Weekly Wrap-Up: Coming out of the Funk

Well, we started back to school again, which should mean you'll be seeing more regular posts from me. . . at least in the weekly wrap-up department!  I'm still not really over my Christmas "funk" so I've had a super hard time wanting to write, but rest assured, I'm sure God is stirring up something in there that will eventually overflow onto my empty page.  That's usually how it works.... I get in a funk (bad attitude and all) He teaches, disciplines, I change and overflow with what He has taught.  It's such a painful process, but I usually like myself better on the other side of it.  I'm kind of sitting back letting Him take the lead and waiting.

As for school, this has been a fabulous week!  As much as I stomped my feet and pitched a fit about going back, (my bad attitude has pervaded every part of life! lol) I'm glad we're back at it.  It has been quite the adjustment though.  Baby T has cried every day this week!!!  She rarely cries.  In fact, we went for a bike ride and on the way home, she cried the entire way, "Momma, I can not take any more!"  Now, one might expect this from a 5 year old who just rode a bike over a mile, but Baby T takes 2 hours of gymnastics twice a week and just the conditioning part is something I could not withstand!!! Yesterday she took a short nap and woke up crying!  I kept her home from the gym.  She must be growing or something...even though she's in the 95th percentile for her height!  Poor Baby T!

Bean Boy has had an amazing week as well.  His work load has been lighter as I'm still waiting for some things to roll in, but he's had some major accomplishments.  I promised him a new game on the Nook if he could simply put his school books away daily instead of leaving them all over the house... I'm sure by the time I post this, he'll have a new game.  He hasn't slept well this week, but has a determination, like I've never seen in him before, to get his school work done.  I wish he'd apply that to chores as well, but I'm not a choosy beggar!  We're making progress.  He's done a great job in school, keeping up with all his work, staying on task, and making good grades with fewer careless errors than usual! Yiiiiipppeeeee!!! You guys remind me to read this the next time I'm complaining!

Little Bit has had a good week.  We've backed her up in reading and started at the beginning of Hooked on Phonics.  I keep trying new things for her, knowing for quite certain that she is dyslexic...even though we've not officially tested.  She doesn't like to be challenged in anything she does, so backing up to easier reading has been good for her.  She has not complained once this week about reading, and yesterday, we ended our reading session while laughing!  I was so happy with that!!!  We'll keep plugging along at her pace (hopefully I'll remember that "her pace" part!).

As for me, I've had a couple of projects.  I got a new sewing machine that we are all in love with! ;) I made several aprons, and am hoping to start selling some of the sets soon.  I even checked at one of our consignment shops, and they are willing to talk about keeping 1-2 on hand to sell for me!  Exciting!!! VERY NERVOUS about that though.  SO, I've got to sit down and figure out how much to charge and all of that, make the hats, and oven mitts too.  I even made an apron for Baby T's doll, at her request, and it turned out so cute!  I also, finally, finally finished my chore chart!!!  I think I started this at the beginning of the school year!  Geesh!  It took long enough.  I think it looks so pretty, and it is right outside of the school room, so I don't forget to keep up with it there. I love it....

I used the same bulletin board I was using for our last chore chart and kept the heading. Wood glue and double sided duct tape were used to keep each clipboard on.  Each kiddo has a board of personal things (their animals and clothing) and then there are the weekly and 2x/week and the $$$ board...since we don't pay an allowance for chores, I have a list of things they can do to earn money.

Funny that this board is the least used, but has the most on it! 

Now mom and baby match!  She has asked for a hat for the baby... I'm not so sure I'll ever get there.

Be forewarned... while I am going to get back into a regular twice a week posting, next week may be an exception.  I will work four nights in a row starting Friday, and then will be going on an anniversary vacation with my husband next Friday!  Wooohoooo! Thank you to my MIL who is helping make it possible once again!  Don't know what I'd do without you! Have a great weekend! Linking up with

Weekly Wrap-up: Vacation Projects

In our homeschool this week. . .
Woohoo! Loving vacation!!!! Ya'll should join me!

In my life this week. . .  I have become a Pinterest Princess! My mom continues to say how much I'm putting everyone else to shame by completing projects.  I've made several more aprons, chef's hats to go with them, as well as oven mitts. . . They are completely fabulous!!! I'm in love with them!

Someone asked, and yes, I sewed on a t.v. tray, my iron is on the other one. . . cutting was done on the coffee table from a kids school desk chair!  And, they still turned out soooo stinking cute!!!  See the mess??

We took these to her the day she found out her dad died.  It was good to see her smile! Hers is my favorite set.

This sweet girl looks like a Keebler Elf every time she puts that hat on.... it makes me smile!

I did put a link for the website to the apron tutorial in this post.  The oven mitt, and chef's hats were both in different tutorials.  I used the same material as the aprons, and had a matching set for each kiddo; apron, chef's hat, oven mitt, and for Crazy K, an adorable pot holder from the front pocket of her sweet jeans!

2 of my chefs did some holiday baking for me! It looks like they were  really concentrating here, hehe.

Here they were decorating Pringles cans with holiday paper so they'd have a pretty way to deliver them! Another  idea from Pinterest, but I don't think I pinned the link. . .oops!

NEXT, I decided to try to make a cute little bag.  Now, I think the total time spent on this project was 10-15 minutes.  However, it took about 1 hour to finish it due to one cranky, whiny, crying Baby T who interrupted several times, one broken sewing needle, and several other interruptions!  I forgot to finish the edges of the ruffles before sewing them on the bag, but it's still cute.  Don't you think so?  Instructions for that are here.  I had some small black bags I bought for $0.79 at Michaels after Halloween last year.  They were just sitting in a drawer, so I pulled them out to try my hand at ruffles. . . I don't think it's too bad for my first time.


Oh... In all honesty, and with full disclosure, I didn't spruce up my pictures, because I wanted you to see, that while I'm accomplishing wonderfully amazing projects on the sewing machine, my life is in disarray, especially my house!  I haven't done anything else.  I've washed several loads of laundry more than once, stayed up waaaaay too late, and have even, dare I say it, slept in! I've continued to be the "yes, mom". I've made crockpot meals and big dishes so I only cooked dinner 1.5 times this week...my 7 year old cooked the lasagna (oh and hubby helped).  My 7 year old made breakfast all week.  There's STUFF everywhere.

I'm praying for. . . 
My God-daughter Crazy K has had a tough life in her short 11 years!  This past week her biological father passed away.  I can't imagine being faced with the mortality of my parents at such a young age.  She didn't feel up to school the day after she found out, so we had her over.  That's how I got the pic of her all dolled up in the apron and such...that was hers from a pair of jeans she gave me.  She's so amazingly strong, and dealing with all the grown-up issues in her life in such a mature way.  She's so dear to me, and I love her.  I'm praying that God will show her that He's blessed her with so many fathers that have been good to her, loved her like their own, and are still here, and that He Himself has adopted her as His own princess entitled to be His heir!  He is good, even when life is bad!

My favorite thing this week was. . . being home, sleeping in, crafting, saying yes to the kids, wearing pjs at 1:07 while writing my blog post, and eating all the cookies we made!  It's been a fabulous week!!!

Things I'm working on. . . thanks to Pinterest, I will never forget all the things I want to accomplish.  It's like a to do list you can't lose.  There are several projects I have pinned that should be coming up soon.  Next week though, the girls would like to make aprons for their American Girl dolls. . . I'm not quite sure I have the patience to deal with them and the sewing machine (they did try sewing straight lines on scraps today).  If I'm not too exhausted from my crazy work schedule (2 days on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off, 1 on, yuck, yuck, yuck) then we might give it a try. . . AND I guess at some point, I have to clean out the school room again (sigh) and start planning for our next semester (double sigh). . .

Well, I have to go to bed and start my weekend job. . . Ya'll have a blessed weekend!