Jonathan's photography 3

Thomas

Copycat

This morning Josiah got down from the table, took his unfinished oatmeal to the refrigerator, and his empty cup to the sink. Without being asked!

There really are some aspects of parenting and teaching that get easier with more children, because the younger ones are copying the kids you've been training. Yay Josiah! And yay Jonathan and Thomas, who are consistently clearing their places!

High cesarean rates linked with for-profit hospitals

Nathanael Johnson at California Watch just broke this story, and it is a disturbing read. Cesarean rates are dependent on a wide variety of factors, and most people know that individual practitioners have different comfort levels with vaginal birth. But these statistics go far beyond individual practitioners. Not only the doctor you choose but also the hospital where you deliver will significantly affect your ability to birth non-surgically.

Los Angeles Community Hospital comes in at the top with a whopping 47% cesarean rate for LOW RISK women. Compare to Riverside County Regional, which has a rate of only 9% (within the acceptable limit as stated by the World Health Organization*). It is worth asking questions about this disparity.

And for those who are pregnant or want to get pregnant: choose your doctor and your hospital with care. In depth statistics are available.

* World Health Organization, UNFPA, UNICEF, and AMDD. Monitoring Emergency Obstetric Care: A Handbook. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2009. (Thanks to Gina for the reference.)

Business names - feedback wanted!

I'm working on coming up with a name for my doula business. My husband's first suggestion was "Crowning Achievement" which left us both laughing. :) Our best serious idea so far is "Emerging Peace Doula Services". I want to specialize in VBAC births, and I like the double meaning of the name in that context. So many women do achieve peace about their previous cesareans after a successful, peaceful VBAC.

So without starting an argument about whether or not a woman needs to find peace after a cesarean, ;) I'd love some feedback about the name. What connotations does it have for you? What images come immediately to mind? Does it have any religious implications (of any sort)? Etc.?

Thank you!

Art study: Vincent van Gogh

Part of our schooling this fall includes a Charlotte Mason style approach to art. We pick an artist, and then study one of his paintings every week or two. Art study day is really exciting - we make a big deal out of it! First we sit on the couch and look at our picture (no one gets to look at it until then - it is a big secret). I encourage the boys to tell me what they see, asking questions to prompt them if they run out of ideas. After awhile, we turn the picture over and I ask them to describe it in as much detail as they can, from memory. I find it very interesting to see what sticks in their memory, as it is usually different from what sticks in mine!

And after all that, we get out our paints and copy it!

Here is what resulted today:



I found it fascinating that Jonathan was so deliberate about the night sky with stars (you can't see the details well in the picture, but there are stars in those upper middle splashes of blue) and the green tree, and the orangey-brown terrace, and the blue post on the left and the chairs and table in the bottom middle, but used very little yellow/orange. I asked him about it and he said "well, that's enough." Whereas when I look at the picture, my eye sees nothing but yellow/orange until I really pay attention.

Good-for-you hot chocolate

It has been unusually chilly and overcast this past week. Starbucks has rolled out their fall ad campaign, and even though I know that I don't really want a mocha or hot chocolate...I still think that I do. It is wrapped up with my idea of warm and comforting and snuggly. Darn advertisers.

So I found an alternative. :) The original recipe came from Meghan Telpner's blog, Making Love in the Kitchen. I've made quite a few changes, because frankly, I am nowhere close to her level of health food finesse and enjoyment. Here's what I came up with, and trust me, you'll want to try it. Chocolaty goodness, comforting as a warm blanket and a good book!

Good-for-you hot chocolate

3 T. cocoa powder (if you have it, use raw cacao powder instead)
1-2 T. chia seed "glop" (what you get when you mix chia seeds with water, 9:1, and let sit overnight)
1 T. coconut oil
1-2 T. evaporated cane juice
1/4 t. maca root powder
1/4 t. vanilla
nutmeg or cinnamon if desired
handful baby spinach
1 and 1/2 c. milk or almond milk

Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. If you're using a vitamix, 5 minutes on high will give you hot chocolate! If using a typical blender, you'll just need to heat it later. The original recipe recommends pouring it through a strainer before drinking, but I think that with my recipe it is just fine without straining. Enjoy!

Another "little thing" that really helps!

Another kitchen tip. I have no idea why it took me so very long to try this; maybe just because no one does it! I bought a bathroom towel rod and installed it in the kitchen. This is the wall just to the right of our sink and dishwasher.



Now I always know where my towel is. It isn't falling on the floor because someone opened the drawer that was holding it up. And my dishcloths don't go sour! Love that!

Josiah was helping me get ready for this blog post. He's being especially adorable today. :)

At least I'm in good company...

Apparently Danielle Bean freaks out about homeschooling too. Only she does it so eloquently!

There is something about the broad responsibility of homeschooling that makes me feel like, no matter what, I must be doing it wrong. Or not enough. Or I am using the wrong books, or I shouldn’t be using books, or my kids aren’t getting out enough, or they are getting out too much, or I have too rigid a schedule, or I have too loose a schedule, or I am doing too much housework at the expense of the kids’ educations, or I am educating the children at the expense of basic sanitation, or I am paying too much attention to the little kids and not enough to the big kids, or I am paying too much attention to the big kids and not enough to the little kids, or …

Well, maybe you get the idea.

This is just the funny part - the rest is definitely worth reading and pondering.

First day of school!

Jonathan was so excited about his first day of Kindergarten.

We decorated and filled his very own school box - pencils, paintbrushes, tape, glue, scissors, etc.



He chose to start out by learning our weekly folk song: A Tisket, A Tasket, and then illustrating it. Then a page of handwriting. So far he's done three or four pages of math-u-see - I've lost track, because he took them with him during quiet time and periodically hands me another one, "all done!" What else...oh, we read a BOB book, too.

The littles colored and then added stickers to their artwork. After that, they were very entertained by the puffballs! Thomas is getting better at sorting by color, and Siah just likes throwing them up in the air. :)



Quiet time just ended. Jonathan came running out and asked "can we do some more school now?"

I'd call that a pretty good start. :)

Short story

Thomas: Once upon a time, there were three chickens and a cow.

*pause*

Mommy: I want to hear the rest of the story.

Thomas: Well, it is a very short story.

A couple of good deals this week...

Just in case you want to go shopping, here are a couple of good deals that I'll be picking up this week. This is likely the last good week for back to school deals. I've been stocking up both for our family and for the school supply drives that are going on at area churches.

Staples

Buy 5 Staples Filler Paper 8″x10.5″ 120 sheets 9¢ each
Buy 2 Staples Photo Supreme Paper 8.5″x11″ 50 pack $14.99-$14.74 Easy Rebate = 25¢
Buy2 HP 8.5″x11: Multi-Purpose Paper 500 sheets $5.99 – $4.99 Easy Rebate = $1ea
Buy 1 Staples Tiger Paper Clips 100 pack $0.25ea
Buy 1 Command White Poster Strips 12 pack $1ea
Buy 5 Staples Fashion Notebooks and Composition books $1ea
Buy 2 Ticonderoga #2 Pencils 12 pack $1ea

Total: $50.66
- $10/$50 office depot coupon (Staples honors this as a competitor coupon)
- $0.75 Command product coupon (8/8 SS)
= $39.91
Receive $39.46 in rebates
OOP = $0.45 + tax (Awesome, yes?)

(This deal is my own, but thanks go to Collin for the original list of prices!)

And if you're in need of diapers, CVS is the place to be this week. Here's what I plan to purchase:

1 box Huggies snug and dry $20
2 Johnson's baby lotion $5

Use $4/$20 purchase coupon (the magic coupon machine has been giving me these every week - see if you get one, too!)
Use 2 $1/1 Johnson's lotion coupons from the 8/15 RP
Use $3/1 box Huggies coupon here

Pay $16 + tax, and receive $10 back in ecbs. Net cost of $6+tax for a box of diapers AND baby lotion! :)

Little things that make a big difference

Running the dishwasher every night. Yes, this means I'm sometimes running it when it isn't technically quite full. And guilt over that is what kept me from doing it for the past few years! But the fact is that if I run it every night and we put the clean dishes away every morning, it is just part of our routine. And an easy part, at that! Now I never have to wonder "are they clean, or are they dirty?" and I'm not trying to fit in an "extra" chore at odd times of the day. Also, because it is now part of the morning routine, the kids do (most of) it for me. :)

Which brings me to another little thing:

Morning chores. Every morning, after breakfast and before anyone does anything else, we do our morning chores. Everyone gets dressed, the house get picked up (each child generally has his own section for this), a load of laundry is started, and the dishwasher is emptied. It is such a helpful way to start the morning! And the kids are so good at it, now, that it isn't all that difficult.

Hurray for routines!

Photo from Getty Images

Peachy Waffles

Mmm, dinner was good last night!



I love making food that tastes amazing and is really good for you! So many people think that "eating healthy" means you can't have anything delicious, which is so sad! They should come eat at my house for awhile. :)

Here are the recipes, for your future dining pleasure:

Peach syrup

5 cups of cut up peaches (not too small!)
1/2 t. lemon juice
1/4 c. evaporated cane juice
1-2 t. corn starch

Stir together in saucepan and simmer until thickened!

Waffles
(adjusted from a recipe in Joy of Cooking, and doubled)

5 eggs
1/4 c. butter (this can be further reduced or eliminated, if desired and if you have a really well seasoned waffle iron)
1/4 c. coconut oil
3 c. milk
1 t. salt
3 and 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, mixed with 2 T. baking powder

I mix this in my VitaMix, adding ingredients in the order they're written here, which makes it go incredibly quickly. It is just barely the right amount (almost too much!) so you have to baby it along just a tad, but I love doing it this way. I can pour directly onto the waffle iron and clean-up is a breeze!

Why we're homeschooling this year

I've blogged about our schooling decision, and before that, a long post about my thought process. I believe that we are doing the right thing. But I'm anxious and afraid, and it is sometimes hard to remember all the reasons why I am making this choice. So. A reminder for myself.

Why I think homeschooling is important this year:

Jonathan needs two quiet times each day. Even when I think he doesn’t, or shouldn’t, or could get away without them…he needs them. Without that structured time of being calm and still, he gets overwhelmed and falls apart so much more easily.

Kids are mean. This will always be true, but when he’s older he’ll have learned and matured to a better ability to process and handle it. Why throw him into a situation that is guaranteed to cause tears?

Getting everyone out the door in the early morning would not be exactly easy!

Fewer issues of “he has; I want” (hopefully!)

More time for us to work on instilling character qualities.

I can educate him at his pace. He already understands far more of the basics of reading than most kids entering kindergarten. And if he’s bored, he’s more likely to act up.

He can remain part of the fabric of daily life. I think it is as important to learn to empty the dishwasher and sort socks, as it is to learn subtraction. (Note: I do not say more important than subtraction, just that they are both important.)

No wasted time – he can learn about policemen through conversation rather than “social studies”.

Lots of time to play. Because he's only five.

It is quiet time...

and I'm listening to my oldest child sing along to Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals. Oh, it warms my heart to hear him internalizing and enjoying good music!

We purchased a fantastic cd of Tchaikovsky's Peter and the Wolf, as well as Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals, and Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, all narrated by Leonard Bernstein. The boys have been listening to it almost exclusively for the past three weeks during quiet time. They love it. Because of their interest, I followed that up with a purchase of this book, which I'd had my eye on after seeing it at Jessica's house. Now the boys fight over who gets the book to look at while they listen. :)

Does anyone have recommendations for other music/book combinations that have similar kid appeal? I'd love ideas!

I love being able to sew! (UPDATED)

Today my kids wanted to be super heroes. Or kings. Or maybe both! At the same time! Mom, we need capes!!!



They're so happy, running around being King Richard. :)

(I made one for Josiah, too, but he was having none of stand-still-and-say-cheese!)

UPDATE: Pictures of Josiah!

It's good fun!

Doesn't this look like so much fun?



I love Improv Everywhere!

Castle!

A few weeks ago I bought a new scale. As I was tossing the packaging away, I realized that the very odd shape was exactly right for a lego people castle! So out came the paints and oh the fun that the boys had!



Such concentration...



Jonathan is getting quite good with a paintbrush. He has very clear ideas of what he wants it to look like, and is very careful as he creates.



And the result:



Isn't it great?

Laundry Day

Most of us nap (or wish we were napping) when our baby napped. This mother sets up creative scenes and posts the photos. Isn't this one too much fun?

I wanted to give credit to whomever tipped me off to this site, but I cannot remember where I found it. This tired girl needs her bed. 'Night.

Free milk! (CVS)

I ran into CVS today to pick up milk. It is cheaper there (with a coupon) than anywhere else right now. The magic coupon machine spit out a lovely $4/$20 coupon, and a $3/sun care purchase coupon. And I just happened to notice that coppertone sunscreen was on sale, and I knew I had a coupon for it. (The nice thing about having done this for a long time is that you can improvise on the fly like this!)

So along with my milk, I purchased sunscreen and the blink tears that were free after ecbs.

My receipt:
Coppertone $8.99
Milk $2.79
Milk $2.79
Blink tears $7.99

Coupons used:
CVS purchase coupon - $4.00
CVS coppertone coupon - $5.00
Blink coupon - $1.50
2 milk coupons - $1.10
CVS suncare coupon - $3.00

With tax, I paid $9.25. But I received $9.99 back in ecbs. Free milk and sunscreen! Love it!

Chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie - yum!!!

This is one that you ALL must try. It reminds me of baskin robbins' chocolate peanut butter ice cream, only better. And much better for you!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

4 leaves romaine lettuce, centers cut out (they tend to be a little bitter)
2 cups milk
2 T. cocoa powder
1 T. honey
1 T. coconut oil
2 T. peanut butter
2 frozen bananas
8-10 ice cubes

Oh. my. word. Try it.

Requested: homemade whole wheat bread recipe

I've been receiving a lot of requests for my whole wheat bread recipe. I blogged about it about 18 months ago, but I've changed the recipe somewhat since then. Here's what I'm doing right now:

Whole Wheat Bread (2 lb loaf)

1 2/3 cup water
4 1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
2 T. wheat gluten
2 t. salt
1/4 cup organic evaporated cane juice
2 T. organic coconut oil
1 1/2 t. yeast

I put everything in my bread machine and use the dough cycle for about 3 minutes to mix it together. Then I re-set the machine to the whole wheat cycle, and set the timer so that the bread will be finished in the morning when we wake up. It is lovely to wake up to the smell of freshly baked bread!

Side note: does anyone know where to get organic yeast? Or if such a thing exists? Or if it is important?

That wonderful man of mine...

Last weekend I went away for a three day retreat. I asked Gabe to please, if possible, see that the house wasn't a disaster when I got back. I didn't want to leave him a list of "honey please" items, because seriously, taking care of three boys for three days is a chore, especially if you're not used to doing it on your own all day.

Here's what Gabe did while I was gone:

Took the boys on a train excursion, hung out with his brother, gave everyone baths, went to church, invited a friend over for games and talk, took the boys on a bus excursion to the Brea fountains, bought flowers for me, cleaned up the house, and did the laundry! Not to mention all the basics of playtime and meals. Did I marry a capable man or what?

Clearly, I should go away more often. :)

Health and self-knowledge

A month ago I gave myself a challenge. 30 days without consuming white flour, white sugar, or caffeine. This was a challenge, certainly, because it results in cutting out pretty much anything processed or pre-made (and our kitchen is still unfinished, which complicated matters!) However, as I've posted about previously, we've been heading towards a more whole/unprocessed foods lifestyle for awhile, so it wasn't as huge a step as it would be for the average American family.

Still, no chocolate! No ice cream! No donuts after church! No chocolate!!!

It was hard. And I chose to break my own rules a couple of times. But I learned so much about my body while doing it! I learned that the longer I go without any of those foods, the easier it is to keep saying no to them. As soon as I give in, I want to keep giving in. I learned that it is possible to re-train taste buds - the starbucks mochas that I used to love now taste unpleasantly sweet. I learned that white flour triggers cravings for white sugar, and vice versa. They really do seem to go together. When I do eat them, I feel "hungry" about an hour afterward, regardless of how much food I ate at the previous meal. It isn't quite the same thing as true "haven't eaten anything for five hours" hunger, though. The difference is subtle, but I know how it feels now and can recognize it. For a girl who used to be constantly frustrated by feeling "hungry" directly after meals, this self knowledge brings a wonderful feeling of power. I know the difference, and I can choose to act on that knowledge.

But why try such a crazy plan in the first place? Primarily because I was trying to find a solution to some health problems I've been having. Unreasonable fatigue was the biggest issue, along with various other symptoms that added up to what sounded like adrenal fatigue. Yes, I know that many doctors don't think such a thing exists. But the doctors I saw also told me that I was just fine/perfectly normal, which wasn't particularly helpful. :) In any case, cutting white sugar/white flour/caffeine was a suggestion that I found on multiple websites dedicated to this non-existent problem, and since no one will tell you that those things are good for you, I figured it couldn't hurt to try it. :)

I'm glad that I did. On top of the gift of better self-knowledge, I think that some of my symptoms are getting better. It remains to be seen how it works long-term, of course, but the fatigue seems to be lessening a bit. And as an added bonus, I lost 5.5 pounds, this while exercising less than I usually do. (While that may not sound like much, in context of the fact that it took me 9 months to lose 10lbs last year while working out intensely nearly every day, this is nothing short of incredible.)

So I think I'll continue. I don't like giving up sugary treats; I miss brownies dreadfully. But I like feeling better. I like eating, feeling full, and then feeling truly hungry hours later. I like not being quite so tired. I plan to choose to ignore my rules on occasion (if eating at someone's home, for example, or if I just really really really want to eat brownies) but I will do so knowing the results in advance, and weighing my choice carefully.

Banquets

Thomas calls blankets "banquets". I don't know why this strikes me as so very amusing, but it does. I kind of hope it takes him awhile to grow out of it. :)

Awesome Vons trip!

This is the sort of shopping trip where the cashier does a double take at the receipt and I do a happy dance on my way out of the store. :)

Have I mentioned how much I love ecoupons? I think I have. Oh well, I'll tell you again. I LOVE ECOUPONS! If you haven't done your grocery shopping yet this week, go to shortcuts and cellfire and load everything there onto your Vons card. I promise, it is worth it!

Ok, here's what I purchased:

5 pkgs C&W frozen veggies
1 Farmer John breakfast sausage
1 Farmer John bacon
1 strip steak (original price $10)
1 large sirloin roast (original price $22)
1.5 lb. ground beef (original price $7)
7 lbs bananas
1 lb organic baby spinach
1 pkg fresh mushrooms
1 sour cream
1 michael angelo frozen meal
2 Snyders pretzels
1 Goldfish grahams
1 Nature Valley nut clusters
1 Betty Crocker warm delights
2 Quakes
6 Kellogg's Raisin Bran
2 Kellogg's fruit snacks
2 Kellogg's Mini Wheats

For all this, I paid $45.59 out of pocket, but then I received a $10 catalina for use on my next order. Which means that my net cost for the entire purchase is less than the original sticker price of the meat.

We don't usually buy a lot of meat, but today was definitely the day to stock up, and I'm glad I took the time to find what I wanted. Vons is running a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase of Rancher's Reserve beef in their weekly ad. This can be used on clearance meat purchases. I browsed around the clearance section of the meat department, but didn't see anything I wanted. So then I browsed the regular section, and jackpot! Lots of options with "sell by" dates for tomorrow, which hadn't yet been marked down! I picked out the three packages I wanted, and Gabriel at the meat counter happily marked them down for me. The "expiration" date doesn't bother me, as I'll use one tomorrow and freeze the others.

I also love the fact that most of what I bought today is quite healthy. Veggies (even some organic!) and fruit, fresh meat and dairy, cereal - all the things that people tend to think you "can't buy with coupons". Yes you can!! Just as one example: the C&W frozen veggies retail for $3.49 each, but with coupons, ecoupons, and a sale, they came out to only $0.69 each!

Happy couponing!

Prayers

Jonathan: Daddy, I want to pray that everyone at Disneyland doesn't die. Because what if they fell off the train?

Jonathan: Mommy, can I pray for you?
Emily: pray for me? Yes.
Jonathan (placing his hand on my head): Dear Jesus, save Mommy from all bad stuff. In Jesus' name, amen.

Thomas: Daddy, help me pray.
Gabe: Ok. Dear Jesus, thank you for Mommy and Daddy.
Thomas: Dear Jesus, thank you for Mommy and Daddy.
Gabe: Help us kids to obey them.
Thomas: I don't want to pray that!

Spirit-led Reading

Sometimes I need a good kick in the pants. And isn't it nice of God to give us what we need? ;)

Over the past few weeks, the ongoing kitchen stress and mess had morphed into a whole-house mess, and instead of doing something about it, I was being a stressed out and unhappy ostrich. Our routine went to hell in a hand-basket (hey, it's summer, who needs school...or read-alouds...or art projects...) and I've been spending my time doing errands (not all necessary) and putzing at the computer. (Wouldn't it be nice if I could learn my lesson once and be done?) In other words, checking out. Ignoring the problem, ignoring my life, and thus making it all far, far worse.

In the niggling back corner of my mind, I knew what was wrong, but I was mired in acedia and hard-pressed to make the effort to change.

Thanks be to God for his grace and Spirit*, who yesterday lifted me up enough to pray for help. He is faithful, even when I offer so little!

So last night I washed dishes and picked up and put away so much misplaced stuff. Today I have folded laundry AND put it away (always my nemesis). The floors are vacuumed and swept; the bathroom sparkles. There is much still to be done, but I have started. The dull, sluggish ick of the past weeks is falling away, and tomorrow looks bright again.


* Sometimes I think the Holy Spirit speaks by prompting me to re-read certain books. Mine these past two days:
- Acedia and Me, by Kathleen Norris
- Keeping House, by Margaret Kim Peterson
Interesting choices, no?

Growth spurt?

Jonathan has become absolutely ravenous. He pretty much eats constantly - I've taken to simply handing him the box of crackers between meals and letting him have at it. At the same time, he's become the most clumsy child I've ever seen! 10 days ago he rarely spilled anything. Yesterday he made four major messes in rather quick succession, and today we've already had two (it's only 9am!) I can only guess that he's growing really fast?

Smoothies and...soup!

See my new toy? Isn't it BEAUTIFUL???



It was one mighty expensive toy, but I'm so excited about it. I really believe it is an investment in our family's health for years to come.

Yesterday evening we made strawberry/spinach smoothies. It turned out beautifully thick and so creamy. That's one of the most noticeable differences, I think, between a Vitamix and a typical blender - the Vitamix makes it so much smoother. There just aren't any particles left after that crazy motor/blade combo does its magic!



This morning we had orange/carrot julius. Yum!! Thomas and Josiah both asked for full cups and seconds, they liked it so much.

Tonight I tried making soup. Incredibly, it works. I put steamed cauliflower, milk, cheese, and some spices into the blender, let it run for 6 minutes, and out came hot, steamy, absolutely delicious soup. I tell you, I'm never going to cook on the stove again. Who needs a kitchen when you have a Vitamix?

Catching up, photo edition

Our garden is yielding pounds of tomatoes. Thomas enjoyed helping me harvest some of them.



I think I might have mentioned the birds that took up residence in our hanging planter. They had babies, and now the parents seem to have moved on, but the babies are happily hanging out in our backyard. They spend most of their time under our tomato plants, emerging sometimes to explore the grass, the strawberry patch, or if they're really feeling daring, hopping up onto my clean laundry!



They're awfully sweet little things, and the boys are really enjoying this up close and personal encounter with baby birds. So am I!



Our summer has been much busier than I had anticipated. The boys are not getting their normal quiet times and rest/naptimes as frequently as I'd like. Poor Thomas was so tired one day he fell asleep and simply couldn't be awakened.



I've noticed that Thomas has started being very clingy with me recently, and I think much of that may be because of our more hectic pace, which usually includes being away from home and around people. I think he feels a bit overwhelmed, and his method of dealing with that is attaching himself to my leg and not letting go. Literally. :)



One of the things that filled last week was VBS. Our church went to Ancient Egypt, and oh my goodness, it was wonderful! Here is Jonathan, recreating VBS fun. The green chalk is eye make-up, and the pants on his head make him "look like Pharaoh" (I think he actually meant Joseph - there was some confusion about that all week!)



Jonathan has also been busy with Tang Soo Do classes each Saturday morning. He alternates between being very proud of himself, and informing me that he doesn't want to do it anymore because it makes him too tired. Can it be? Something actually uses up all his energy? I have to say that his complaints make me feel a lot better about how tired I am after class! :)



Josiah is being his sweet self in the midst of all the busyness. Although he did discover, today, that the best way to get Mom's attention is just to start yelling every request. Sigh. The thing is, I can't really be mad, because he's right.

Kitchen remodel, day 32

This process has taken a LOT longer than we originally anticipated. It seems that you get what you pay for, and we have definitely reaped the results of our low budget: poor communication, multiple weeks between demolition and rebuilding, and workers who don't show up when they're expected.

However, progress has been made, and we're starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel. :)

The bulk of the granite has been installed.




Clean-up after all that installation was quite the job!



And eventually our appliances and plumbing got hooked back up! (Praise God for that VERY LARGE MERCY!!!)



I absolutely LOVE my microwave/vent over the stove. All that previously wasted space is now useful, and (once it is installed) I'll have a lot more counter space where our old microwave used to be.



Here is a close-up of our granite. I like it - it looks beachy and peaceful to me.



A lot of work still remains to be done.



But theoretically, someday, it will be. :)

Jonathan's photography 2

Interesting, no?

Sewing project: summer tote bag

Isn't it pretty? I'm so pleased with how it turned out!



I followed this tutorial from Sew Mama Sew (seriously amazing website if you ever want to sew anything) and then I amended it a bit to add this band around the top.



It has sturdy handles which are actually sewed in with five stitches and still manages to look nice.



And the bottom is flattened with that neat corner stitch, which I like. It makes carrying books so much easier.



It is a simpler bag than many I've seen, because it doesn't have a lining. The designer uses french seams to finish the inside, so there are no loose or fraying edges anywhere. I've never been able to figure out what a french seam is, until this tutorial. Now it makes sense! And they aren't even hard. :)

Thanks, Irene, for such a clear and helpful tutorial!