Another one down

Wow, another month has passed. Sometimes I wish time would just slow down a bit. My nephew turned 4 today (yay Gavin!!). I dropped my poor sister at the airport (love you Tiffy-poo). I had lunch with my Aunt (in-law? lol). I worked...

It was a long day, but it was all so short too.

I welcome September and a new adventure.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten. I think that word can stand as it's own sentence today. We were both ready for him to go. Maybe he was a little more ready than I was. We had his outfit laid out last night and he has been eyeing this shirt since I brought it home a few weekends ago (thank you Traci). He got the shoes from his favorite Aunt, Regina. We can walk to the school, I don't even think it is a mile away. He knows a few of the kids from the neighborhood and from Karate, but none of them are in his class. There are 30 kids, 18 boys and 12 girls. His teacher's name is Mrs. Richman. RJ is the tallest boy in his class (measuring at 46.5 inches this afternoon). There was a little girl I didn't see this morning that has even him by a few inches. He was happy to see me after a few short hours and wished he could stay longer. Aubrey missed him a lot, but I think she and I can find something to do for a little while.

Death and the Woo-woo

Some people just seem to be conduits and some times I am one of them. When Matt, the kids and I were out in the desert about a month ago I had this creepy calm float over me. I looked at Matt and told him someone was going to die. He is in tune to me, so he knows when I have feelings like this they are normally accurate. Then two days later the crows started talking to Nana (my maternal grandmother) at the cabin. So now, someone is dying. I don't know if this was what we were feeling or not. I guess I will only know when everything has resolved. I shut out this side of me a lot, but I guess I need to embrace it. My dad just calls it "woo-woo" since it is something he doesn't understand. I married a man who is perhaps more in tune with it than I am. Just thought I would share.

Uncle Jack

He is my great-uncle, uncle Jack, and a great uncle he is. I say is because he is not gone, yet. To my knowledge his heart still beats so I can not, will not use the past tense. It is so sad in many ways that it takes a great loss to have fond memories come flooding back. I need to try and remember good things daily, not just when I am sad.

A little background about Great Uncle Jack: He is married to my Nana's sister, Carol and Nana is my mom's mama. They have three kids, Amy, Kelly and Mike. I have a stuffed teddy bear named after Mike (from when I was little) and he is the only one I refer to in the familiar form (his sisters I call Aunt). They have 2 grandkids, Tom and Joy.

Aunt Carol and Uncle Jack are like another set of grandparents to me. I remember staying with them for a few days when I was about 4 or 5 when my parents went to Disneyland. I remember very much Uncle Jack playing Santa Claus at the church every Christmas. Sara (my sister) and I always felt so special that we knew Santa! He always made sure to give us a special wink and a candy cane. We looked forward to it all year. This one is certainly a hard one for me. I think I last saw Uncle Jack when RJ was very small. I have a picture somewhere and will have to dig it up. In the meantime I have this one that his son, Mike, took and I love it.




So Uncle Jack, whatever or whoever is calling you home, I hope you find peace. You are loved now, you will always be loved.

Fabulous Find Friday!

I am liking the alliteration titles the past 2 days. I have seen a lot of blogger buzz about Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross . So when I was at Joann's picking up supplies for a secret pal gift I thought I would look for it. As luck would have it, I was sans children. I spent probably 5 solid minutes in the book section. I didn't see it until I was about to leave (the cover is different). So I picked one up, with my 40% off coupon. I am excited about it! There are patterns in the front and back covers. I read the forward and she seems like the perfect person to inspire me to take on small projects when I can. These are projects that I really think I can accomplish on my downtime.

I also picked up a few fall things for the kids today at the Children's Orchard in new condition (as in tags still attached) from Gymboree and Gap, 5 shirts and 2 sweaters for about $25. Then I visited my thrift store here in the BC and found a few books from the 19-teens for my sister at less than $2 a piece along with some McCall's patterns from the 70's at $0.25 a piece.

Aubrey and I also enjoyed lunch together while the boys were out playing in the desert. All in all it was a wonderful Friday (other than Matt not receiving his paycheck from Portland for the second time in a row!!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful today for my children. Although they fight and argue and cry and scream; they pout and whine and yell and shout;

but they also love and snuggle and kiss and hug; they wiggle and dance and smile and laugh.

I am thankful that I can sit and read a book while they keep each other occupied.

I am also thankful that girls are so much easier to potty train than boys are.

I am also really thankful for a husband who understands that I have off days, and that I need days off. He doesn't always complain that the dishes aren't done and that the floors aren't swept. He will quietly do all of these things when he senses that I have had enough. Sure, he may not do it with a smile on his face or a whistle on his lips, but he is my partner. He treats me like a queen in so many ways that I often take for granted. I haven't taken the trash out once in 6 years. I don't clean my car, I don't do gross boy things like squashing bugs and cleaning toilets. So I am acknowledging this family I have and am thankful for today.

WIWOW

This little crafty blogging adventure is courtesy of cute2carry. Mostly, I have been cooking and baking the past few weeks. I am re-doing one of our rooms into a craft room for me. I am going to try and pursue this hobby of mine with more vigor. I told Matt it would make all the difference if I didn't have to pack everything up each night. I get so tired of pulling things out and putting them back that I just don't bother most days. I finished my bag from this tutorial ,but no pictures before I gave it away (it was on a whim and a patient of mine really, really appreciated it--she is going through her second round of Chemo).

Butter topped white bread

Fat-free blueberry cream cheese muffins (except the butter for Matt!)

Rye Bread Loaf and Round

So there are two projects I am currently working on. I am knitting a blanket for RJ and have completed one panel of 9! Thank goodness it doesn't get cold here too fast. If I get one done per week we will be okay.

The other project I have started is a lap quilt. They are 6.5" squares in a 6x9 pattern that I have not laid out at the moment. I do have everything cut though. This is my second quilt ever but the first since I was a teenager (gasp, more than 10 years now).

Ahhhh, it ends tonight ...

... the month of July that is. I am tired, exhausted, or what have you. My shingles are now nothing more than an itchy patch of dry skin ... but there is much more wounding on my heart. I am facing the unknown and I am scared. I do not know day-to-day what my future holds. I am lost and grasping, all the whilst holding two children and my husband with dear might. We are weighing our options and fretting over every decision. Where to move, what to do, when to jump? I am leaning farther and farther over, reverting to what I knew as a child ... considering returning to the church that brought me joy and support. My faith has wavered here and there, I have not practiced actively since high school. I just know I need the power of something greater to guide me.

Less than a MONTH!

More from my newest fun online toy polyvore today! On to back to school ... or in our case, first to school? Haha!

RJ picked these out:


BTS RJ/SM Gymboree by KatieQ89123 featuring Converse shoes


With Converse shoes. He is on a soldier kick right now and is all about the Camo. All of this (except shoes) is from ... you guessed it ... Gymboree

Our second set of options is a mix of Old Navy and Crazy8, most of which we own. I am not typically into character or movie tees, etc. but he loves them right now and these look retro, so I can roll with it.



RJ's requests by KatieQ89123 featuring DC Shoes
I can not believe that my son is starting kindergarten in less than a month!!! He is ready, mentally, but I am not. I haven't wrapped my head around it yet. It should be exciting times for all of us though.

So what is your vote on the school outfits? I will probably let him pick it out... but input is always appreciated. Yes, it is hot here, but he will be rough and tumbling on concrete and asphalt too so pants may be a good idea.

This is a neat new virtual toy

I am having SO much fun with this toy. You can "clip" clothing from any number of sites and create outfits. This is my first set, the new line by Gymboree for Miss Aubrey. I am off to work on a Back-to-School look for RJ now too! Yay.

Gymboree Little Hearts by KatieQ89123 on Polyvore.com

WW, on Friday

Just a little request

OK, anyone who knows me well knows I am not very religious. I have dabbled (for lack of a better term) and do believe in something bigger... but not necessarily God as defined by any one religion and/or book. That being noted, please... this family needs strength and if you have any to spare in whatever way it is you do, please send it.

What I'm working on Wednesday

This blogging idea is from cute2carry! What I am working on Wednesday might just be the inspiration I need! Currently I am actually working on a bag from this tutorial! I have everything cut and interfaced, I just have to piece together and sew. Hopefully I can knock that out tomorrow night. I am still in a considerable amount of pain, but projects are keeping my mind off of it! Here are my fabrics:

I am also working on a cape for a precious little boy named Justin. I am not posting pictures of it until I have it perfect and have his mama's final approval. I can tell you it is blue and red and reversible though!

The other thing I am working on, as a personal aside, is potty training Aubrey. She did phenomenal today! She loves her big girl undies and refused a diaper all day. So a big way to go to her today... and a pat on the back for me!

I had to throw this one in just because he is such a good big brother. He holds her hand wherever we go. She will actually run after him and yell "hand!" if he forgets. I just hope they stay friends for a long, long time.

Yes I am

Our wedding story:


http://wackiestwedding.blogspot.com/

Days 4 and 5

Days 4 and 5 have been pretty bad as well. I think I am getting used to the pain. It has spread under my left arm now. I have a patch there and also some more lesions moving to the front on top of my left breast. The pain, it is hard to describe. It itches and burns like road rash, but it also aches like a bruise.

Day 4, Sunday

Day 5, Monday
You can sort of see some of the small blisters popping up on the front. So far, I have gotten some relief from after sun spray containing lidocaine and aloe. The oral pain relievers are relatively useless. Ibuprofen has taken down a lot of the swelling. The Valtrex seems to have slowed the spread some, but not completely stopped it.