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July 31, 2007
Yowza
I twisted my ankle while jogging today. Wah. Keeping my fingers crossed that it will feel better in the morning.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:52 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 30, 2007
The Strategist
This fits me to a T!
"INTJs are introspective, analytical, determined persons with natural leadership ability. Being reserved, they prefer to stay in the background while leading. Strategic, knowledgable and adaptable, INTJs are talented in bringing ideas from conception to reality. They expect perfection from themselves as well as others and are comfortable with the leadership of another so long as they are competent. INTJs can also be described as decisive, open-minded, self-confident, attentive, theoretical and pragmatic."
Posted by WonderGirl at 8:54 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 29, 2007
Is There A Baby Union?
Chipmunk is on a Nap Strike. I don't know if it's an organized event or what, but for about five days in a row now, he absolutely REFUSES to take a nap. Yesterday, I even found a sign beside his bed that said, HECK NO, I WON'T GO (to sleep.)
He's five months old, by the way. I don't know how he made the sign, let along spelled it correctly and WITH GLITTER. But that's beside the point.
He needs his naps. And maybe even more, Mommie needs his naps. No matter what I do, he will lay in his bed and cry for HOURS if I let him. Nothing is working! NOTH-ING.
He MIGHT fall asleep in my arms accidentally, but the second I move him, he's wide awake.
He's my fourth one, ya know-- I feel like this is stuff I should have down pat. But he's giving me a run for my money. This child has a will of iron, and apparently needs less sleep than a grown man.
Ideas?
I don't know if I can find another baby willing to cross the picket line. The last one got bopped upside the head with a flying bottle and hasn't been back since.
Posted by WonderGirl at 6:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Summerings
Been promising for a while... so here are some shots I've FINALLY gotten around to putting up of our various summer moments.
Posted by WonderGirl at 5:46 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
My Sister is a Funny Girl
and here's the proof.
I sent her an email a few days ago about modeling for some pictures on my website carrying her baby, Adler. Here is her response:
I am so in, but I am going to need 3 dozen pink lilies, two bowls of m & m's, all pink, and a case of pink Snapple in my dressing room. Also, Adler requests 12 jars of squash, Gerber organics only, a break every thirty minutes to eat and take a nap, and a personal massage therapist. He also only works to the tune of Baby Einstein, so please have several BE cds to choose from during the shoot.
Just let me know when!
Love- Ash
Sister, I love you. Your humor always catches me offguard.
Posted by WonderGirl at 5:11 PM | TrackBack
July 27, 2007
Space on the Rocks
Man, Nasa is the place to be on a Friday night nowadays, huh? They like to partay!
Posted by WonderGirl at 6:12 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Penmanship
Thankfully, there is some common sense to be found rattling around in my head occasionally. Despite my intentions of turning in early to sleep last night, I spent way too much time writing a letter. When I looked up from my heavy treatise, I realized it was 1 a.m.
No letter you are writing at midnight needs to be sent, because nothing you say in those late hours is worthy of hearing. Words born in the darkest hours need baptism in the light of day before you send them off on their task. So I saved it to the "draft" folder, and sought my bed for a restless few hours.
I woke up in relief. Reading back over my words, I realize they do not serve me as I intended them to. I was glad for that little voice that said, wait.
Today, it says shhh. And I am perfectly content in the silence.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:26 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
July 26, 2007
Higher Than I
My company has come and gone (enjoyed it, Aunt J!) and we are settling in for the remainder of the week. I have accumulated all the material I need for my business, and much of the thinking is past me. The next week will be busy, as I sew, sew, sew. I am eager to get at it.
But tonight, something else is on my mind, and I am at a loss as to how to express it. That's how I feel actually, just lost. I don't know that I have the freedom to go into it here, though I wish I did. Oh what the hay. I'm gonna talk about it, and if I need to delete this post, then I will.
My brother is in jail, as most of you know. He's waiting there for a hearing at the beginning of August. It's complicated, but the jist of it is that he'll either serve his original sentence of 17 years, or the judge may decide to give him one more chance and he could go into a long-term drug rehab program, or a reduced sentence or something. I don't know what the odds are of any of those things. There's just no way to say at this point.
Anyway, so that's that.
Today, we learned that his wife of four months is expecting.
I just... man. I don't know. I'm tore up.
It really doesn't help that I found out in the worst possible way, and I'm dealing with that hurt as well. I'm scared and angry, and trying to find my way to a better place with this. But it's been a long day, and I don't feel much better ending it than I did starting it. I am battling old wars with myself. Digging up things that have been long buried and put away. I don't want to go down those old paths again, but my feet move me towards them and I am weary. Does that make sense? It took a long time to heal the old wounds, and I felt the sting of them again today. It surprised me, those ancient pangs. I thought they had disappeared in our history, only distant memories. How fragile our hold on the present, when we begin to glance over our shoulders at the past. I don't want to live that way.
But I am afraid of the future, too, and find there is no easy place to look.
I know writing this won't make my folks happy. But dadgum. If I don't have the freedom to write about my struggles here, then what good is this blog? It's not just a place to post pictures for my family, or the recipes that I've used for a dinner. This is my life. If you read this blog, you've got to understand that. I want to be sensitive to the privacy of others, I really do. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. But I can't bring myself to pretend nothing is wrong when the opposite is true. I want to live a genuine life - I want to write what is real. I've been up, I've been down, I've been right, and I've been WRONG. But at the end of the day, I just want to know that I was authentic. It's the only way to learn anything, the only way to grow. Maybe I'll look back on it, in my wiser years, and see the foolishness of youth, and I'll regret it. But at least it will be something I can look back on and know honestly where I've come from, good and bad.
Anyway, I feel like I've got to qualify all that with the fact that I am in no way upset with the baby. You can't think that my emotions are in any way directed to this innocent little one. That's ridiculous. But I can't look at this situation and not cry when I think of what it means. It's not that I can't see the joy in a new life. But can I grieve the circumstances? Am I allowed that?
---
I don't know. I'm tired, and I think I'm going to bed.
I'm going to close comments on this post. I am just not up to responses on this one, and I hope you'll understand. I need to feel the way I do tonight. I need the quiet. If I'm still and empty tonight, then maybe I'll be filled with that peace that passes understanding when I wake. As I lay in bed tonight, trying to settle my restless mind, I will cling to the words of Psalms 61. "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
That's all I know to do, wait for the way.
Thanks for listening. Don't know what I'd do without you.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:31 PM | TrackBack
July 25, 2007
Magic Beans
Thank you, God, for the coffee bean. It's existence is proof indeed of Intelligent Design.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:05 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Impatient Sandman
I passed the point of exhaustion about fifteen minutes ago. Now I'm in a full blown delirium. I think I'm actually writing this during a blackout. I'll have no recollection of it at all tomorrow morning.
I'm. so. tired.
Started out early with a speech evaluation for HeroBoy (7:30 am, people. What kind of whack society is this?). Then we met some folks at the zoo at 10:30, and stuck it out until the unholy hour of 3 pm. Five hours of zoo time is like thirty in normal time. We dragged ourselves in the door this afternoon, smelling like goats and duck food, and crashed out.
I worked on the text for my business site for the rest of the day, and now here I am at midnight, again, wondering just what in the blue blazes I'm still doing up. Somebody, pleaseeee- make me go to bed!
Good news though... my labels, and fabric are speeding their way to me as we speak. My website is gonna look AWESOME. I'm lining up models for a photo shoot (er, that would be with me as photographer, with my trusty canon powershot camera). I've got info on the business license, but holding off on that until something else resolves itself. I've got an assistant seamstress (shout out to my sister, Ashley the Fabulous). I've got "idears", big dreams, no time, lotsa anxiety, low funds, but a weird sense that this is all gonna work out just smashingly. (and I'm pretty sure I just invented that word. Blame it on the delirium.)
Anyway, I'm going to try not to let all this affect my frequency or quality of blogging, but that's a tall order. This part of it is just so time-consuming. Until I get it rolling, it's going to require a lot! I apologize in advance for the lame, disorganized and probably sporadic blogging ahead. Can we still be friends if I don't write every single day? Or is your love for me conditional and superficial?
Of course it isn't. This is real love, baby. And I can tell because you are STILL reading this mundane entry.
Okay, I gotta get. Or I'm gonna keel over right here and now. Have a happy... uh... middle of the night. I'll see you in the a.m.
Posted by WonderGirl at 1:21 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
July 22, 2007
Where's The Dang Pause Button?
I saw this movie once as a kid about a magic stopwatch that paused time. You just click it, and everything freezes but you. (I can't remember the name of that movie, to my eternal irritation!)
Anyway, I need to get me one of them doohickies.
There are so many things I want to do, need to do and so little time to do them. But this is nothing new, is it? Everybody feels that way. I think back to my pre-kid days, and I wonder what the heck I did with my time! I think I slept a lot. I remember Saturdays, and I wasn't out of the bed before AT LEAST eleven o'clock - sometimes all the way till one in the afternoon. Why did I need that much sleep? I need sleep NOW. Not THEN!
Now, I can't even remember the last time I slept past eight o'clock. And I STILL can't manage to do all the things I'd like (and need) to do. Right now, the business is eating into most of my free time - and some of my not-so-free time, too. (Thank goodness for paperplates. Seriously.)
I hope that soon I can get a grip on things though- before school starts. I don't want to be so busy that I feel guilty for sitting down for more than five minutes! Life's too short, yeah? It's to the point that I am laying in bed trying to go to sleep, and all I can think of is my internal To-Do list. Driving me nuts!
But anyway.
Lots going on in the next few days. My aunt is in town for a visit. Chipmunk has a doctor's appointment and shots on Monday. (Boo.) Tuesday, HeroBoy has a speech therapy evaluation, and then we have a zoo picnic. Plus, gobs of sewing and website design and whatnot, plus helping a distant relative with some genealogy research. AND sometime or another, I've got to start getting my homeschool stuff together. I mentioned to King Pen the other day, that I am feeling the need for a solo weekend pretty soon to tackle some of these tasks. He'll probably take El Kiddos to his mom's house so I can knock it all out sometime in the next month. It's just so hard to stay focused when all these knuckleheads are running around! Love em, but they are masters of distraction (and destruction for that matter).
Well, I'm wiped. I'm turning in before I fall asleep on the keyboard. Have a good night, all.
PS- I'll get to those pictures I've been promising everybody tomorrow, I promise. I haven't forgotten!
Posted by WonderGirl at 5:59 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 21, 2007
The Cupboard is Bare
Okay, Aldi. Here I come.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:50 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 20, 2007
Whoopsie!
As I'm researching and preparing to start this business, I am increasingly aware of copywrite infringement. It's a tricky thing! I definitely want to be on the up and up with everything. People have worked hard on their own designs and businesses, and they deserve the rights to their efforts. I realize that early on, I made a bit of a faux paux when I said I was referencing the hotslings sizes. Yeah, can't do that. Soon after I wrote that, I changed my mind about it, because it's simpler to do S,M, L for labeling purposes. But, still, I just wanted to correct that mistake publicly so you guys would know that I DO want to respect the system.
It's complicated, I tell ya! I hope not to make any major mistakes along the way, but this is a learning process for me. I'm sure I'll have to take a few bumps before I get the hang of it.
Posted by WonderGirl at 6:35 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Is It the Wee Hours Yet?
Oh my stars.
I FINALLY have a name picked out for my sling biz. You have no idea how I have agonized over that decision. It was totally holding me back, too! You know how it gets, when you think so hard about something that you can't even SLEEP... You end up staying up till midnight like I've done the last three nights on the internet frying your brain on Google.com. Well, it's done. And I ain't telling, either. You'll just have to wait for the grand unveiling, because I am a big old meanie pie. It's okay, I know it, and you know it. I can live with it. Trust me though, it'll be worth the wait.
In the meantime, I can now order some product and sizing labels (yeah, labels! Look at me, all businessy. I'm so getting a pinstriped suit.) I am also working on a website, and figuring up my paypal/ebay accounts and all that jazz. There's A LOT more that goes into this than I thought. And type A personality that I am, I just can't half-do something. (I really wanted to type "half-a$$" there, but good sense prevailed. My swear jar is getting a little heavy these days, what with frequently broken sewing needles and ripped out hems.) Anyway- I originally had this idea just to get my couch, but now I'm thinking if I really get this thing rolling, this could be Christmas money, vacation, etc.
I've been sewing up my stock, so that I'll have maybe a dozen all ready made. After that, I can take custom orders, and I think that'll help me adjust to the pace of supply and demand. This is all new territory for me, and to be honest, part of me is freaking out a little. I mean... what if people don't like them? What if I'm wrong, and nobody wants to sling their baby? What if the sizes are off? What if they wash it and the whole thing falls apart? I know that's not going to happen, because I am being so overly thorough you wouldn't believe it, but still. You know what I'm saying. It's the risk and responsibility of providing a product for people. I really do feel like my name is on the line here, and I've never been in that position before. It's a bit daunting!
But besides that, I am soooo excited. It is very gratifying to conceptualize, construct, and COMPLETE a project like this within hours. So much of my normal day is taken up with repetitive, endless activities, like laundry. I like clean clothes, so I'm not griping. I'm just saying, they keep getting dirty over and over and over again, no matter how many times I wash the durn things. If I hated laundry, then I think this would be an excellent purgatory. But I've made my peace with it. We understand each other. That's just the way it is with housework - it never really seems to stop, and you never have much to show for it. With this though, I actually get to see finished results from my labor, and that's very satisfying! I actually smile every time I fold up a completed sling. Is that sad? Do I not get out of the house enough, or is this normal? Sometimes I worry, folks. I really do.
Anyway, I've rambled on long enough, I suppose. I know I've been talking about this an awful lot lately, do forgive. It's just occupying my brain a good bit, but that'll settle down soon, I promise.
For now, I gotta get some shut eye. I'm tuckered out. G'nite, all you night owls out there...
Posted by WonderGirl at 12:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 18, 2007
Peepers
HeroBoy interrupted us at dinner tonight with a sudden, and shocking, revelation, "Look Dad! My eyes close ALL THE WAY!!" He followed up with an enthusiastic demonstration.
You could tell it was the first time he'd figured it out, too.
Maybe he knocked more than his tooth loose yesterday...
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:06 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
I Heart Prints
Really, won't these make fabulous slings? I can't wait till they come in!
It's possible I am becoming a Fabric Nerd. I didn't know there was such a thing, but I suspect there is after choosing that title for this post.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:55 AM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
July 17, 2007
Mama Said Knock You Out
Why, oh why, do these things never happen during normal business hours? Tonight, HeroBoy managed to knock his front tooth (not a permanent one) loose with a backpack. Yeah, I don't know how that's possible, either. If there's a way to damage yourself with a lightweight sack filled with nothing, he'll be the one to do it. After much discussion, we decided there was nothing we could do until the morning. We don't have an afterhours dental service, and since it's a baby tooth and still attached, we thought as long as it's seen within 24 hours, it would be okay. I hope that was the right decision. Anyway, it's still there, just displaced and pitiful looking. His gums are bruised and bled a lot, so I am hoping he didn't do some serious damage in there. I will feel much better after an x-ray. I also really hope it doesn't blacken his tooth! Sometimes, if you traumatize a tooth, it will do that. Wah. I don't want to lose that impish grin of his! It makes me wanna cry. I hope they can do something for him. He's got a lot of years left in that tooth, and right now it's quite crooked and potentially blackened. -sniff- Guess if that happens, then we'll have to get some bling for his grill. Might as well be stylin'.
I didn't write much today, because I was busy working on slings, and organizing a gajillion boxes of baby clothes. I'm about to turn in now, since I plan on getting up early for a run. Hm. We'll see how that turns out. I can sure talk myself out of it real quick at 6 a.m. Shame.
Oh, and by the way... my brother has an important hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m. Please pray for him, his wife, and my parents at that time. I know they'll need the peace. I'll write an update on that after the hearing.
Mkay. WG out.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:57 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
2 Slings Down....
48 to go. -sigh-
Speaking of slings, I had Chipmunk in one today as I did some housework. The Duke, who clings to his babyhood with an irongrip (not that I'm complaining), came up to me holding a towel, gesturing that he, too, would like to be "slung". Sad little fella. I do put him in one occasionally when he seems to need the extra attention, but I can't double 'em up (and I don't use towels either, by the way). My superpowers don't extend that far! Anyway... he was pitiful, but a popsicle soothed the rejection a bit. I thought it was cute that he found a piece of fabric that he thought would work, though.
*yawn* I need to go to bed.
But before, I do, let me beg for your genius, your wit, your highly sophisticated taste. I need a catchy name for my biz. Everything cool that I've thought of is taken already! So, do offer your thoughts.
K, I'm out. Nighty night, bed bugs and *yawn*...
Posted by WonderGirl at 1:11 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 16, 2007
Put Our Service to the Test
Yesterday we had dinner guests after church. Dolly and Ethan, and their two kidlings, Ruthie and Chandler. We had a great time! The children all played nicely together, we had pleasant adult conversation (quite the treat, I assure you!) and I got to set a pretty table, using my tablecloth and all that. Being a hostess is so gratifying! Anyway, I love reading other people's dinner menus, so I'll share mine for all you nosy folks out there.
Caribbean Jerk Chicken (chicken, potatoes, and sausage in it. Spicy!)
Honey-Glazed Carrots,
Toasted Walnut Salad (spring mix, romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, redwine dressing & the best crunchy topping ever!)
French Bread
Wine & Sweet tea
Then for dessert we had coffee and Strawberry Shortcake.
It was delicious! And yes, I wore my crown. Jealous, aren't you?
Next time, you can come, I promise. And there will be a tiara with your name on it. No joke.
Okay, got stuff to get to this morning. Y'all have a good day, and I'll post lata.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:34 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 15, 2007
And the award goes to...
Wowza! Jeanette over at Moot Thoughts and Musings has kindly nominated me for the Thinking Blogger Award. It was such a lovely gesture, and I am very honored! Thank you, J!
See, here it is:
I'm printing it out and putting that sucker up on my mantel.
Now it's my turn to submit my nominations for the Thinking Blogger Award. Here they are, aside from Jeanette's, which would TOTALLY make this list:
Michelle over at Belly Dancer's Nightcap. She's a longtime favorite of mine. She paints a life that is starkly honest and beautiful, in good times and bad.
Christin at Verbing Nouns. Hers was one of the first blogs I'd ever read, and she cracked me up. Witty and stylish, and of course, always grammatically correct!
Emily at Commonplace Life. She's a recent read for me, but I enjoy her slice of life. Even on the internet, she gives off an approachable and genuine vibe.
The RevJATB at Know Tea. You get a smorgasbord of good stuff here. Excellent recipes, obscure but entirely beneficial music recommendations, theological kickshaw, an occasional post in German or French, and a lil' bit of popculture taboot. All he needs is a circus dog riding a unicycle - but I hear that may be in the works even now.
And last but not least, Chris at Required Reiding. He's an old time friend, but a new time read for me. We'd lost touch for ten or so years, and have now caught up again. He writes on a wide variety of interesting subjects, and I am always excited to see a new post of his show up in my RSS feeder.
Okay my fellow nominees, now it's your turn!
The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Living Bread
I love Communion.
Growing up Baptist, we had the Lord's Supper about once a month, and it was a very different experience than I have now as a Presybterian. We had unleavened wafers and grape juice. It was open to members of the church who had made a confession of faith. I think visitors were welcome to take it, but I can't remember exactly. Anyway, the pastor usually spoke beforehand about the importance of confession and repentance. I'm sure he spoke of other things too, but there was a clear emphasis on bringing judgement upon ourselves by taking the Lord's Supper unprepared. I always worried that I wasn't properly penitent. I half dreaded it, to be honest.
As I got older, my understanding of Communion changed, and whether it is due to natural maturity in my Christian walk, or to a different denominational interpretation of the sacrament, I do not know. But I do know that now, it is a much more powerful experience for me.
We observe the Lord's Supper every Sunday. We use a large, round loaf of sweet bread, and actual wine (much to the surprise of my mother that first time she visited! ha!) As the plate for the bread is passed around, you take your own portion. You are encouraged to take a good sized piece, enough to chew and satisfy. The wine is rich and warm in your throat. You would be surprised at the difference that these textures bring to the experience. Their tactile delights reflect the joy and abundance to be found at the Lord's table. They are the foods of feasts, celebrations - they are reflective of the blessings God pours out on us. Not the sober, tasteless, white wafer of my childhood. No offense intended, but that is an apt description.
I am not saying that our wild and crazy leavened bread makes us irreverent or unrepentant. But you will not hear many words of warning before the Lord's Supper. More often, you hear words of encouragment, of thankfulness. Come, let us sing before the table of the Lord, for He is good and merciful! We are not worthy of the Lord's Supper, not ever. No amount of repentance and confession wipes you white as snow. That's what makes Communion so amazing, that despite our pitiful state, we are welcomed to His table, because of Christ's work through us. He has made us acceptable in God's sight. When I began to approach the Lord's Supper with this mindset, it became a great joy to me. I was no longer afraid to eat and drink. Instead, I found great peace in this weekly joining with Christ.
Another major difference is that we include our children in the Eucharist. (ooh, look at me using big holy words!!) Now, this isn't specific to all Presbyterian churches, but it is something our particular church adheres to. I can go into the why of it, but that's another post. Anyway, this is a beautiful moment to me. To see my children partaking of the body and blood of Christ, it is a shared fellowship we have. We take their portion of bread, ministering to them as Christ ministers to the church. They hold it in their palms, sharing in the anticipation, in the reverence and importance. I am moved to hear my daughter singing the words of the Communion hymn, to see my sons eager for their piece of the Lord. It is soothing to a mother's heart, it is a living Promise of God's covenant with his people. It stills me, quiets my restless, anxious spirit.
I love to love Communion. I feel as the apostles of old must have felt as they pulled their chairs into that wooden table in the upper room. Awe, that they broke bread with their Savior, that they had been chosen, invited into His presence, though they knew for certain they didn't deserve the welcome. Warm and full, as physically satiated as they were spiritually. Comfortable, in the gentle, ordinary sounds of plates and glasses clinking around, the fullness of conversation and laughter. Or solemn, as Jesus spoke heavy words that they couldn't quite grasp until after His death.
Communion is more than the wine and bread and the words. It is remembrance of Him, His life, His works... but it is also remembrance of Him in OUR life, in OUR works. Communion prepares us for a week of remembering Him in every thing we say and do. It is a nourishment that extends beyond the table and into our very lives, which is exactly what He intended.
Well, that's all. I can't think of a snappy ending to my thoughts, so I will end here. Enjoy your day of rest.
Posted by WonderGirl at 6:00 PM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 13, 2007
WonderGirl: Super Business Power
Our couch has seen better days. It is nearing the point when it must be put out to pasture, reclining in fields of thrift stores and bachelor pads. So I've been on the hunt for a new living room set, which is a BIG deal. That's no small purchase for our budget. After deciding on what I want, (which is in a lovely shade called "paprika"), I then fainted dead away at the cost. They thought I was testing the sofa, but no. I was unconscious.
But being the innovative creature that I am, I have decided to make the money myself. I have ordered some lovely fabric, and will begin this weekend making baby slings to sell on ebay. If I have some success there, I will create my own website and do it from there. I need somewhere around $1000 for the furniture, more for additional pieces. I'm hoping by the fall to have a nice chunk of that saved.
Here are the patterns that I got. Cool, huh?
I know they are mostly floral, but I'm gonna branch out. These were on sale! Next time, I want some retro patterns. Maybe I should do some solids, too. Anyway, whatcha think? If I can make a profit of say, $20 on each one, then that's about 50 or so slings to get me to $1000. They don't take long to make, it's really just a matter of getting all my material out and keeping the kids out of it.
I'm excited though! I will keep you updated on my success/failure.
Posted by WonderGirl at 12:32 PM | Comments (13) | TrackBack
July 12, 2007
Replay
Can someone please tell me why The Mummy is constantly on? Sometimes it's The Scorpion King, but mostly The Mummy. Con-stant-ly. I mean, I like Brendan Frasier and all, but pul-lease! We're over it! Let's move on with our lives.
Posted by WonderGirl at 5:41 PM | TrackBack
Voluble
Good morning all! How are you? I am fabulous. I am so happy to be checking my email and bloglist over my cup o'joe that I could just expire. How sad is that? It's like I won the lottery.
So, I mentioned last night that we've got strep throat around here. Well, everyone who has it is medicated, and so far I haven't seen any signs in anybody else, so maybe we'll get lucky. We're feeling better, the sun is peeking through some clouds this morning (literally and figuratively), and I am ready to get back in the game again.
Which is good, because I think I put on five pounds this week in stress eating. A sore throat doesn't slow me down, no sirree. I'll puree those snicker bars if I need to. I've GOT to get myself back on the running track again! It's a lot harder to exercise these days than it was after my last pregnancy. Life is crazier with four kids than three. I'm not complaining, but holy mackerel, it's an uphill battle to get out of here in running shoes. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and start getting up at five and doing it before King Pen leaves for work. I'm just not one of those people, though. Guess I might need to BECOME one though. Just the thought of it makes me cranky.
Maybe things will get better after everyone is well again.
Anyway... what else?
I have soooo much to catch up on now that things are getting back to normal. The house is a wreck, laundry is piled sky high, and the kids all have cabin fever. Besides all the chores, I need to get them outside and run them around a bit. The library, the park, the pool- you name it, they need it. And though I feel better, I get a little tired just thinking of all that stuff!
I've decided we're going to start a strict regiment of vitamins/minerals/acupuncture once this is all over. It seems like we've been sick ever since Christmas with something or another! I'm ready for a well family again. And if I have to poke 'em with needles to make it happen, well, that's what I'll do. I'm sure it'll be a big hit. I bet they get sick a lot less. Ha!
Well, I'm rambling a bit, do forgive. Just happy to be back! I'll be on later - but now I need to tackle the job ahead of me. Have a good day everybody.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:20 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 11, 2007
Long Lost WG
Oh yippie! I'm back, I'm back, I'm back! And it only cost me an arm and a leg. (And a kidney. Thank goodness for the black market. My liver is gonna put my kids through college!)
So, didja miss me? C'mon, you know you did. Don't act all nonchalant. Aww, you're blushing! It's so cute. You missed me * You missed me* na na na nana na.
-contented sigh-
I am so unbelievably happy to be back online, with a computer that doesn't suffer from narcolepsy. What a treat! And just in time, too. I was beginning to worry for my sanity. We've had a rough couple of days. Strep throat dropped in on us expectedly, and didn't take our not-so-subtle hints to go the hell home. ('scuse me. A buck into the swear jar.) King Pen, HeroBoy, and I have it, and we're all taking antibiotics. Hopefully nobody else will come down with it, but I am not overly optimistic on that count. We're a kissy bunch. I'm sure the germs have made the rounds.
I want to do a proper update, but I am just too tired tonight. Strep really wears you down, and I need to get some rest tonight. I will write tomorrow, but just wanted to revel in internet connection for just a minute. Sweet dreams, butter beans. See you in the a.m.
Posted by WonderGirl at 11:02 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
July 8, 2007
A Thought Gumbo
I couldn't take it. I had to sneak off to the library to check my email, and my blog list.
I have a serious internet problem, I know. But let's not talk about that right now, mkay? You can stage an intervention at another time, but right now, just let me get my fix. I only have an hour on this computer, and I intend to make the most of it.
I sure hope my laptop is up and running again soon. Hopefully by the middle of the week, at the latest! I simply cannot function in this cyber vacuum.
Despite my painful wifi withdrawl, it's been a good weekend. Saturday was uber-productive. (Yeah, I said uber. And I'd say it again, too, because I am a nerd.) Got the house tip top, went grocery shopping, and checked out an estate sale down the street, where I made off with a lovely dining room table! I am giddy over this table. We finally have room to sit comfortably! It was so tight, we were about to have to start eating in shifts. So this was a good find, and at $15, it was impossible to pass up. It's a sturdy table, which is a must with boys hanging off of it all the time. (I sure wish King Pen would stop that. Ha.) Anyway. I almost slept on it last night, I was so happy. This would not be the first time I've slept on a table, but there's no way I'm telling that story in mixed company.
Onward.
We also got buckets of rain all day yesterday, which was wonderful. I love a rainy Saturday! The world looks much healthier today. Green and content.
What else? Ah! 30 minutes left. Let's speed this up a bit, shall we?
I am hunting a Harry Potter buddy to catch the new movie with me. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
My mom is in Honduras on a medical mission trip. Remember her this week, if you will. Their accomodations are very challenging, and last year there was a fly infestation that nearly drove her crazy. She'll be back Thursday, I think. If she remembers, she is supposed to bring me back some local fabric so that I can make another sling. (See, it's all about me, isn't it. Shameless.)
Tuesday, I have Girl's Night with the girls (duh) from church. We will be talking about a.) how gross boys are b.)how lame our parents are and c.)who in the choir stuffs their bra. Okay, no we won't. Well, maybe C.
Friday, I have another book club meeting, where we will be discussing Gilead. Yes, very intellectual of us, isn't it? Constantly improving our minds, we are. You never stop learning, I say. Nevermind the wine, that's totally irrelevent. This is strictly an academic gathering. Where there will be booze. And poker. Shut up.
Well, I'm outta time. Time to shut this party down. I hope you all have a swimmingly good week, and I will write again when I get the laptop back, or I have another breakdown and rush to the library for a quick fix.
Bye then. Take care.
Keep in touch, yeah?
OH HOW WILL I EVER GET THROUGH THE DAYS WITH NO INTERNET? WOE IS ME!
I'll be just fine. No big deal. LIES. ALL LIES.
Posted by WonderGirl at 3:05 PM | Comments (10) | TrackBack
July 6, 2007
Gone for a Few
My lovelies, I have sad news. My computer is acting hinky, and it's going in the shop today. Hopefully, it won't be a major deal and I can get it back quickly. I'll admit, I get the shakes if I go too long without it.
In the meantime, I will be playing Katamari Damacy on playstation. It's not the internet, but it keeps the cold sweats at bay. Hope you all have a great weekend, and fingers crossed- I'll be back early next week.
Posted by WonderGirl at 9:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 4, 2007
Leaves of Three, Let It Be.
Seeing as how I have spent much of my time lately preoccupied with my poison ivy, I have attempted to find it's redeeming quality. Certainly it must have one, certainly the Creator imbued it with some sacred purpose, as He did the rest of nature. Even the lowest creature has some divine fundamental duty. If I could understand it's place in the master design, then perhaps I could forgive it's unpleasant existence.
That proved to be more difficult that I anticipated. The only reasonable explanation I could come up with is that poison ivy is a metaphor for sin. Stay with me here.
First, you get poison ivy when you are not paying attention. You must be on guard for it's presence at all times as you travel the woods. You also get it when you wander off the designated trail, the way that is clearly marked for your passage. As with sin, if you are careless, or foolishly step off the path, you become vulnerable to hidden corruption.
Once you've been exposed to the plant, you show symptoms of it. The raised blisters, inflamed skin. There is physical evidence that you've been in touch with something you should have stayed away from. Same with sin. It brands you. You cannot walk away from poison ivy without consequence, and neither can you step away unmarked from sin. The oil of poison ivy is invisible to the eye, but it has a very real, noticeable impact on our bodies. Sin may be concealed in our hearts, but it is evident in our lives.
Poison ivy is worse if you scratch it. It is an almost unbearable itch, constant and unsatisfied. You may start out with a gentle rub, but before you know it, you have succumbed to a full, deep scratching. Sin is the same. Though you may indulge only slightly at first, before you know it, you are fully committed to the sin, despite your original intentions. And as with poison ivy, the itch of sin is never fully satisfied, returning in moments even stronger. The more you scratch, the more you want to scratch. The more you sin, the more you want to sin.
Treatment of poison ivy is tedious. You dry up the rash, minimize the itching, and wait. In the same way, we deal with sin. We treat the consequences of our sin as we can, with prayer and common sense, and then we wait on God to restore us. And He will. Poison ivy doesn't last forever, the skin will heal in time. It is not a permanent condition. Neither is our sin. It is an earthly condition, one we must always be wary of, but it is not final. We will find relief from sin in eternity with Christ, where we will be unblemished and perfect.
So that's it, my soliloquy - The Redeeming Grace To Be Found in Toxicodendron Radicans.
Now, back to the calamine.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:32 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
July 3, 2007
Billy Boy
Thanks to King Pen for passing along this "vintage" cartoon. It's one of my favorites. If I wasn't destined to marry King Pen (and I was born about forty years earlier), I would be Mrs. Tex Avery right this minute. The man was a comic genius. And that's hot.
Anyway. The little goat reminds us of the Duke, who is cute and mischievous, and occasionally has curls that look like horns.
Posted by WonderGirl at 12:31 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
A Sight in Seersucker
This was a Sunday ago, before church. Chipmunk was too cute in his seersucker pants, and we had to snap a picture...
I don't know where you stand on the issue, but I am a staunch proponent of dressing boys like boys. I have plenty of friends who believe that babies should be dressed prettily no matter what their gender, and hey, it's their kid. They've earned the right to dress 'em up however they want. But for me, I like my boys in miniature man clothes. I am highly amused to see a little fella all dudded up like Daddy.
Seersucker is sweet, though, and as long as it's not in the form of a bubble suit, I can handle it.
PS. Ignore the slightly diabolical smile on my face in that picture. Don't know where that came from, especially since we're on our way to church.
Posted by WonderGirl at 10:09 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack
July 2, 2007
Shine Mountain
I started this a long time ago, and have picked up the story again. I fleshed out (and changed) the beginning a little. What do you think?
Continue reading "Shine Mountain"
Posted by WonderGirl at 7:16 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Rain Dance
Rain, rain - don't go away!!
Every day, we have a teaser thundercloud roll in, make a little noise, and then leave again without so much as a howdy-do. It's disheartening.
It's curious, isn't it, how we long for rain even when it doesn't affect us much physically? I mean, I'm not a farmer. My cotton isn't suffering. I don't have much of a yard, so my grass is okay. My well's not dry, my car's not terribly dirty, and I've got plenty of drinking, washing, and bathing water.
But still, the drought gets to me.
I miss the smell of rain, the sound of it. I wish for puddles and splashes and umbrellas. We are creatures of water, dependent on it running into the soil beneath our feet, and past our lips into our earthly forms. We need rain in the most primal way. Without it, we are dead. When the skies are dry, I think the animal in us trembles.
(Ah, let no one say I am not melodramatic!)
Yesterday we had a quick downpour, and there was almost audible relief from the parched earth outside. Ahhhh... The dirt gulped it down and then it was gone - as if it'd never come at all. You could almost hear "more, more" from the trees and grass.
I'm considering an old fashioned Rain Dance. With spins and stomps and waving of the hands. Let the heavens open wide!
Posted by WonderGirl at 2:57 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 1, 2007
Botanical Blitzkrieg
You think that's Uma, don't you? As Poison Ivy in Batman? Well, you'd be wrong. That's me, currently. I came in contact with that vicious plant last week at my parent's house, and now I am fighting an almost unbearable urge to scratch, scratch, scratch. (And my hair turned bright red, and I keep having vague thoughts about going ninja on some guy named Bill. Weird.)
Anyway, I haven't had poison ivy since I was a kid, and I forgot just how horrible it is. The rash itself is not all that bad, because I have been SAINTLY about not scratching, but ooooohhhhh the agony of the itch! It makes me want to cry! I am not kindly disposed to plantlife at the moment. As a matter of fact, I should issue a warning to all the greenery in my life to tread lightly, my friends. Tread lightly. I have been crossed by your brethren, and I seek justice. (I think the righteous vengeance must be coming from Uma.)
Anway, I sent King Pen to the store for Benadryl, and though I know it will zonk me out, I must have some relief. In the meantime, I am considering buying this shirt to memorialize my suffering. I think it'd look good with my new red hair.
Posted by WonderGirl at 2:57 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack