Things I appreciate about my Mom

Growing up, I had the Mom who scared all the other neighbor kids. Strike that... we lived in the country... we didn't have neighbor kids. Ok, we lived lots of places, and sometimes we had neighbor kids, and they were scared to death of my "strict mom." But I took pride in the fact that I had a mother that always had an after school snack waiting for us (it was never cookies... and koolaid was never a beverage that was ever found in my mothers fridge), and after a healthy snack of champions, she would make us do ALL our homework, and after that we had to do our chores... and then we could play, until she whistled (which could be heard in a mile radius, and then we had to come in and bathe and go to bed. She wasn't strict... she just had rules.

I appreciate my Mother for having rules for us.

My Mother is beautiful. I mean, truly, not just because she is my mom. She never left the house without doing her hair and her makeup. I am such a slob... I should have picked up this habit from her, but unfortunately, I didn't. I leave the house in sweats and a messy bun all the time. Poor people in wal-mart that actually have to look at me on those days. Thank goodness I don't have to look at myself! Perhaps my mother was so good at this because she is a cosmetologist.

I appreciate my Mother for always cutting my hair like the girl in the magazine.

My Mother had this AMAZING ( I capitalize for extreme emphasis) sewing machine. A Bernina, that she bought when I was eight. Infact, I am still waiting around for her to die, just so I can inherit her sewing machine. Ok, that is a bit extreme. But even though I have a pretty sweet PFAFF, that wasn't at all cheap... her 17 year old Bernina is a Rolls Royce compared to it. She also had this sweet Bernina Serger... which I actually did inherit (Thanks MOM!), and with these two machines my mother was unstoppable! Watch out fabric! And to her great credit, even though her machines were amazing... she let me use them ALL ...THE ...TIME. She would stay up late with me, and help sew WWII Nurse outfits for my social studies projects, and quilts I just had to make for a boyfriend, and the occasional skirt for my sister for Christmas.

I appreciate my mom for always telling me "No, I will not sew your prom dress for you, I know you can do it yourself."

My Mother is a great cook. She didn't start that way (or so I'm told, but don't believe). But growing up with her in the kitchen was mouthwatering. And she wasn't prejudiced against frying, I'm pretty sure she lovingly encouraged extra calories it hop right in that hot oil. I can't say that about her now, but at one time... it was true. Anything that came out of my mom's cast iron frying pan was scrumptious...to the umpth degree.

I appreciate my Mother for NEVER showing me how to cook on Teflon. And this is not sarcastic.

My Mother nurtured all of our creativity. And we were all creative in different ways... some of us liked to use traditional mediums like crayons, or sculpey clay, while others liked to use permanent ink and flesh. But she loves us all anyways. No matter where our creativity took us.

I appreciate my mother for teaching me that good people can make bad choices, but that doesn't make them bad people.

Growing up I can say I never saw my Mother watch television, unless it was late at night, with my dad. During the day my mom didn't sit around at all. Literally, she was working all the time. I thought every mom was like her, but now that I am grown, I can see she was a gem. There are alot of Lazy Daisies out there, that complain about EVERYTHING that they have to do. I must say I got this curse. I am forever running around picking up, and scrubbing something, or trying in some way to be productive, but I am forever complaining about it. My mother never complained. And our house was sparkly, and so were our cars, and our garage, and our yard, and our barn. And the last one is true, I had a friend say she would rather eat off our barn floor than her own mothers kitchen floor. Gross. And sad. And gross.

I appreciate my mother teaching me how to work, and work hard.

My mother is so stinking smart. A financial planner at the institution where my mother used to invest our family's money spontaneously offered her a job. And then when my Mother told him she only had a high school diploma, he rescinded the offer. Stupid man. My mother, without the degree is so much smarter than people with the paper. She teaches herself all kinds of things, and she is good. Ask her, she knows. And now, at 47 (I hope) she is going back to school. I am so proud of her.

I appreciate my mother for emphasizing not only education, but a desire for knowledge.

My mother didn't "shop." She went grocery shopping. But she didn't shop just to get out with the girls, or because she just had to spend some dough! She was meticulous with money. She taught me it was ok to "shop" just not all the time, and only when you need something.

I appreciate my mother for teaching me the clothes on my body don't indicate my self worth.

My Mom raised 4 kids. She did all our laundry...till we moved out. She made us a hot breakfast for us every morning (Well until we had to leave the house at 5:30 to get to early morning seminary). Dinner was on the table every night... and we never got take out. She made sure we knew we were loved. She was never too busy to put me to bed with a back scratch and a story. Every calling she ever had at church she did so well you would have thought she wrote the book on how it was done. She truly was, and still is AMAZING (again I capitalize for extreme emphasis).

Mom... when I grow up... I still want to be just like you. I love you!

My Mother Dear, Me (and little Spencer), and my Granny

Little Camper

Yesterday while Jesse was at work, he asked me if I would pack his bag for his camping trip with the Boy Scouts. They were doing an overnighter at Arivaca. So I said sure, and proceeded to pack all the things he would need.

Lyla saw me doing this, and got all excited. "Are we going camping? Were is my backpack? I need my flashlight!"

I had to tell her no, just daddy was going camping this time. And she was just crushed. She loves to camp, and lately has been telling me every weekend that it is time to go camping.

Well this just wouldn't do, so she brings me the phone, and says "Call my daddy." So I call Jesse, and I hand the phone to Lyla, and the first words out of her mouth were "Daddy I need to go camping." Jesse proceeded to tell her there was not enough room in the car for her because he had to take all his boys. She was so sad : (

But she was persistent, and luck followed her. About 10 minutes before Jesse was going to go, one of his young men called and said he was going to drive himself and 2 of the other boys. So we packed Lyla in a hurry and off she went!

She is such a big girl. She didn't even hesitate, when told that I couldn't go. So it's just Lyla and her daddy braving the wild!

I miss her so much and I am so proud of her, and Jesse, for having a little daddy daughter time, and allowing me to relax with just Spencer. She is getting bigger everyday, and I am just amazed at how independent she is.

While they were sleeping...

Naptimes. Nighttimes. Those little eyelids are shut, and I'm doing something. But this week was especially busy, infact I have had so many finished products within the last seven days it is boggling my mind!

Last year I made an apron for a wedding gift for a friend. My granny was in love with it. She begged me to make her one for Christmas. I never did. : ( Poor gran. But after a year of dropping hints, I did remember to finally put it on my to-do project list last week. So today during naptime, I whipped up this vintage beauty. I know the picture is terrible, but the result is quite nice! It has darts to create that illusion of a tiny waist from the 40's... you know the one we all wish we had!

Monday night, of yesterweek, Jesse and I boiled, peeled, halved, jarred and processed peaches until midnight! It wasn't that bad... we had the laptop with us, and it kept us company with a few episodes of burn notice. And if canning wasn't enough, we had a whole box of peaches left and no jars, so what is a girl gonna do? Make it into fruit leather of course. I made 9 trays of it. I don't have a dehydrator, so I actually did it in the oven on cookie sheets. Delicious. Time consuming. Takes all day in the oven. Result is eaten in less than five minutes. YIKES! So actually don't have any fruit leather left to show for all our hard work.

Next on the list. Magic panties. Yes you heard that right. Magic panties. How can panties be magic you say? Well I am so glad you asked because I was just about to share! You see I like to consider Lyla potty trained. But she is barely 2.5 years old, and so accidents happen. Do you have any idea how distracted a little girls can get? Very, and then pee happens. On my floor. On my carpet. In the car. In the store. At night. Ok, that sounds like she has a lot of accidents, but usually it is only like 2 a week. Not bad I think. And it is usually my fault... but back to the panties. So accidents are ok unless they happen outside the house (store, neighbors house, etc.) Then there is pee on someone else's floor and that is embarrassing. So I wanted to fix that, without having to make Lyla wear a diaper or pull ups. I wanted her to still wear panties. So I created the idea of regular panties, with two layers. Inside one, slightly absorbent; the outside one....waterproof! Genius right??? Ok, so the inside layer is flannel, I just used old receiving blanket, and the outside layer is waterproof PUL, which Joann's just started carrying, how awesome is that? It feels like fabric but one side is coated in waterproof material. So the panties trap the pee. So they feel and look like regular panties, maybe a little bulkier because of the two layers, but over all they are pretty much the same. So the best thing about these panties are that when she has an accident it doesn't run down her legs and onto the floor. And her clothes don't get soaked in pee. We don't have to change her outfit (no more extra clothes in the diaper bag!) We just have to change the undies! Now granted, there isn't alot of absorbent material, so the entire inside of the panties are completely soaked, but at least it isn't her clothes, right?

Last, but not least.... the missionaries called and asked me if I had a dress that would fit a 4 year old for a family that is investigating the church. The girl didn't have any clothes to go to church in. No, I didn't have a dress, but I made a little, blue, linen skirt with a cute little tie belt. It was adorable!!!! Sadly, no pictures.

Uhhh, so lots of projects. Which was nice. But then I realized, I can't get in this habit, because eventually there will be more children, and not alot of time when they are all sleeping at the same time. Which is sad, but true. So I am weaning myself of projects. I made a master list, to finish the ones I am working on already, with due dates. Then the sewing room door is going to be locked. And I can do ONE project at a time, and only ONE per month. So adieu, lovely sewing room, I will reacquaint my self with you when all my little babies are in school!

Going Places!

Spencer thinks he is such a stud these days! He will be walking before Halloween for sure. Then I will have 2 trick or treaters!!!!