Five On Friday

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1. Where do you hide things from your kids at?

Things like gifts go in our room – which is off limits except in the middle of the night (“I had a bad dream!!”) or if they come in to cuddle with me before bedtime (it’s my quiet zone at the end of the day!).

2. What is your favorite rainy day activity for bored toddlers?

One favorite memory is a fire in the fireplace and snuggling up on the couch with their book choices.  But there are no more toddlers.  boo hoo but YEAH!! at the same time! LOL

3. Are you a punctual person or are you always running a few minutes (or more!) late??

I am punctual, if not early.  I think it shows people you value them enough to be on time.

4. When eating out, do you prefer off the beaten path “Mom and Pop” cafes or tried and true national food chains?

If it’s with the kids, it’s anything we can afford! lol  But if it’s Hubs and I, we always choose a place withOUT a drive through!  Seriously, that is my #1 consideration.  I want to be served! I want someone else to bring my food and take it away when I am done.  Whomever will do that for me is where I will go!

5. Does your significant other snore? Do YOU snore?

Yes, and I did before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea.  Now I sleep like a baby and as long as I can get to sleep before Hubs, we are good!  🙂

I can’t wait to see other people’s replies!  🙂

The thing is….

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I can’t do it all.

I want to and when I can’t, I get really down on myself.

So, then I try to remind myself that this is a season I am in, a season of kids, housework, homework, homeschooling and go, go, go.  When I try to carve out sometime for me, I have to decide what I need the most, at this moment, and do that.  But to consistently have  time for each of these things is just not possible.  Not in this season.

But I’m still frustrated and bummed.  I want to do it all!   Argh.

One thing I need to quit doing is comparing my life to others.  Ok – so she gets a workout AND quiet time each day.  But she doesn’t work at home and there might be a dozen other things that are important to my family that don’t happen in hers.  And, I also need to remember that what I am seeing of her life is a couple of select moments… possibly the best moments.  And maybe she is struggling with her own list of want-tos!

So, how do I end this post?  I can’t say I have any answers.  I can’t say anything is resolved or I have found satisfaction.  This is just an ongoing conversation that I have… on my blog, with my Hubs, and in my heart.  How do I find balance?  How do I prioritize the truly important with the demands of the day and my family?

Quotes I love

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I’m challenging myself to write more.  To that end, I’ve found a site called “Mama’s Losin’ It!” which shares weekly writing prompts. This week I chose “List 6 of your favorite quotes”.  If you want to join me in this challenge, click the logo at the end of this journal entry!

Faith is not believing that God can ~
it is Knowing that He will.
unknown

 

Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.
Oswald Chambers

 

We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.
Oswald Chambers

 

No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.
C.S. (Clive Staples) Lewis, A Grief Observed (1961). A great book!

 

Grief fills the room up of my absent child,
Lies in his bed, walks up and down with me,
Puts on his pretty looks, repeats his words,
Remembers me of all his gracious parts,
Stuffs out his vacant garments with his form;
Then have I reason to be fond of grief.
William Shakespeare, Constance, in King John, act 3, sc. 4, l. 93-5 (1623).

And, my newest favorite,

I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.
Flannery O’Connor

Yes, there is a theme of faith and grief….but that is my life. 🙂 I’m so glad I don’t have the grief without the faith!

Mama’s Losin’ It

Works in Progress Wednesday

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I’m not a monogamous knitter – I like different knitting projects for different moods!  For instance, when I’m stressed – it’s a sock or a dishcloth I want to knit!  That is why I am actually sharing four works in progress today – not just one – on this first time I am posting for Works in Progress Wednesday!  Next week I’ll only post whatever I was able to knit on during this week – that is assuming I get some knitting time!

First up is my second February Lady.  If this one doesn’t fit well, I will never make it again! Using Cotton Fleece from Brown Sheep.  I started this on March 28, 2013 and I hope to have it done this month for a UFO project for a knitting group on Ravelry.

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Second are socks for Hubs.  The pattern is Time Traveler Socks and the yarn is Cascade Heritage solids. I started these on March 18, 2013.  Turns out the brown is really hard to knit. 🙁  But I will continue on because I think he will love them!

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Next is an Alpaca Wrap.  The yarn is some Alpaca I had in my stash and the pattern is Herringbone Lace Wrap.  It is really hard to see the pattern and I’m seriously considering frogging it and doing something simpler as it’s just not worth the effort.  I started this project on Feb 17, 2013 and it might be ignored for the summer so it’s either knit it now or put it away until next Fall.  (picture looks light grey, but it’s black)

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Last, is my Zora.  It was a great knit but all I need to do now is finish it!  Ugh.  I hate sewing! I used Knit Picks Essential Tweed, colorway Ash Tweed.  I started it on May 26, 2010 (yes, you read that right!)  I really want to finish it but ugh.  Here it is – back, two sides, and two arms.  They need to be blocked (hard to do in this house) and then sewn up and together.  From now on – ONLY seamless sweaters will be knit by me!

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(you can click all images to see them bigger)

So, what about you?  Share your Works in Progress! I wanna see!!

Knitted dishcloth love!

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Want to feel like you have accomplished something even on your busiest day, then knit these:

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They are called Grandma’s favorites and depending upon how many you cast on, you can knit one in less than an hour. I did these two while catching up on some tv shows yesterday. You can find this pattern here.

On the other hand, if you have a bit more time, knit this one:

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It is easier than it looks and lots of fun. It makes for a great pot scrubber too! The pattern can be found for free here.