FullOfStitches.com blog.A good laugh leaves me in stitches!

The bike trailer was disrobed. The frame now holds a boogy board and a child-sized beach chair. The children have been taking turns pushing each other around and right now MissA is using it as a wheelchair.

I unplugged the TV last weekend. TJ figured out there was a plug missing, but couldn’t reach it to plug it back in. There has been a surge in outside play and art – MissB is getting incredibly good at drawing Frodo Baggypants!

A couple years ago, my MIL had suggested that I put the sewing away so I could focus on the children better. I’m naturally very slow to adapt, so it was a long time coming. This last Christmas (2009), I decided it was time. I’ve been piling the donations up, then pulling them back in to work on things, piling donations, pulling back in..

I’d still like to make their clothes, but it needs to wait for now. I have to focus my efforts to school them and get my own schooling done. I have about 1/10 of the modules sent in and about half of them in some state of work. I’ve found it quite difficult to study at home, so my Saturdays at the coffee shop are indispensable.

The next frustration I ran into was schooling the children. I had collected a great horde of textbooks and workbooks and supplies, Oh My! Would this turn out to be harder to declutter? Yes and no. I know where I’d like to go with some components of home school, but not with others. I’d like all my teacher books to fit in one case so we can easily take school along with us.

We invested, though that’s hardly the best word as the program is inexpensive, in SWR. So, now the old phonics books and stacks of spelling workbooks that we’ve hardly touched can find a new home.

History and science are a little harder right now. With practice, I’ll get better at this, but I’m currently not the greatest history or science teacher. I’m loving my Apologia texts, so we’ll keep with those. History, though.. I’ve still got to figure out. I’ve got random children’s history books lying about. I have the Veritas History (2nd grade only, at this point) & I love the cards, but the books drive me a little batty. I’m going to stick to it for now, see if we can make some headway once our school schedule is started. I know the library might be the answer, but I don’t really like the local branch. I’ll probably, eventually, go through the adult history sections in bookstores and have some chronology that way. We’ll see. For now, it is as it is.

“Your hands are full!”

“You’re braver than I am!”

“Better you than me!”

Well meaning people comment on other peoples family. Most, perhaps, out of surprise. But, sometimes belittling them, or worse, their children.

“There’s help for that.”
“Don’t you know where they come from yet?”
“They can fix that.”

Nothing’s broken. The natural, God-given appointment for most women is to bear children.

*1Tim 5:14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.*

*Titus 2:3-5 3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.*

The hardest thing I’ve ever done was to be a full time homebody. I was raised to seek “gainful” employment, to “contribute to society,” and ended up with a great dislike for most things domestic. Personally, I’ve always hated cleaning. It was a punishment. And, in a household of 7 people, cleaning was one of the few things you could do and end up alone. What a long way I’ve come, and still have to go!

After Ben and I married, we worked and paid for an adoption (Ben adopted TJ) and a wedding. We waited to have our second child through most of the adoption proceedings. Then, that Christmas, we stopped the pill. Within a month, we had conceived (now knowing the research, I wonder how conceiving so soon really affected my baby). We were offered the mini pill in UK after her birth, but my body reacted horribly to it, so we chose not to use anything. And, again looking at research, I can see it’s the healthiest choice. In His Word, having children is considered a blessing. They are gifts!

We have chosen to let the Lord bless us as He sees fit. Maybe He will close my womb – I’m willing to lay down my desire and allow Him to work on and through me in this way.

*But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
1 Timothy 2:15*

How right is Timothy! Most women of my generation do not leave school believing the scriptures, but many will take their children to church for the instruction, to be “good” children. In the process, they too can be ministered to and believe.

In my own life, I’ve found that verse applies on other levels. Having these blessings in my personal space from dawn to dawn and dusk to dusk brings out my impurities. My irritability can be changed to praise and thanksgiving for such blessings. My angry outlashes to songs of joy.

“You have way more patience than me!”

How? Through Christ alone.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The nuts & bolts were in a bucket on the shelf near where I’d left them (thank you, Susan!) and I was able to get the rack back onto my bike pretty quick. I’d taken the rack off when my sister returned my purple -much lighter- bike, but the mounting holes on the purple bike didn’t work with the rack set.

Instead of getting to ride the lighter bike, I switched the improvements from it onto the bike I’ve been riding. Now I have a saddle cushion, pump, and quick releases on the front wheel and seat. It could use a good cleaning still, lights, and maybe new brakes, but all in all I’m satisfied it’ll work.

The trailer, on the other hand, has a broken safety strap. I don’t want to risk my babies if the join goes, too. It might be fun to convert it to a hard trailer so we can trail it behind Ben or TJ and take picnicking supplies with us for a day out. For short rides, MissC could ride her balance bike & Little Guy use the seat on my bike.

Our neighbor stopped by the other day with some squash. The really big one was made into patty pan size zucchini breads, recipe from Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, And Other Good Things by Landau & Myers.

Yummy lunch!

It was one of those days.

The plane was late coming in last night, so Ben and I went to bed quite late. This morning, TJ and MissA had piano lessons so we had to get up early. No one could find MissA’s glasses. Just as we were about to go, some little person had to go.. Then we were all finally in the car, driving, and I asked the pianists to check their written work, and the one asked where the books were.. Back home we drove for books.

We dropped them at lessons, dropped Ben at the closest train station, and headed to the park. I’d forgotten Little Guy’s shoes and fresh diaper (so thankful he’s beginning to let me know when he needs to potty).

Everyone was hungry when lessons were over. LG fell asleep on the way home, so I lay down to nurse him and TJ made lunch (grilled cheese, yum!).

After lunch, we headed to the garage. My intention was to reattach the rack onto my bike to carry the baby seat. I inflated bike tires on all the children’s bikes, but am at a loss as to where the nuts and bolts went (they were on the shelf). That’s when TJ brought me MissA’s glasses.

So much for bolts. I called the optometrist to see if they had an opening, and they said to come on over. We ordered her a new pair, and ordered a part for my broken glasses, too (the hinge broke, they ordered a new “temple” -ear piece).

Barely five minutes after we got in, the neighbor came to see if the children could play. I heard the doorbell, but one of them answered and I found the door open and the babies out front. I sent them in for it.

Everyone was hungry. Again. MissB requested pasta. I started the water to boil and pulled out the pasta. No sauce. No meatballs. TJ had used all the mozzarella for lunch (& it was good, though I did let him know I usually use the jack or cheddar for grilled cheese & the mozzarella fir things like pasta or pizzas), and there was just a tiny bit of Colby Jack and a scant 1/8 cup Parmesan left.

I set a saucepan on medium heat, diced an onion & melted some butter. Onion dumped in pan. My neighbor had recently given us some little tomatoes and there were two larger ones & half a cucumber left from sandwiches Sunday. I diced these and dropped them as I finished each into the saucepan, stirring once in a while. The pan smelled like boiling vegetables – not particularly tempting to me! Spice cabinet: what would smell good? Thinking spaghetti sauce, I added a bit of the Italian seasonings, could have been basil, marjoram, oregano, and the last bit of thyme, some salt & pepper, and then a hint of turmeric. Finally, good aroma! When the pasta was done, I added a splash of the pasta water to the sauce & drained the noodles. The Parmesan and some olive oil went on the pasta & the little two ate that while the sauce cooked down another few minutes.

The kids really liked it. TJ had 4 bowls! Ben liked it, too. Everyone had a cookie & a piece of taffy that Ben had brought from New York.

After dinner, MissA went to the garage to assist Daddy so she could start paying, in labor, for her replacement glasses. I took LG for a walk & came back to find one of the grape trellises finished & the second half done, MissB entertaining MissC with a tea party & TJ practicing standing while riding the balance bike.

When they finished up, I invited them for ice cream. Strawberry, chocolate mint, and vanilla were on hand. Toppings were peanuts, chocolate Magic Shell, and maraschino cherries. A nice finish for my day.

The children asked me to make cookies on Saturday. We didn’t get them mixed up until just before bedtime, so into the fridge went the dough. After lunch today, we pulled it out and they made up some yummy cookies. After dinner, they decorated them.

I gave a bag of frosting to each of the children, reddish & yellow to TJ, pink to MissA, purple for MissB, and MissC loves blue. I even got to help decorate my cookies for Ben:

Ben’s in New York to attend a wedding. Friday, he set his alarm for 4 o’clock to get to the airport & through security in time for his 6:20AM flight. I woke to a gray dawn and suddenly asked, “Is it 4?” Ben was out of bed so quick! 5:50! We got ready, prayed, and drove to the airport, arriving about 6:20. His return flight is from terminal A, and I dropped him there.. One should always double check, he was flying out of terminal B! He ran, I had already driven away. It turned out his flight was cancelled & passengers deplaned & he was in line with the fellow passengers rebooking. The airport bused them up to SFO for an 8:30 flight.

He called from Atlanta, & again when he arrived safe in New York.

Sunday morning, Ben was able to take in the scenery. 9 story brick buildings, wouldn’t stand our earthquakes! St. Mary’s Church.

Civil War memorials (Abe Lincoln):

And, lunch:

Along with local more modern art:

And Best Wishes to Jon & Liz!!

I’m trying to live within my budget. I used to be pretty good at it, or so I thought, but we took a rather long break from having a strict budget. So, now I’ve got a week and I’ve spent nearly my last dollar. In the pantry are lots of cans of beans…

Chili seems easy enough, I stood for a moment looking at titles when Potpies seemed like the best cookbook. Sure enough, a recipe for chili (p. 122) with a cornbread topping. At my feet was a crying baby..

TJ wasn’t feeling like entertaining Little Guy, so I asked him to make dinner. I explained the difference of instructions since we had canned and the recipe called for dried, and took the stroller to the store to pick up the bell pepper. Everything else we had, or so I thought.

When I returned, he had a pot of spiced beans and tomatoes simmering. I sliced up the onions and bell pepper and talked him through sautéing. Then I hunted for the cornmeal. We’re out of cornmeal? I used it recently for dumplings.. But, we’re out. And I have quinoa. Hehe, we subbed the quinoa for the cornmeal and I was a little concerned it wouldn’t breadify.

35 minutes later, a strangely colored, but tasty quinoa bread topping rose from the chili. It was a little chewier than the cornbread, but very tasty. And frugal.

Yum! I was out of scallions/green onions, so for the children (who aren’t so used to salads regularly yet) I omitted onion. The tomatoes are from our neighbor. I subbed mozzarella, which i had in the fridge, & had the basil & mint in the garden.

Last night, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through a bunch of Poor Girl Gourmet. This morning, I used up the two day old sourdough bread: French toast for breakfast & croutons (recipe from the book) that will go with a salad. The crusts will be processed for crumbs, for stuffing or coatings.