Thankful...

Today I am thankful for...

• Kids, my kids. My kids that love to play games, and don't hold their anger long. My kids that smile and me and hug. My kids that are creative little artists, singer/song writers, architects, and forensic anthropologists.
• A wonderfully creative husband. When I am around him I feel creatively inadequate. He works hard, which allows me to stay home. He makes me laugh. He loves me.
• My sewing room. A place to work. A place to create. A place to share with my kids.
• A new laptop for our family. Shiny, new, just out of the package.
• Tax returns that allow for said laptop.
• My parents and their pork.
• My sisters and my brother.
• Getting all the trash out of our van. Seriously, it was bad. I am just glad its done.
• My best friend, my other half, my platonic life partner. Even if she lives 6hrs away. I am so thankful for technology that allows us to call each other for free (thank you mobile to mobile minutes), video chat, text, email, cyber window shop, etc.
• NO MORE DIAPERS!!! Uri is successfully potty trained. I mean, staying dry at night, potty trained. Yep, its amazing.
• Vehicles that work.
• Houses that keep us warm and safe.
• Embroidery.
• Quilts.
• Awesome Aunts.
• Giving Grandparents.
• Legos.
• Coffee nights at Benettis.

Obviously there are many things to be thankful for. These are the ones fresh in my mind right now.

There is a homeschool meeting tomorrow night! Us moms are going to get together and play games and just enjoy each others company. It was a lot of fun last month, so I look forward to it again.

Oh wait, I have a blog?...

There really hasn't been much to talk about lately...If I would have updated anytime in the last week it would have looked something like this...

"snowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowihatesnowsnowsnow

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snowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowihatesnowsnowsnows

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snowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowsnowihatesnowsnowsnow"

So, there you have it.

I guess there has been a little bit of excitement! I reclaimed a sewing room in our apartment! When we moved in Sydney had her own room, and the boys shared. Most nights Syd ended up on the floor in the boys room with a sleeping bag anyway, so we shifted things around and she now has more comfortable arrangements (complete with mattress and all). Thus, I have a sewing room! The kids still have the Playmobils in the sewing room so they can play while I sew, and Syd still has her reading nook. But I now have a place to go and spread out and sew! I have done an order of tshirts in the new area, a kindle case, and a skirt. It has been so nice.

I love the view I have from the sewing room windows. Its a 70+ year old drug store in down town Raytown!

I think the kids really enjoy sharing the space with me. Isa and Uri laid out pillow cases (or pillow sheets as they call them) all over the floor to make the ocean, and then used Lego bucks with pencil flags ticky tacked to them for boats. It was really cute once I realized why they were pulling out the freshly folded pillow cases.

A few random things...

• I have been stalking Vanessa on skype waaaay too much today.
• I really enjoy looking at house listings online.
• After saving for a few months, we ordered new phones today!
• Spring cannot come soon enough.
• That new Robin Hood movie is great.
• I want to see Beastly. I will understand if you dont want to be my friend anymore.
• My mom brought me a surprise pork package. mmmmm...
• Sydney doesn't understand why Harry Potter, Ron, and Hermione cant just mind their own business.
• I have really been enjoying church lately.
• Our best in town friends are moving. While I am happy for them, I am totally sad for myself.
• Sydney wants to know what this says but I wont tell her.

This post is in loving memory of Bruiser. Who has now found his way into my belly. Thanks old friend.

Random List...and Random Rant...

There are a handful of things I am trying to make a conscious effort to do.

I wont call them resolutions or goals because that almost insures their failure.

1. Eat more local food. This is especially hard for me during the winter months. Im not creative with food.

2. Less yelling.

3. Pay more attention to my kids schooling.

4. Be more creative.

5. Read more. (I have set a goal of reading 27 books this year. Thanks to the Kindle I got for Christmas I have read 9 books so far.

So I should be able to accomplish this, at least.

6. Keep the house cleaned up more regularly.

7. Play more cards/board games.

8. Take more pictures.

9. Buy everything used. (There will of course be things we just cant/shouldn't buy used...but I am talking, clothes, furniture, shoes, etc.)

10. Really, I couldn't think of anything else. I just thought 10 was a nice round number to stop at.

In other news...I thought it would be extremely smart to venture out into the snow yesterday. I had cabin fever, and just had to get out.

Well...I didn't even make it to a main street before I was stuck. Really stuck. After being passed by 3 police officers, 2 tow truck drivers, and countless men in big trucks three ladies stopped to help.

They dug the scion out (worst car ever to drive in snow btw, only because it sit sooo low) and pushed me to freedom. So thank you mystery ladies.

Also, if Uri doesn't give into potty training soon I might just go nuts. Anyone want to take him for a couple weeks and deal with that for me?

The Grass is Always Greener...

Yesterday I received a much needed day time break. The kids and I set a play date for them with their great grandma cha cha (see above image) over google chat. Yep, I have a pretty tech savvy grandmother! She kept them for 4 hours yesterday afternoon. It was so great to be able to get out by myself during the day. I was able to go to run to the grocery store, hit up an antique store, and a couple thrift stores. I spent a whole $4 on my excursion on a few records. Including a couple Chopin records that I was pretty happy to find. Having days a lone like that really make it hard not to entertain ideas of having the kids in school and being a free lady. But, even if the kids were in school I would probably find a job during their school hours, and then, I would dream of just staying home with my kids. The grass is always greener right?

I had a couple of surprise T-shirt orders come in from Bandwagon this week. The past couple evenings were spent seam ripping necklines, and sewing in hem tags. Which has thrown off my personal reading, and my project that I am working on. In just a few minutes I am going to drop Syd off to play with her friend Katia, and then I am going to come back home and work on my little project. If I get enough done on it perhaps I will share in the next couple days!