Sunday Fellowship

So my idea was to have everything in order for this blog - type in my history first then add in my current times.  Since I started though my past memories haven't motivated me to write and I've missed many opportunities to tell my current events in waiting to get caught up - well I'm not waiting anymore.  So please pardon my lack or order to these things.

Yesterday morning - Sunday, the Lord's day.  I recently committed to helping our small church's children's program while the normal teacher is out to enjoy her new born son.  I was excited to go and help out.  I was to teach the children the new bible verse for the week.  This would be my second week helping.  Unlike last week, this week I was prepared.  I made copies of the bible verse for all the kids, and read over the materials ahead of time.  I was set and ready to help out. 

The boys decided to join us in our bed.  A habit they are now starting to get into once again.  We've been enjoying peace without the issue for a while, but for some reason they have started again.  Makes our bed really small and our sleep not so sound.  My husband had a unsuccessful first round of hunting and had been up really early in the morning Saturday so he was beat.  I had a long day with the kids and needed my good rest.  I tried to sleep with them in bed with us with no luck.  Our youngest loves to lay by me, which I love when I'm not super tired.  He can be quite difficult to cuddle with at times.  He is pretty demanding with wanting my arm here and his arm there and he just has to touch my ear lobes.  Every time I fell asleep he woke me up.  Finally the boys woke up and went downstairs to play or what ever.  Ah, I can at least get a little more sleep before I start my day. 

Our bedroom clock is broken.  The alarms will continue to go off and there's no way to turn them off.  Never had that issue with an alarm clock before, but yet I've never had an alarm clock that worked right either.  Do they design them so people miss work?  I really hate alarm clocks anyway.  I have to say a perk to being a stay at home mom who homeschools is - no need for an alarm clock!  Still Eric needs one for his work, which I can honestly say he hates it just as much as I do.  We are using our cell phones in the meantime until we get our replacement.

Being over tired, and no kids in our bed we got a little more sleep.  Eventually we were wakened by a request for chocolate milk.  "OK go downstairs we'll be down in a minute."  The kids were back downstairs.  Wondering the time, and not having the phone upstairs we logged in to the computer.  Our church worship service starts at 10:30 a.m.  Computer loads and the desktop clock appears.  "10:38?!"  We were both pretty shocked.  We never oversleep for church!  Between the both of us we're usually up no later than 8:30 - 9 a.m. on Sundays!  I don't know if we're just both over tired, the daylight savings is messing with us, or what is going on.  Even the kids were up a little later than usual. 

I had to forgive myself for letting down the church.  There was another man there in charge of it who I new would take care of it all.  I still felt so terrible since I had given my word to help.  I really felt terrible all day.

Since we missed our regular church service we decided to fellowship with Eric's parents and have a little church service at their house.  We had a delicious soup Eric's Italian step mother made.  As we were sitting around the table, gathering for our dinner I suggested to my children that they ask their grandmother to teach them some Italian.  I then said to Evi, Eric's step-mother, "How do you say soup in Italian?"  My 3 year old replied from on my lap, "Soup in Italian!"  Only 3 and he already knows everything! Gotta love it! 

We had a wonderful meal together followed by singing, a short bible study, and worship for the Lord.  I am not a coffee drinker but I had myself 2 1/2 cups worth - other half filled with raw organic milk and sugar.  It did the trick and woke me right up.  I don't know how I could have been so tired after all that sleep I got the night before. 

It may have did the job of waking me up, but there's a reason I don't drink coffee.  It really disagreed with my stomach.  I was up all night having to pee.  It was so strange.  Then when that finally stopped I tried to go to bed.  It was already like 1 a.m.  I wanted to go to sleep so badly - but I couldn't fall asleep.  I had the worst night sleep in a long time.  Strange irritating feelings, strange dreams, and really terrible restless leg syndrome.  No more coffee for me! 

Boys joined me again about 4 a.m. after Eric woke up from work.  Not so bad when Eric isn't in bed so there's the room but the boys move around so much and make so much noise.  I don't know how I made it through today. 

I was proud of my little guy for going to his school.  He goes to Head start but doesn't always want to go.  He actually "sort of" wanted to go today.  I was very happy.  It helps me focus on the other two for their homeschooling. 

After dinner somehow I still had the ability to concentrate and made Megan a dress.  I've had some old sheets we didn't need anymore.  I took a fitted sheet - which was very hard to cut to size, and made a gathered dress for Megan that will match the one I made a couple of weeks ago for her American Girl doll.  It is a spring or summer style dress so she will have to wait to wear it but she'll be happy to have it anyway.  I'm just trying to get familiar with how to sew again and how to use my machine.

Megan's birthday was in September and we had a Little House on the Prairie party for her.  I'll have to post another blog about that.  Evi and I worked together and made Meg a pretty bonnet and matching apron.  She got to use her Aunt Stephanie's dress she had from when she was a little girl.  She reminded me more of Kerstin from American Girl books with the colors of her dress and apron.  They came out adorable and looked precious on her! 

I also started a pair of pajama pants for her early this fall.  This past week I finally finished those.  I don't know why I waited so long, I only had one hem to finish!  They too were for Megan.  I have some more material to make some for the boys.  I'd better start making theirs before they feel left out. 

I have been trying to reorganize things and declutter since... since.. well for as long as I can remember.  I've been making progress on it little by little over the past several months.  When doing the fall clean out I found a cute sleeping bag we had picked up for Megan at Goodwill a while ago.  It looks like it was hand made.  The material is so soft, and the fabric style reminds me of regular sheets, only pretty.  The zipper was coming straight off it though which is why it was packed away and not being used.  I set it aside telling myself that I'd better get on fixing it or else instead of fixing the clutter problem I'd be adding to it! 

I also found a special sleeping bag to me.  It is one my mother saved for me since I was a little baby.  It is a little bigger than a baby size sleeping bag.  The material  on the outside is a soft satin with pink and blue elephants on it.  As old as it is the material is starting to unravel and so it too was separating from the zipper.  I new I needed to get that fixed, so that I set aside too, nagging myself at the same time.

A day or two later after another trip to a thrift store, I found the need to sew.  I purchased a pair of pants at 1/2 price for Eric that were too short.  I had to let the hem out and sew it up.  So.. I did.  I fixed his hem, finished Megan's pajama pants, and fixed both sleeping bags all in the same night.  Eric had taken the kids to night church on his own for the Wednesday night kids club.  I wasn't feeling well so I stayed back at home.  It was wonderful to get stuff done, and stuff I wanted to get done not the normal, everyday chores.  I even started working out a stain I later discovered on Megan's sleeping bag.  I had forgotten all about the dark blue sharpie stain on it!  It was such a shame.  The colors in the fabric were so soft that the sharpie really stood out.  I soaked it in some of my nature bright and shaklee laundry concentrate soap - and after soaking for a couple days it has completely faded!!  In some areas you can still see a VERY faint blob, but you really have to look for it.  I could have soaked it longer, but I just hope it will come out in the next wash.  I'm just glad it's not so noticeable anymore! 

That night since I was on my roll with the sewing machine I sat down and made Megan's doll her dress.  I got the idea from some young lady who collects American Girls.  She posts all sorts of you tube videos on things to do for the dolls and how to care for them.  So I had full instructions on how to make the dress.  Of course I messed up a little because I didn't watch it fresh before I started my project and I forgot a few steps - but I made it through the process!  Yay! 

In finishing her dress I decided to start working on her doll.  She was in need of an extreme make-over.  Megan has had her a year now and she's still pretty young and so therefore not all that great at the proper care for such toys.  Her hair was pretty frizzy, matted, and had so many split ends.  You could see longer hairs all through the bottom it was pretty nasty.  So I followed some tips from the videos and her hair is shiny and flat now - no frizzies!  Yay!  My next project is to clean her skin! 

As part of our fall cleaning I organized Megan's room.  She now has a place for all of her toys, including special places for her American girl dolls and accessories.  It looks too cute!  I hope she now keeps up with it to keep her brother's out and the dogs!!