its way to breaking down Dn. John and my mental function. During the day, however, she remains her sunny and feisty little self, fearless and sweet, tomboy and princess, all at the same time. She is a "mommy" to everything, be it a stuffed animal, a doll, or our friends' puppies. She's also nicknamed the neighbor dogs "my sweeties" and runs off to play with them whenever she can.
Megan is also loving preschool. She's in Preschool 2 this year, which means it's three days a week, as opposed to two like Marina. She has also discovered a love of crafts, and will busy herself for the longest time drawing pictures, making mosaics and necklaces, and whatever else has lots of colors and creativity involved. She is maturing quickly into a helpful and kind little person. I really see her trying to remember how she should act, and trying to help the people around her. She has a spiritual eye, and sees God in everything. Some of the stuff she says to me is so holy and profound. I have "Out of the mouths of babes" moments daily.
Dn. John and I are the proud owners of a new van, with which we can now haul our little brood around in comfort. :) The selling point of this particular model (an 02 Chevy Astro) is that all of my jam will fit in the back, while also leaving room for the kids. This is a big deal since I am about to start my busy season with all the Christmas shows and bazaars. In fact, my first big show is in just two weeks.
I'm enjoying my second year of jam selling, especially since there is no morning sickness throwing a wrench into the mix. Melanie has been tagging along with me to most of the shows, and she's wonderful company, as well as a great lure. People might be able to resist jam, but nobody can resist a chubby, smiley baby.
In any case, all is well, and I will do my best to post some pictures soon. We've been having camera cord trouble, which is my relatively lame excuse for not having done it sooner.
Melanie has changed so much in the last few weeks. She crawls like a crazy person now, and is into everything. I had to fish her out twice from behind one of our recliners today, and then she just turned around and climbed back behind it again. She's started pulling herself up on things, and--as a direct result--falling over a lot more. She has her very first little bruise right on her cheek from a close encounter with the coffee table last night. We've started all the solid foods (which she loves) and she can feed herself little puffy baby food. She can also feed herself trash, paper, kleenex, hair, small toys, rocks, and various other things that she finds on the floor...but we won't talk about that. Rest assured, I vacuum like it's a religion right now. We gave her her first "big girl" bath a few nights ago, and she flooded the kitchen splashing. The one thing she doesn't do well is sleep, unfortunately. If I could get her down to only waking up twice a night, I'd be so, so happy...
Marina adores preschool. She has made all kinds of new friends, and we had them all (ALL) over for her third birthday a couple weeks ago. I can't believe she's three, and I also think I was lame and missed doing her birthday pictures on the blog. (Sorry little girl! I try and get some belated ones posted soon.) This biggest change in her little life has been the removal of her pacifier. It's been a week and a half since we threw it away, and it's been touch and go...she has figured out how to fall asleep a little better (at least without an hour and a half of screaming), but she has a very hard time staying asleep. The one-two combo of Melanie waking up every three hours and Marina being up at least twice a night also is well on its way to breaking down Dn. John and my mental function. During the day, however, she remains her sunny and feisty little self, fearless and sweet, tomboy and princess, all at the same time. She is a "mommy" to everything, be it a stuffed animal, a doll, or our friends' puppies. She's also nicknamed the neighbor dogs "my sweeties" and runs off to play with them whenever she can.
Megan is also loving preschool. She's in Preschool 2 this year, which means it's three days a week, as opposed to two like Marina. She has also discovered a love of crafts, and will busy herself for the longest time drawing pictures, making mosaics and necklaces, and whatever else has lots of colors and creativity involved. She is maturing quickly into a helpful and kind little person. I really see her trying to remember how she should act, and trying to help the people around her. She has a spiritual eye, and sees God in everything. Some of the stuff she says to me is so holy and profound. I have "Out of the mouths of babes" moments daily.
Dn. John and I are the proud owners of a new van, with which we can now haul our little brood around in comfort. :) The selling point of this particular model (an 02 Chevy Astro) is that all of my jam will fit in the back, while also leaving room for the kids. This is a big deal since I am about to start my busy season with all the Christmas shows and bazaars. In fact, my first big show is in just two weeks.
I'm enjoying my second year of jam selling, especially since there is no morning sickness throwing a wrench into the mix. Melanie has been tagging along with me to most of the shows, and she's wonderful company, as well as a great lure. People might be able to resist jam, but nobody can resist a chubby, smiley baby.
In any case, all is well, and I will do my best to post some pictures soon. We've been having camera cord trouble, which is my relatively lame excuse for not having done it sooner.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
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