When does their hearing start to work?

I think all kids are born with a hearing defect. After about age three it becomes harder for them to hear their parents’ voices and by the time they are seven or eight, they are totally unable to hear what their parents say… particularly if that voice is asking them to do something, like get dressed or pick up their toys. I have noticed this phenomenon quite a bit recently. Unless you are standing in front of your child, speaking slowly [so they can read your lips], and making eye contact, everything you say just sounds like Charlie Brown’s parents… Wha, wah, wha, wha, wha. Ask them to get dressed and check on them five minutes later and they are sitting comatose on the couch, with their clothes in their hands. Ask them to pick up their dirty clothes and put them in the hamper and you have to stand there in their line of site looking from them to the dirty clothes before they comprehend what it is you want them to do. They also tend to hear things that you didn’t say and a common phrase from them is…” but you PROMISED!” Until I had my daughter, I never understood why my mom always said, “Because I said so!” so much. Eight years into this parenting gig, I now know why… it’s the last resort before beating them into silence! My favorite phrase is, “Because I’m the mom and you are the child”. Since my daughter is only 8, I know it is going to get worse before it gets better and I’m not particularly looking forward to the “tween and teen” years. Then again, since I had my daughter so late in life, I’ll be a senior citizen when she’s a teenager, so by that time I’ll be senile and won’t have to deal with it. Seriously, I love my daughter… she’s the best thing I’ve ever done. When we are going through a rough patch, I just have to remember how much I love her and what a blessing she is.

Laundry Etiquette

It has been years since I’ve done laundry at a Laundromat. Recently the heating element on my dryer went out and I’ve been drying my clothes at a neighborhood Laundromat for a couple of weeks now. I’m hoping to get the dryer fixed soon  In the mean time, it’s interesting to take note of people you meet while drying your clothes. Most of them look about as happy as I am to be there (not very happy); but some chat up a storm as they sit waiting patiently through the wash, spin and dry cycles. Some chase little ones while trying to fold clothes. The first time I had to dry my clothes, I wasn’t sure what to do… is it like an elevator, where you get on, press your floor number, face forward, and don’t say anything or look at the other people. Speaking of elevators, if you want to see something funny, next time you get on one, turn around and face everyone… people get so uncomfortable and they won’t make eye contact (unless they are children, because children haven’t learned “elevator etiquette” yet). The reaction people have when someone breaks the rule is funny. Where was I, oh yeah, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to look at other people or say hello, or what when I first walked in the Laundromat. Now, however, I think I’m more comfortable being there waiting for my clothes to dry, so I get a feel for who wants to talk, who wants to just sit and grab a nap, and who is too busy to chat because they are folding laundry and watching kids at the same time. After about a month of drying my clothes at the Laundromat, the only time I’m “uncomfortable” now is when I’m folding my underwear!

Diary of a Wimpy Mom

We went to the movies today to see the new movie “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” It was a cute movie. I enjoyed it and the girls seemed to enjoy it also. There were four girls—friends of Autumn’s—and me and another mom. We bought snacks before hand and shared a large box of popcorn. The movie made me think of my years at middle school… although there really wasn’t a middle school, per se. We just went from sixth grade to 7th grade. 7th and 8th grades were in a separate section of school, but it was the same school, with a separate playground. Funny, but I don’t remember all the problems that this kid seemed to have. Guess it was because I had been going to elementary school with the same group of kids. There was only one class for each grade and since I had been going to the same school with most of the same kids since 4th grade, I don’t recall that there were the social problems that this kid experienced. We were all friends, although I did have a core group of close friends… we even remained friends through high school. High school is where the social awkwardness and cliques came in. I guess I was just lucky that I had my friends and didn’t bother much with who was popular or worry about being popular… guess it was pretty much understood that I wasn’t the “popular” type, nor did I want to be. But I was blessed with a great set of friends that made the “middle school” and high school years lots of fun. I can only hope that Autumn is blessed with good friends and no desire to be one of the “popular” kids--What most parents want for their kids, I guess.

Here’s the pillow I made

Sew…. The other day I mentioned I was making a pillow as a birthday gift. Well, the pillow turned out great! It really came together nicely and the recipient was delighted… that’s what sewing is all about for me. Actually that is what any craft is about… making something special for someone. A couple of months after mom passed away, we were “cleaning” out house and I was surprised at how many of my craft projects mom had received. Lots of ceramics and stuff. It was nice to see that she kept them all these years. She even had my first ceramic project I did in high school! Now it’s close to being considered an antique... ha, ha. Anyway, here’s a photo of the front of the pillow I made. Of course, I forgot to take a photo of the finished pillow, but I did remember to take one while I was making it. Lately I’ve seriously been considering selling some select sewing projects (like doll clothes, cloth gift bags, and pillows-stuff that is easy to make) for sale on the internet. The Idea being to make some extra money… particularly since they are talking at work about going to 4/10’s and closing down City Hall on Fridays to save on utility costs. So, given this economy, do you think this is a good idea?

Watchin’ Supernanny

I love the Supernanny! She does a great job of teaching parents how to be parents! In only one hour she has those parents living up to their responsibilities and doing what they are supposed to do, so that the kids have the boundaries they need in order to behave properly. The fun part of the show for me, however, is when my 8-year-old daugter, Autumn, watches the show. I think it is so funny when her behavior improves after watching an episode of Supernanny. I guess it makes her feel guilty. I remember one time she asked me if she behaved like that (like the kids on the show) when she was little. I replied that sometimes she did, especially when I told her she couldn’t do something, but that for the most part she is a good kid. The weird part is that she will watch the show voluntarily. She knows what channel and when it comes on, so if there is nothing else she wants to watch, she will turn in to the Supernanny show. She even hums the theme song! I’m hoping that means she is learning how to have good behavior, but in the back of my mind is the fear that she is just learning how to “physic” me out and make me think she’s a terrific kid, when in reality, she manipulating me to get her own way. Okay, no more nanny shows!

Disaster in the Kitchen

I think it takes a special talent to burn stuff in a microwave! Boy, am I talented! Sunday I was heating up a couple of ham crossandwiches for breakfast. I don’t know what when wrong, but I started the microwave and went into the bathroom to get dressed. A couple of minutes later, I went back into the kitchen and smoke was pouring out of the microwave! I though I set the timer for 1 minutes, but maybe it was 10 minutes instead… whatever happened, those ham and cheese croissants were toast! Burned to a crisp. An the smoke was everywhere. I opened doors and windows and turned the vent fan on high. The smoke soon cleared out, but the smell… that acrid burned smell, just wouldn’t go away. I scrubbed the kitchen and lit some scented candles. The smell is better, but it still lingers, five days later. I’ve scrubbed everything I can think of, but I think the smell just has to work itself out of the exhaust vent. Of course, now I’m paranoid and can’t leave anything heating in the microwave. I have to stand there and watch it and make sure it isn’t going to burn. It’s been five days and I haven’t burned anything! Yeah!

Passing on a Legacy

Last week I talked about sewing doll clothes for Autumn’s dolls. Last evening I was sewing a patchwork pillow for my boss for her birthday. Autumn and her friend wanted to sew, so I had the privilege of showing them how to operate the sewing machine and serger. They were so cute! I gave them some scraps of fabric and away they went—stitching and cutting. I couldn’t make out what they were trying to create, but they were having fun! They jammed up the sewing machine a couple of times, but all-in-all, I think they had fun. It brought back memories for me of when I first learned to sew. I think I made a yellow silky rectangular bag like thing when I was about Autumn’s age. That was the beginning of my love of sewing, which has lasted over 40 years! I remember sitting with my grandmother and watching her operate her pedal sewing machine (no I’m not that old, she just like using it instead of her electric machine) to make quilt squares. I still have a couple of quilts she made, which I truly treasure.

To this day my heart beats a little faster when I visit a fabric store and I have to remind myself that I have plenty of stuff at home that I still need to make! When I was choosing fabric for the pillow I’m making, I desperately wanted to look at patterns and fabric to make Autumn an Easter dress, but I was good and walked out with only $6 in damages! One of my dreams is to have a house big enough for one room to be dedicated to sewing and to have all the fancy machines and equipment to sew anything I wanted (and the time to do so, of course). Well, for now, I’ll just be happy with my little sewing corner in the bedroom, and the joy of teaching my daughter how to sew!

Daylight Whining Time

I hate daylight savings time. There was a time when I didn’t mind it… just set the clock and forget about it… or typically, forget about it and show up early/late for church and feel like an idiot  However, with motherhood comes lots of new experiences, and daylight “mess up my internal clock and listen to me whine for a few weeks” time is one of them. Children are such creatures of habit! On Sunday morning, Autumn was up at her usual 7:00 a.m., but in reality it was 8:00 a.m. Then when it came time for bed, of course she wasn’t tired. A question… did the School District plan to start their testing the week after daylight savings time, or was it one of those unfortunate coincidences? I’d really like to believe that there is no mastermind planning to torture children by making them take these tests, but I have my doubts… no child left behind… a nice idea gone terribly wrong! Teachers are now forced to teach so that the kids can pass a specific test… this leaves no time for creative teaching… where’s the science and art projects? Where are the creative thinkers? It’s just math and reading, math and reading, and while I know these subjects are important, isn’t it also important to teach problem solving… to teach these kids how to learn, rather than just try to cram facts so they can pass a test? Last year my daughter’s school failed their “test.” It wasn’t the fault of the school, but of the tests themselves. The tests are not designed for ESL students, but for English speaking students and my daughter’s school had a big increase in the Hispanic population in the last few years. The Hispanic kids are not stupid… ask yourself how well you would learn if you were thrown into a situation where you were not that familiar with the language! Under the circumstances, I think they do a terrific job. However, with no one at home able to read English in order to help them understand the work they need to do, it is difficult… I know. I have helped several of my daughter’s friends, because their parents don’t read English. I don’t know what the solution is, but it’s not teaching kids to pass tests! And it’s not scheduling the tests right after daylight savings time changes!

What I've Learned about Motherhood

I watched a movie this weekend--Motherhood, with Uma Thurman and Anthony Edwards. I enjoyed it, but felt a bit irritated at Uma's character-so disorganized and rather selfish. In the movie, she was trying to win a contest by writing 500 words about what being a mother meant to her. That made me think, of course, what being a mother meant to me and what I've learned from becoming a mother. I thought about what I would write to win that contest... not that I got far... motherhood interfered with my writing fantasy :) Laundry and "what's for dinner" always trumps dreams of writing the ultimate essay. Later that night, I went back to thinking... I think I do that instead of sleeping :) Anyhow, I was asking myself what is the most significant thing that becoming a mother has taught me? I think it has taught me a new understanding of God's love for me. Since I didn't have the most ideal childhood, I had a hard time relating to the "father" part of God's love. When I became a mom, the light bulb lit up and I got it. How fierce and strong God's love is for me... how he desires that I grow in my relationship to him, and how it hurts him when he has to let me suffer the consequences of my choices. If the love and protection and fierceness of what I feel for my daughter is only a tiny portion of how God feels about his children... WOW!

Christmas Project Continued...

Here is another photo of the doll clothes. I couldn't get both pictures on one post.

My Christmas Project Which Has Lasted Into March!

When I asked Autumn if she wanted an American Girl Doll or a Wii for Christmas, I fully expected her to say she wanted a Wii. But, she said she really wanted the doll – Julie from the historical doll collection. Julie is from the 1970’s—and no, I did not prompt her to choose that doll—but I did explain to her that Mommy grew up in the 70’s. So I got busy and looked on the internet. After I picked myself up off the floor after seeing the prices for the doll and accessories, I knew we could only afford the doll—no accessories! So, I asked Grandpa to make a “locker” like the one from the internet and I got busy sewing doll clothes. I got some terrific patterns from the fabric store, and Christmas morning, there was the doll cabinet, and lots of packages containing some really cute outfits—if I do say so myself! I had so much fun sewing the doll clothes, that after Christmas, while we both were on “Winter Break” I made at last a dozen more outfits… I even made quite a few outfits for her friends, who got the “generic” dolls from Walmart. Autumn also got a generic 18” doll, which Grandpa used to gauge the scale of the cabinet. So, she has two dolls and I think I have more fun with them that she does. Here are some photos of a couple of the outfits.

Getting the Most Out of My College Course

Okay, So I'm taking this college class and have to learn how to blog. Well, so far I've done pretty well (I think... I haven't submitted it for a grade yet). I was reluctant to do this... I mean, why? Then I sat down and tried to think of some positives about having to do this assignment. And a big reason popped up... Autumn! I really need to keep up on technology because pretty soon she will be face-booking and blogging, etc. and at least I'll know what she is doing :)

Of course she will hate it... can't keep anything from Mom, etc. That's why I've decided to keep the computer in the kitchen... she can't really do anything on the computer that I can't see. But, she is still little, so she doesn't try to get away with much... however, in a few years... oh boy! I can picture it now... "Hey Mom, whatcha do-in?"... and then when I yell that I'm sewing in the bedroom, she'll get on the computer and start instant messaging some sleaze-bag boyfriend that mom doesn't like and that doesn't treat her right and put photos of herself out on "Myspace" for any wacko to get hold of... That's it... the computer goes! She can use a typewriter, like I did when I was her age!

Old Dog:New Blogg

Scrunch up your face and just do it. As part of a college course I'm taking, I am being asked to create a blogg... not only that, but I have to actually work it for at least two or three weeks. In reality, I have no use for bloggs. I don't read them and I have absolutely no interest in having someone else read mine. Plus, I don't have time to write what pops into my mind on a daily basis... actually very little pops into my mind.... except things like--okay, if I do the laundry tonight, then I can cook tomorrow night and we can have left-overs the rest of the week and laundry will be out of the way and I can get my daughter to her martial arts class and not have to worry about the laundry. thank goodness I can type fast (80+ wpm), so it won't take long.

okay, 100 words describing my hobbies: I read--a lot--too much according to my daughter, who is 8. Love "murder mysteries". Hate horror stories. other than that, I will read just about anything--except non-fiction... I read to escape, not to learn stuff :)

I love to sew... this Christmas my daughter wanted an American Girl doll... at $100 each! I told her we had enough money for the doll, but not for accessories. as 18inch dolls go, this is the premier doll and the quality is extra-ordinary, but the clothes and accessories are ridiculously expensive. So we made a compromise, she would get the doll and I would make clothes. I had so much fun sewing those clothes... she got more outfits than she probably wanted, but I was having fun :) I even wound up sewing outfits for her friends' dolls. they are a lot funner than sewing barbie clothes... a little bigger and easier to sew.