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

I think MissC needs to build up more confidence in her bicycling skills (TJ and I may have to work on the hill on our own), so we were going to ride to the park today. After a good breakfast, we got ready and pulled out the bikes.

TJ had a flat. It wouldn’t even hold any air – it hissed straight through! The bike store isn’t far from our house, and the other park is between here and there. I had picked up some hooks at Home Depot a while ago that I can use to carry the Littles bikes on the side of the Bakfiets. With those and a bungee cord, I was able to secure the bike. With TJ riding on my rear rack, and the three girls riding their bikes, we rode off to the bike store.

Once the bike was repaired, I attached MissC’s bike to my box and carried the three Littles to the park while the older three rode. At the park, MissA and MissB were taking turns riding with Little Guy on their rear racks – super cute! We had our PB&J sandwiches and the four children and I rode bikes home. MissC was definitely getting better at handling the slightly larger bike by the end of the ride.

These two bikes have something in common. They both came with training wheels. I immediately removed those! But, the manufacturers neglect to consider what happens when training wheels come off… The bike no longer stands without the rider. For the smaller bike, I bought an adjustable kickstand. This bike has 12″ wheels, so I removed the cuff that allows it to adjust. The larger bike has 20″ wheels. I could have used another adjustable kickstand set at the highest setting, but I have more bikes in the stable. I wanted to try the dual legged kickstands, so I put one on TJ’s bike and used his old kickstand on the 20″ wheel bike.

TJ really likes the new kickstand, his bike is more stable and stores upright, so it doesn’t get knocked over as easily. He also likes that the wheel is just off the ground.

When we purchased MissC’s new bike, I asked for the training wheels to be removed and donated, and I asked for a kickstand. The first thing the kids commented on was that it had a kickstand.

Note (soapbox): Training wheels are not a useful device for most people, they’re a crutch. If you want a child to ride, start with a balance bike. Or, if the child is older, get just the size or a smaller size bike as recommended – if the bike seems too big to the child, s/he may lose confidence before trying. Let the child straddle the bike with both feet on the ground and learn to balance it on his or her own terms. You can offer to hold the bike only if/when s/he feels confident to try the peddles. Some people will just keep trying on their own and eventually get it, others feel they need help.

I’m experimenting with taking the two littles’ bikes along to the park. I’d originally thought that I could rig a system in which I can attach the 7yo’s bike on the box and let her ride for short spurts on longer trips.. But it didn’t work with these hooks!

This bike is about 1-2″ off the ground and making turns like this is a no-go! If I can find some clamps with hooks raised 6-7″, then she may be able to get the occasional ride. For now, I’m starting on a mission to upgrade the children’s bikes for ease of riding and comfort (Copenhaganize, baby!).

Today, as I studied the Well Woman Care module, Ben took the children for a grand adventure. I sat and read up on contraception and cancer. They drove around finding a gift and getting balloons.

With my foot injured, they’d dropped me by the coffee shop this morning, and they picked me up after getting the cake this afternoon.

Now, they’re getting the house decorated & I’m not allowed in. Shh.. I think I’m having a surprise party..

On Monday, I sat down to crochet some stash and was joined by MissA & MissB wanting to learn to knit. I got them each started, and was able to crochet the first skein of yarn into the center star motif of the “Morning Glory” afghan from Circular Baby Afghans. MissA really likes the ‘snowflake’ I made.

Tuesday was lovely, until I injured my foot. TJ helped me make breakfast, we tidied the house, the children played outside, and after lunch we rode our bikes over to the ice cream shop & had ice cream.

When we returned, MissC hurt her finger. I had to nurse Little Guy, so I set her on my bed with her ice pack. Then, I’m not sure what exactly happened! I was by my dresser, turned around and tripped and my foot slammed into a screw sticking out of my bed frame! (How did it get loose? No clue!) It didn’t hurt for a moment, except for pulling it off the screw, and started bruising.. I hollered to TJ to bring me another ice pack & a screwdriver & just sat down.

I bent that screw, I was going to screw it in, but couldn’t. Somehow, though the pain became excruciating for a bit, I got on the bed and put my foot up & iced it for the next few hours (on for 30-40 min, off for 20-30, on, etc) until it was time to get Ben. During that time, I’d managed to crochet up the next skein of yarn and was out of the second color. So, when I picked up Ben, we stopped by the yarn shop for more yarn. Putting on my shoe was incredibly painful (yeah, birth-smirth, a bruised foot hurts!). I’m glad he talked me into 2 skeins – one was just over 1/2 a round too little to finish the pineapple (strawberry?) motif. The next color will be another shade lighter.

I hadn’t planned on finishing the little blanket this week, but with piano class Wednesday: I can sit at the park & crochet while the littles play..

I’m terrible about going to the library. At our local library, there are computers with baby games central to the children’s section. Surrounding that are “early readers” that seem to have more about magic and witchcraft than much else. It’s certainly hard to find history books that don’t have children using magic to be in history instead of stories about people (including children) of those times.

I’m leaning more & more to library trips on piano lesson days, but that means the older children, who really need to learn to use the library, would miss out. I’d use that 2 hours to walk to that library, check out the books & walk back.

The other option, which will be more difficult for me, would be to go to the different branches myself and pick one I find the books more accessible, then start taking the children. Maybe on bikes.

This is certainly a learning curve for me.

“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.

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.

I was reading an article aloud yesterday about divorce from Above Rubies. The article pointed to the scripture where Jesus likens a man remarrying after divorce to adultery. My oldest daughter, MissA, asked me about TJ’s father, concerned that he may have committed adultery. What a sweet heart she has! I didn’t tell her the details of my divorce, just the obvious: he left, chose not to work on it, and I have no idea if he has remarried. And, I do forgive him his mistakes and what I thought to be trespasses against me. After all, how could one be unforgiving to the person God used to give such a sweet child as my TJ? I do hope he forgave me my pride (our last conversation all those years ago was civil).

I’ve learned much since then. I know that His grace is sufficient for me, and I could have extended that grace no matter the grievance. I was tired of the arguing, tired of the accusations that didn’t hold water. I bailed in the end, when in my weakness He could have been my strength.

Even so, the Good Lord has forgiven me and given me another chance. Before we wed, Ben and I decided that we would not divorce. No matter if we “drift apart” (a cop out for lack of taking the effort any more), or if we are kept apart – we’ve had years of being apart, sometimes a few days, the longest was nearly 5 months.

Marriage is not something to enter lightly. It is a commitment, a sacred vessel of the Lord Almighty to ensure a godly offspring.