Holy Sheep Batman!!

What a WEEK! I have intended to post my pics of my wetbags and things much sooner, but simply have not had the time. Here's why (if ya wanna, it's ok if you skip it :p)
1. I got a clogged milk duct, nearly made it's way to mastitis I think! I had a low grade fever for two nights, and it just knocked me on my butt! I was so tired I could not teach school one day. I was literally exhausted stirring the batter for biscuits, I had to take a break and rest my head on the counter. (no lie)

2. Once I felt better, Sawyer busted in with a fever. He's cutting molar's, so I assumed it was related to that. Well, Friday night his fever was so high that tylenol AND motrin were the only way I could get it down. He has also been on this 'party all night' kick where he'd been staying up till 10 or 11. (infringing on the only time I have to do school work). So, between him being ill, and staying up VERY late, I have had no down time. He was ill all weekend. Thankfully, Sunday night the fever was gone for good, and he's on the mend.

3. I had a paper to write that, as mentioned above was not being written during its allocated time, so I had been using mommy down time errrr nap time, to write it.

4. So, after a whole week of feeling awful, or dealing with a child who felt awful, the end is here! However. I got a call from my grandma's nursing home (for those of you who don't know, I am her only family, I facilitate everything for her). They determined she needed to be in less care. So, a downgrade from skilled nursing, to board in care. I'll spare you all the rants of how ill it makes me that our country cannot care for its elders adequately. So, I spend all of Friday on the phone (quite literally) working this out, or rather trying to. Some progress has been made though, thank God.

5. We are moving home here in a few months, and have decided to start looking to buy a house, as opposed to continue renting. Shockingly, we found one we liked. Last weekend my fabulous in laws went to look at it for us, and we are going to look at it this weekend. As well as go deal with social security and a bazillion other things with granny while we're in town.

Phew, that was a mouthful huh? Ok .. so the kitchen wetbags are AMAZING. Like I expected anything else from kelli. I simply love her. Also, she is going to make some custom trainers for little man because he's so anxious to use the potty :)

Here are some pics!!!

Here is one of them (they're the same)


Another pic :)


All put away :)


And... just for fun. This is what Sawyer thinks the pocket is for :)

Every week, 75 ....

abortions occur in the county we live in.

Seriously. Seventy Five. Seriously.

Sat outside our church this morning to see the sign with the statistic.
Surrounding this sign were 75 wooden crosses marking the lives lost.
My
Heart
Is
Broken.

After three grueling years of infertility, miscarriages, and heartache, we got our third child.
THREE YEARS! I endured fertility medication, hormonal hell, and once we WERE preggo, we lost her. Then.... we did it again, after the same drugs, the same hormonal hell, and daily progesterone suppositories, we finally have our son. (God, I love him!)
And 75 women a week walk into a building to have their bodies desecrated (some not knowing the true long lasting affects). I am sad for those babies, and I am sad for those 75 women as well.

I think, that we as a nation, at least those of us that are pro-life, as my family is, that we just want to label these girls as young, immature, stupid, or many other adjectives, that are likely very hurtful, and probably far from the truth.
Giving them this label makes US rest easier at night. By making them out to be monster's or evil-doers of sorts we rest assured.
However, it's the girl next door, the next pew at church, in line in front of us at the market .. or God forbid, a sister, a niece, a cousin a DAUGHTER!
While I do not approve of abortion, I do not approve of chastising those who have done it. God calls us not to judge as they say, those who live in glass houses, shall not throw stones. Right?
As wonderful Pope John Paul II (God rest his soul) Said
"We are NOT the sum of our weaknesses and failures, we ARE the sum of the Fathers love for us, and the real capacity to become the image of his son!"
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?! you ask?
At the end of the day, our God does not look at us as a marred individual, but rather, as his son or daughter. What a patient and amazing God we have.

So, for those of you who read this, thinking I was going to bash abortion, you're wrong. I am not approving the act of abortion, nor am I approving the act of judging those who make that decision.

Instead, lets think of those 75 babies, and those 75 mothers, and perhaps, 75 fathers too. Pray for all their souls, that they may find peace, and healing beyond this event in their lives.

I know that's what I'm praying for.

Please, this is not a debate...i'll disable comments if it becomes that way :) Just a mysti, rattling off some thoughts.

Kitchen Cloth

Wowza two blogs in one day! Had to do it ... had to share.

I may not be the perfect housekeeper, but I am a HUGE germaphobe! This is a precursor to this nasty story, be warned.

We use cloth products, no consumable paper in our kitchen (aside from cereal boxes and the like). No paper towels, no sponges (except the trusty magic eraser), no napkins, no paper plates. I use 'kitchen cloth'. Most all I have made myself. My napkins and paper towels are flannel, or flannel and a print for the prettiness factor LOL. I make crocheted dishrags out of cotton yarn for scrubbing, no sponge could dream to scour as well as all cotton dish rags.

Anyways, the story. Most people who use kitchen cloth, have kitchen wetbags, that is, a bag that is made of PUL (polyurethane laminate), a plasticy type fabric that prevents moisture leaking (all you cloth diapering mommies know what I mean, as we use these to store dirty diapers in our pails, or on the go!). Often times these kitchen wet bags are paired with a decorative fabric to look cute. They often hang from your stove, and come complete with a zipper to store these 'used' wet dishcloths, paper towels and napkins until you can wash them. I do not own a kitchen wet bag (yet). I put all my towels and things in the hallway with the laundry, and wash about .. every other day as a family of 5 and a cloth diaper mom, laundry is the never-ending chore. So, the other day my beautiful baby boy decided, yet again, to dig through my laundry basket at the end of the hall and dig out my used dish rag, he was dragging it around the house, washing the walls. I was so disgusted, it was slimy, gross, o.m.g. I almost had to run to the bathroom to vomit. It was then, that I decided NO MORE. I MUST get a kitchen wetbag.

So .. my DEAR amazing friend Kelli from 'TK Cuddlers' (find them http://hyenacart.com/tkcuddlers/) Had a 'coming back to work' special. (she just had another AMAZING little girl, and is returning to her sewing machine!) So, I bugged her again for another custom. She's such a good sport. I have not one but TWO hanging kitchen wetbags coming - made out of a beautiful strawberry fabric (to match my kitchen, of course). I'll post a picture when they get here.

The days of Sawyer raiding my laundry pile for the NASTIEST piece of laundry he can find is OVER! Kelli, thanks again friend.

(ps, kelli makes amazing diapers, go check her site out!)

New year brings new changes

I suck at blogging. Really. I do. I think of stuff to post but to find the time to write it between Madi and Quinn trying to find new ways to torture eachother, and the baby literally running circles around me yelling my name, time is scarce. Additionally, I have about 9 weeks left of school (beware the blogging world when I'm on break!), and I am off for a few months prior to starting grad school. However, these last 9 weeks are killer. The last two classes summing up a bachelor's degree SHOULD be hard. Right?
Well, the new changes ... Madi and Quinn are no longer with the charter home school. I was/am sick of it! I was supposed to be homeschooling, but their constant changes and the annoying percentage goals really robbed all of us of our good intentions. We were public schooling at our kitchen table. After over a year and a half of consideration, I mustered up the courage and we left. Affidavit filed, and we're on our way. Waiting for home school books to come in the mail is awesome!! Just as amazing as waiting for fluffy mail. Yes. I said that.
So, we have those two big changes here, and the baby just had his first birthday. I call him a baby, but really, the kids a toddler. He's making tons of changes, talking a LOT, picking up lots of amazing sign's on a daily basis, and combining a few of his 'words'. My favorite thing with him right now is his over generalization. Any animal with four legs is a Dog. (and even some with no legs LOL). You can tell him 'cat', and he'll say cat, or bird or fish, but initially, most animals are Dogs. I really wanna get him to the Fresno Zoo. But just cannot afford a trip home with my Old Lady birthday right around the corner. (shut.up.).
Well, I guess I have summed up the changes. Oh well, I did forget to say we are moving home in April. or.. roundabouts. The kids, Jeremy, and myself are all very excited. We are still living moment to moment, which for those of you who know me, is a humbling lesson for me. God has been very good to us, and I feel blessed that he's taking the time to *try* to teach me this lesson about patience, and letting go of the reins. I'll keep ya'll posted on the outcome of that one. :)