Scarves...

In my second trimester surge of productivity, I am trying to finish off projects that have been around for a while. One of the projects I am working on right now is a "using up some yarn" project. I have made already finished 3 scarves and am working on a 4th. I stopped after the 3rd one to move on to other things, but have found that it is nice to have a little something going that I can take a few minutes to work on here and there. It gives me a little break from all the other everyday things that take so much of my time. Kind of a chance to take a breath and figure out my next action plan.

In the few days that I took off from this diversion, I realized that I had come to almost "need" it. I got overwhelmed by the dreariness of the sky and thinking that I had to play with Kj all day! Amazing what calm a little handiwork can bring. Thank you God for using knitting and crocheting to do this!!

Bridal Shower Gift...

I was given a mission recently to make a "cute" apron. My sister-in-law is getting married and that was her one request of me. She asked her mom, "Can I ask for something specific from someone for my wedding?" The answer, "It depends." And with this request the answer was, "Yes." So, I set out looking online for a prefect pattern for a "cute" apron. I had a few rough sketches and some ideas. I even had part of the plan laid out in my sewing room. The only thing was I couldn't find a complimenting fabric for the pieces I had laid out (cloth napkins with snowflakes in the corners). So, one naptime I looked through my boxes of fabrics from other projects and hand-me-downs. I found 3 pieces (2 bits and 1 large piece) that I decided would be prefect. A few days previously I had been to a craft store and seen an apron book. I found the prefect "cute" apron. Now, I just had to remember what it looked like and figure out how to assemble it. Once done, I decided that since Kj's aunt was probably going to be the only one to make cookies with her, she needed a matching apron. So, I simplified the design and made it toddler size. Very fun!

Coloring Day

Hello all!

Here are the pictures of our Coloring Day. We had 6 kids-2 and under, 5 moms, and 1 grandma over to our house. We thought we would be making Christmas presents, but when I went out shopping I found these aprons. I did find the dish towels I had been looking for, but they ended up not working--for some reason the crayon didn't iron onto the fabric. That was sad. I'll have to think of new Christmas presents!

Anyways, I found a pack of iron-on crayons for about $3, and aprons at half price (about $1.50 each) so a very reasonable project. The kids went back and forth from the coloring table to toys. And some moms did more coloring than others. ;) But we had a great time. Then there was a mad rush to get everyone out the door, because we had to leave for supper and clubs at church that evening.

Wonderful craziness. I would definitely do it again!!

Transportation

Hello everyone!

I'm back and working on Christmas presents!! Last Christmas I had a felt board made for my daughter. She was a little too young to actually do much with it, but this Christmas we (my brother and I) are working on a felt-figure swap. We decided it would be a fun and creative gift exchange between the cousins.

Transportation has been my theme so far. I made:
Grandpa's kayak with little E. and Kj. sitting in it.
A sailboat inspired by Max's in Where the Wild Things Are.
A car and truck inspired by borrowed toys.

Next, I will be making some geometric figures and also some flowers. Any other ideas, you can let me know.

By the way, this project is inspired by: Three Sneaky Bugs.

Mmm...Hot Chocolate!

Heat 1T cocoa powder, 2T sugar, 2T water on low 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add 1c. milk and a bit of vanilla (or mint). Mix and heat until preferred temperature. Enjoy! 1 serving. It is pretty rich so you could add about 2T of extra milk to each serving.

More on Potty Training...Or Not...

Ahhh! What an exhausting week! I guess no one ever told me that it would be easy to potty train. Am I giving in to all the discouraging comments that I am doing this too soon?? Or am I just giving Kj and I a break so that we can pick up in a couple of weeks and get it good!?

I think I decided that we will go back to fighting diaper changes. I will go back to a little girl that arches, rolls, runs, cries, etc. ...for a little longer. I no longer want her to "submit" to me in that particular activity. I want her to not like it, to despise it actually! I'm ok with that. But I guess that she needs a little longer to learn about her own body. And I need to again gather that patience that I thought I had in full.

I say "I think" I decided because I haven't really discussed this with Kevin...maybe he will have some encouraging word or he can do it himself this weekend. Hehe! Wouldn't that be fabulous!

Last night while we were talking about it we came up with another idea. Offer her a choice: the potty or the diaper. I had been giving her the panty vs. diaper choice, but then she was always going in her panties...hmmm...it was a thought. I think it might have discouraged her more though. I'm not sure. She cried and cried around lunch time and didn't even want to eat, just get her teddy and take a nap. I don't know if it had to do with the potty training or if it was because she thought that we should go outside and see Lola (who we saw going into her house to eat lunch and probably nap).

What I Am Learning From Potty Training!

So, this week has begun a new stage in parenting for me. I am testing the waters of potty training with my 1 1/2 year old daughter. I'm not really sure how much failure is needed to know if you should postpone this task, but when I feel like maybe it is too soon, there is success!!

I have learned that one potty training method is not the answer for every child. I have been asking around for advice from more experienced parents. One lady, who had run a daycare and done this with several children successfully said to put the child on the potty every 2 hours and let them sit there until they went. So, I decided to try this method first. She had success with it why shouldn't we?! Well, the first day of this method we had accidents every half hour for the first 2 hours...hmm...

Second method: sit your child on the potty every 30 minutes. It didn't say how long or if they needed to go before you let them up or whatnot so I made that part up. I have a timer that gives 10 and 5 minute warnings, and if you let it ring at the end for a bit the timer automatically starts over. So, I set it for 40 minutes and had her sit the last 10 minutes, or at least stay in the bathroom for that long. The result, after about 3 hours of these cycles, she used the carpet instead of the potty...less than one minute after getting off!! So, my daughter does not keep a schedule.

Quite by accident I came upon this third method: Girl to Mama: "Potty." Mama to Girl: "Oh, ok, let's go." Mama and Girl: Walk hand in hand to the potty. Girl: Goes potty. Hmm...now the question is: Will it work again? Well, we will find out after the nap. Do I use it in combination with other methods? Can I go out tonight with her and test it out?

Another thing that happened in the midst of our trial and error...The morning that she had accident after accident, I was trying to work on my Bible study...in the bathroom, don't you know! It referenced a verse in Proverbs 16, and so I decided to read it out loud to Kj while were waiting for her to go (this was during method 1). As I read verse 3, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." I thought, I really need to pray that right now about this potty training...remember, I had just cleaned up 3 accidents in the last 2 hours and was wondering if I should really be doing this now...in the midst of committing the potty training to the Lord (yes, it sounds silly), I heard the welcome sound of SUCCESS!! I committed, we succeeded!! Yeah, God!! Note: this method 2.5 did not work the second time. I think God was just giving me a little hope when I needed it, telling me to persevere!

Oh, another method I came across and started using, but have since quit, is giving treats for success. Kj didn't seem to associate the treat with going potty, just sitting there and since has forgotten it altogether. Also, I was rereading some potty training tips and one mother had written that she doesn't use rewards (such as that) for any other good behavior, why should she start now. I completely agreed, again (after reading it a second time). One thing she really gets a kick out of is our chimes, she loves standing in the kitchen and pointing and blowing at the chimes to get us to ring them for her. So, I will try to make that our post-potty-success entertainment! Who knows if she will get that either, but might as well make it fun.

I just keep thinking of more things. Kevin reminded me of this today after the big accident. He emailed and said, "Keep trying, remember she's in control." You know why she is in control and not the parents?! Because potty training is a step toward independence! "Already, at 1 1/2!?" Yes. That is why patience, love, caring, encouragement is so necessary! If I get uptight or mad, it may set her back. Here is an exerpt from one article I read:

The best reward for good behavior remains parental approval. Telling your toddler that he or she has done something good instills confidence and is a powerful motivator. There is some evidence that the praise should be frequent, but that it shouldn’t be so enthusiastic that it ads to the pressure they are already feeling. Give your toddler ample praises when he or she uses the potty and congratulate and help your toddler when they tell you they have to go. Refrain from getting angry if the toddler has an accident, chances are they already feel bad. Anger may also instill anxiety and fear that will interfere with the toddler’s self-restraint and control. Exercising patience and kindness and with help will let the child know they are safe and loved, and learning the skills necessary for potty training will develop naturally. Potty training can be a confusing time considering all that’s being expected of your young child. Using positive reinforcement will take the edge off for the whole family.

Quoted Potty Training Article.

That is what I've got for now. Maybe more will come, but it probably won't be recorded in "good-blogger" fashion. I don't do well with the follow-ups that I intend, or even getting on here regularly. So, take care!

Lucky for you, I have a follow-up...a new method used by another friend (not yet tried by me): Her son did not like the feel of dirty pants. So, she also started potty training at 1 1/2. She put him directly in cloth training pants or underwear and if he had an accident, she would set a timer and let him sit in it for 5 minutes. Sounds a little "icky", but it worked!

Also, the general consensus that I hear is that disposable training pants are no good. It still takes the wet away from the child's skin and so they aren't bothered.

Connections...

Something that I love to do is get friends from different times and areas of my life to meet. Well, I did just that today. It was fun, but also awkward. I realized that I need to learn better how to direct conversation. Like, "You know Judy, you and Trudy have this and that in common!" Then maybe they would start up a conversation about some related topic. I was never interested in ice-breaker games, but maybe I should start with those. Haha...

I am definitely a more one-on-one person. Not so interested in large groups and never the life of the party...except for September 2, 2006! I do occasionally have some quick wit in a large group setting, but can never seem to butt into the conversation without raising my hand as if to say, "I have something to say. Pick me, pick me." This is quite rare that it must be brilliant, of course! Well, never mind I guess not so original for that person sitting next to me happened on the same comment. Hmm...

As you can also tell by now, I do not have very clever humor-writing skills either. You know, it just occurred to me that I am really just making fun of my Maker, making me the way I am. All I really meant to do was say that I would like to work on my people-connecting skills. You know what? Honestly, more often than not, I am so very thankful that I can't get a word in, or that I don't just blurt out anything that comes to mind. It is actually quite a blessing to not have to taste my feet more often!

So, any suggestions on how to make the awkward silences not so awkward? Any non-icebreaker-icebreaker games? Comments, critiques, questions???

The Reel Mower

We just bought a Reel Mower a couple of days ago. Kevin finished assembling it today and we tried it out after Kj went to bed. Kind of fun. Just call us The Greens. Kevin said, "This is the best mower I could have bought if you're going to be doing the mowing!" I'll just switch jobs with him and he can do all the dishes...a job I have recently taken back (a majority of the time).

Muffin crayons

I am back, if only for a moment. I just wanted to share with you a way to make toddler crayons. I learned it at a group called Family Foundations. It is a get-together sponsored by the United Way, to support parents and families.

Anyways, you take old crayons, a muffin tin, and muffin cups (the silver ones work best). Peal off the paper from the crayons and break them and place them in the lined muffin tin. Then back at 250 degrees until they melt together--so if you have an oven light, just turn it on and be watchful. Some people like to mix the colors, but I chose to have single colored crayons. Either way is fun. Kj is 13 months and thought the crayons looked more edible than anything else...

In the works...

These past few weeks, I haven't done much sewing or anything really creative. Just getting through the days. The snow is beautiful outside today, but I am looking forward to going out more. Kj and I got a taste of spring on Tuesday and were outside most of the day. We went to the park for walking and swinging. I actually had sore feet that night from all the walking.

I also went to Hobby Lobby that day and found some clearance bits of fabric for a couple of Kj dresses. Still figuring out what kind, not wanting to cut into any of them without a plan. Maybe, just maybe if there is extra fabric, I could make a bonnet for spring!

Kj is playing contentedly with her TOYS! The last couple of days I took the toy basket out from the corner and she has been investigating. Shaking, chewing, throwing the toys and then when the basket is mostly empty, she climbs on in. It looks like she is sailing. If I catch her in the act again, I will definitely take a picture and post it for you all.

Language development idea for you new moms: Find a book you want to read. Then while your child is playing...read aloud to them. I sometimes run out of ideas of what to do with Kj and picked up a book at the library. It was a very good book and I didn't want to ignore Kj. So, for a while yesterday that is what we did.

Fleece Book

 

When I first got the idea for this book, I was going to use all different textures of fabrics to make it. Well, I ended up just using fleece so that the project wouldn't just sit around for months and months. I used a couple of cookie cutters to trace out some of the shapes, and used my really cool quilting toy... the rotary cutter for the triangles and quadrilaterals.

As a math major in college, I really wanted to use this book to teach shapes. Therefore, one set of pages has all kinds of triangles and another set of pages has all types of quadrilaterals (four-sided figures as my 2nd grade teacher relation says!).

Unfortunately, Kj is not too thrilled with this book and as you know, she is very interested in books! If I had it to do again, I would go back to my original idea and use some satin and some corduroy, and other texture fabrics. My sister-in-law added a little pizazz to one of the pages for me. She sewed on various sizes of circular buttons. As I come across more items to add, I may enhance this book further.

Smock Bib

This is Round 1 of the smock-bib. I have friends with similar things and they work so much more nicely than bibs. Kj is loving pulling off her bibs now. I am thinking about putting snaps on all of them so she can't do that. Anyways...this item...

+
~ cute
~ looks like a dressy shirt
~ fabric has a pattern so food bits blend...can't tell that it is dirty
~ she can't get it off herself
~ long, so her belly doesn't get dirty
~ waterproof front panel

-
~ front neckline is too low
~ food gets on collar
~ tie in back is a little low

Fixes
~ make neckline higher
~ adjust ties in back

...Someday you will see Round 2. I have started to work on it, but it is still in the works.

Experiment

My husband and I decided to experiment on our daughter today. She doesn't seem to play much with her "toys" but plays for hours and hours with her books, looking through them and "reading" them etc. For those of you who don't know, our daughter is currently 10.5 months old. She loves her board books, especially Dr. Suess' ABCs.

Ok, so our experiment. We took all the books out of the living room last night after she had gone to bed. She usually stays in the living room when I am in there during the day (and since I am having a few couch-days, I'm here a lot). We just wanted to see how long she would be happy with her toys.

7.35 AM...Breakfast is done and it is time to play.
7.45 AM...She finds HyVee ads and pages through those. It looks like a book, just isn't as hard as her board books. Loves it until she rips off the cover.
7.50 AM...Kevin leaves for work.
8.00 AM...She starts to leave the room she is "so bored"!
8.01 AM...I bring out the blocks to see how long that will last for her.
8.11 AM...She is done with the blocks. I think they make her mad. She shoves the box aside and tries to find something else of interest. She finds some books on a shelf and stands by a chair and claps while eying them. She sits on my lap and we look at 1 book...not her favorite, time to move on. She finds her "Mr. Giraffe" stuffed animal and cuddles with him and sucks her thumb..."is this torture ever going to end?"
8.30 AM...Finds a little more to play with...
8.35 AM...Nothing more of interest in here..."I'm leaving for good this time"...Kj heads toward her room...where her books are "hidden". I don't know if she actually knew they were there??
9.00 AM...Kj is still looking at the top 3 favorite books in her bin. "Hop on Pop", "Brown Bear, Brown Bear", "Dr. Suess ABCs". Paging through, rereading...

The next experiment. Remove all the toys from the room and see if she gets bored..."Ask me tomorrow and not today." ~Dr. Suess.

Ooh, 9.00 1/2 AM...Kj moved beyond her box of books and is playing with a toy...

9.10 AM...Back to the books!

Couch-day

Ha, I figured out what sick-days have become. Couch-days! I sit/lay on the couch while watching Kj around me. It works quite well. Also, since Kj is still learning boundaries in our house and I wasn't up to following around and keeping her away from some of these things...I re-barricaded. It worked quite well and to her it just meant some new things to explore! Yeah! I am feeling much better today, but am still getting worn out when I try to do too much. But, I cannot fall asleep today. Another sign that I must be doing much better!!! Yesterday I slept every possible moment.

Well, that is all, I just wanted to give you my follow-up on "Sick-days..."

Sick-day...

...what's that. As a mom, they are no more. The fortunate thing about today is it is Sunday and my husband has been home most of the day to take care of our daughter. And she is pretty self-entertaining at times, so I can watch from a lounging position on the couch.

I think we have been passing something around amongst the three of us. Kj, though, has had it the duration of the time, while my husband and I have taken turns...poor girl. It is amazing how much energy I can muster up when no one is around to be on little girl duty. Before going out to a friend's today, my husband tried to put Kj to bed for a nap. It was the right time, it just wasn't working for him, so he brought her out into the living room with me. After he left, I got her a bottle and we cuddled, then I put her in bed again. It worked, and now instead of taking a nap...what am I doing...blogging. Before he left, I didn't think I had enough energy to do even that. I am trying to make it up to him though. I folded the clothes on the bed!

Ok, so really, you didn't want to hear all that. Haha, thanks for visiting anyways! haha.

The Wise One

I had decided to buy some things online one day. I needed a few more dollars of products to get free shipping so I looked up buttons. One of the books had an owl on it. It was so cute and I figured I could make it. I kind of figured out the proportions (height to width) by measuring with a scrap of paper. Then just took it from there. I also looked up online what color owl eyes are. And well after all my online searching to buy something...I never did buy whatever it was that I thought that I needed.



If you have any ideas for my next "Palligator", please let me know. Thanks!

The serious side of the blog...

A friend called last night and asked what she could do to reach out to a friend who had just lost her third child through miscarriage. We looked online and found a "HOPE" bracelet for her. I also recommended the books, "Born to Fly: An Infant's Journey to God", and "Silent Grief". Also, my husband bought me a precious feet pendant as my gift of remembrance. As I layed in bed last night though, I couldn't get her out of my mind. I wanted to write to her and encourage her in some way. I don't even know her name, so I kept the letter anonymous (me and her). If any of you ever have need of this note...feel free to use it as well.

Some verses that I have thought of too...Psalm 113:9, Psalm 30:5 (last half)...there were a couple more, but they are not as "pertinent"...they would have to be used with great sensitivity and at the right time from the right person...or they would not be encouraging. So, be very sensitive about this subject. Pray, pray, pray about your words. Me. I guess I was pretty willing to just talk about it. Others, they're not as ready to spill their heart. Si, anyways, the letter:

2.3.09 11PM
Dear One~

My heart goes out to you. I have been in your place and God has brought much healing in to my life. Part of my healing was through the tenderheartedness of those around me. Some were people I barely knew. They shared with me the stories of their babies and how others had helped them through the mourning.

You are not alone. I lost my Jacob at nearly 12 weeks. that Friday, my husband and I went garage-saling. We found a Kutless CD to buy. After we got in the car and decided to listen to it we realized that while it was still a Kutless CD it was not the one that matched the case. It had the song, "You are my strong tower. Shelter over me. Beautiful and mighty. Everlasting King..." I'm not sure if we even got far enough into the CD to listen to that particular song, but that night as I was miscarrying God brought that song to mind. The song played over and over in my mind. I even had my husband go and get it from the car. I knew God had a plan, how else would I have that song in my mind? I didn't like the plan, but I knew He was there with the plan. That is a bit of my story. When the time is right--you too may feel the need/desire/prodding to share your story. It may help in your healing and the healing of those around you.

It is OK to mourn. Maybe you do sometimes and then don't even think of your babies at other times. That's OK too. My mourning resided as the weeks went by, but six months later when Jacob's due date was coming up and I was still going to work, I had another period of mourning. Everyone around me seemed to have forgotten that my dream of motherhood was supposed to come true that particular month. Those around you may not realize that you need an ear or a shoulder. Be brave, seek out a trusted friend, your husband, the person who gave you this letter, GOD! They love you!! They want to be there for you, they just don't always know how.

Everybody's different. You may read this and think, "That's not how I feel." "What is this lady talking about?" If that is the case, that's OK too. These are just some of the things that helped me.

I pray that someday soon you too will be able to dance again. I pray that you will be able to experience the joy of motherhood.

God Bless You, Dear One!
~a

Dreaming of summer...

Last summer I bought this material for about $1. I only needed 1 yard and I had enough for a friend to make a dress as well. Her's is not done yet, but I wanted to finish mine so I could make sure I was teaching her the right way to do it. Kj will hopefully fit in it this summer. The ribbon was from a baby gift that we had received upon Kj's arrival. The thread also was a freebie item. So, I really only spent $0.50 on the whole project. Time wise, maybe about an hour...if I put all the time together.

Every time I make something new, someone comments that I should start selling my wares. Really, I probably won't make a second one of any of these items. So, whoever receives them, will have a one of a kind gift. I really should find some labels though. Maybe I will look those up..."Paligators etc. by Anna"...haha

Kj is now able to play a while on her own while I do some sewing or other things. Cleaning is still hard to do while she is awake, because I don't want her crawling into the area I am using chemicals on. So, it leaves naptime or when Kevin gets home. Speaking of cleaning, I have a bit to do in the kitchen...

Fish

So, I guess I don't really know what to write about this item. I made it as a Christmas present for Kj's friend. I don't have any patterns, and I probably will never make another one like it. I am not really a pattern person. I would rather make a crazy quilt then a patterned quilt that you have to make the same combination/pattern a dozen or more times.

The original Palligator

Hello and welcome to my Palligators Etc. Blog. I am currently on the wrong computer to upload the picture of the palligator.

The Palligator...well, I went with my mom's cousin out to eat and then we found some neat shops to browse in. One of them was a knitting shop. They had books on how to knit little stuffed animals. In one of the books, I found, layed out flat, the knitted pieces that were to be sewn together to make a puppy. I memorized what those shapes looked like and decided that I would use fleece to make it, since I had some leftovers from a hat making project.

As I was making the puppy, it was agreed that the snout was much too long and looked more like an alligator then a puppy. Therefore the name "palligator".

Soon to come...the picture.