Adding Color

Add color to your house. Especially when the sun doesn't shine for a while.
Sometimes when I have to sit and hold a child who is sleeping or sick or just wants mom to hold them, but not read a book (I know, strange) then I will surf online. Well, the places I frequent are craft sites. I know, I know, I don't have the time to do many crafts, but I really want to do crafts. I have been gathering the items needed to make so many things that it may take me a year to just get them started, let alone done.
I happened upon this site: the purl bee.
It looked so fun and festive. Well, I was so busy with other things, so I couldn't get to it. I decided that I could make them for Valentine's Day!! So as I would go to Hobby Lobby, I would pick up a few pieces a felt. Then one night after the kids were locked in their room (I wish, but Delta can open the door), I started cutting out hearts, all sizes from about an inch, to 4 inches; in the colors I wanted. Purple, pink, fushia, white. I just sat at my machine with white thread in it and just fed through the hearts, all facing the same direction, and in a random order. Here is what I ended up with:



It really added color to the room. Not as much as bright orange, green, and yellow, but sure helped.


You can also see that for FHE one week we copied this idea and made colorful hearts. Unfortunately only one has survived the wrath of little girls. (they are currently in destruction mode)

Behind!

Here is what I'm gonna do, I've got so much I want to share, and where I'm stuck holding sick kids all day, I might as well type. I've been running around trying to keep up with the house, the laundry, the kids, the noses, the diapers, drinks, meds, breathing treatments, birthdays, throw up, that now I decided to just sit and enjoy this time I can sit and hold them. Because I rarely get to just sit and hold DD age 16.75. So here goes....

BTW...this will be a little out of order (it's actually the 9th, but all this began on the 2nd, so...), sorry ahead of time.

Let Yourself Recoup

Recoup. How do you do this? I have no idea. This topic is on my mind, as we have 4 sick kids, and 2 sick adults in the house. One well toddler, and one well teenager.
So, how do you get the rest you need to deal with what you have to do? Well, you let things go. The past two days I've had to let things go. The front room has been a sick room. We've just laid around watching movies and drinking lots of fluids. We've had vicks and tissues close by. And ate mainly snack type foods, and easy dinners. Dosed out lots of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. And have watched Strawberry Shortcake more times than I'd like to remember.
I did wash laundry and dishes. Tried to fold laundry and put it away. Finally got the clean dishes put away right before refilling it with the dirty ones. Then running it again.
So what have I been doing? Well, holding sick girls. Sleeping. Nothing. Taking cough medicine and sucking on cough drops.
What have I wanted to do? Sew. Read. Clean out the boys room. Finish up shopping for DS's (almost age 6) birthday. Have preschool. (I was all ready with some fun activities planned. I may just take the items around to the children and they can do it on their own.)
I did get out tonight and go to RS. We were decorating fondant cupcakes. I wanting to see if they had any great ideas that I can use on the cake this weekend. I think just refamiliarizing myself with the technique and remembering that last time it was way too thick will help this process go much more smoothly. We'll see. Atleast I have someone local I can call if I need help. My sister makes beautiful cakes with fondant, but she lives 3 hours away. And i only stayed for the demonstration, so I could get back and help with the little ones.
Well, I hope that I didn't get too off track from sharing that what I should (and you should) do if you find yourself as a sick mom. Rest. Take care of yourself. At least try to take it easy. (My sister in law wears slippers to remind herself to take it easy. I do this most of the time.) Remind yourself that if you rest now, it won't take you so long to get feeling better. And the mess will still be there. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be much better. We'll have to see what the night brings.

Enjoy Yourself! (or just be miserable)

As a stay-at-home mom, there are a lot of UN-enjoyable things you must do everyday. Toilets, for one. Mopping, for another. But I have found that giving myself a reward for doing these things really helps.
I will give myself a list of things I have to do before I:
-get on the computer.
-watch Good Things Utah.
-sew
-craft

But then I go and enjoy myself.
Here are some things I did last week to "reward" myself for .... folding the light colored load of laundry, ... :

I made hair bows with Elyse.





Made Katia a Valentine skirt.



Made a pillow case for Jayden.
Went to sew at DSIN's and continued making the Potato Heads. (here is a link if you want to make your own.)
Worked on a quilt with Elyse.

So, what do you like to do after you have swept the floor for the bajillionth time?

The Hanging of El Bandito

There is a play that my DD 16 saw last summer and has not stopped talking about since. She says she laughed so hard and insists that we all go see it.
So when I heard that we could win tickets to it, I thought that I would mention it to all of you. Here is the link with information on how to win tickets.
Here is the link about the show.
Hopefully we will see you there!