A crafty November Wednesday

I was up before my kids.  Whenever I am up and at'em before the children are up and needing me, my day goes amazingly smoothly.  I think I need that time to put my ducks in order in my head mentally, accomplish a task (ANYTHING, even if it means taking my vitamins, lifting some weights, or checking my email), say a prayer, and begin my day slowly.  As time marches on I'm noticing my processing is slowing down every so slightly, my body has to let its engine idle gracefully and not wake up to demands.

Since I was up before my sweet babies, my day was going swell, so I decided what-the-hey and we accomplished three fall crafts.  This is big yall. 



Soap carving went surprisingly smooth.  We read a book named "Workshop" that goes over some old fashioned tools and describes them in perfect personification.  It is easily one of my four year olds favorite books. Then we went to Walmart and I decided, on the fly, lets make soap carvings!  One extra trip down the body was aisle and here we are.  My visual learners do much better when they watch a youtube demonstration, backed by mama repeatedly saying "Chisel is patient, chisel is slow, chisel goes bit by bit" along with "Watch how mama (YES I TALK IN THIRD PERSON TO MY KIDS, I'm telling ya, something about it makes them grasp my words better than "Look at me") does it.  See how the knife is pushed away from my fingers?".  We watched a youtube video about a man demoing a bird soap carving, therefore we made bird figured soap carvings.  The extra shavings will be made into body wash, the birds will be given as Christmas presents or used at home as our 'guest soap', and we all learned a new life skill. 

Next up, we made the cutest birthday cards for my baby nephews birthday.  Not only did we excel in a hands on craft, we were able to check off some extensive handwriting/phonics school work by repeatedly writing our names, my nephews name, and "Happy birthday".  Little Ernest is on a roll with his handwriting and is excited to use a dry erase board to practice on.  No pictures posted since the party is this Saturday.  We used three different types of stickers, some construction paper, and plenty of love.

Finally, I finished the day with our corn craft, thank you Pinterest!   Pick some neutral-earthy-corn-colored paints, cut out a blank corn canvas, cut some q-tips in half, tell them to have at it.  Wall-la!  Instant adorable autumn paint craft and now I have some lovely new decorations! 

November will be Gluten Free

I am not one to come up with catchy blogpost names.  So yes, gluten free November.

Here is the update on my thyroid showdown:

I have been putting EndoFlex on my neck every day, sometimes twice a day. Endoflex is a natural essential oil, you squeeze the ingredients enough and this oil substance appears then you bottle it up.  It said to help support the endocrine system. 

The endocrine system, in short, makes a series of hormones that keeps your innards balanced and working together, like a team! a community!  Gooooooooooooo Endocrine!  Hoo-rah!  However, if Mr. Thyroid decides he doesn't want to do his part, the other members of Team Endocrine have to step it up a notch thus wrecking ball havoc on your body.  You can't take out the rotors on a car and think you're going to be driving to the city.  Same thing with the endocrine.  Also, while it's nice and all to take a supplement to help out Mr. Thyroid, I can't help but think it'd be wiser to sit him down by a relaxing fireplace with a cup and tea and go over his reasons for hiatus.  Why are you on strike?  Do you not realize how important you are?  My hair is jumping ship because they miss you.  My metabolism sits and cries when you are gone.  I'm cold and lonely, come back Mr. Thyroid, we miss you.

Whatever.


I read on some blog somewhere that some chick cut out gluten and is all happy happy happy now.  I figure, why not?  Apparently gluten isn't every one's best friend and some, maybe me?, really don't digest it the way they should therefore it wages war on the inside and people don't even realize it.  On one hand, I'm not allergic to anything.  On the other hand, maybe I am and just don't realize it. 

One month, I can do that.  Anyone can do anything, for a short amount of time.  I can give birth, for one day (Lord willing, about an hour).  Every day?  Calm down, I said ONE day.  Ethan can do his two pages of math, four? No, two.  Big things in short time spans don't overload peoples heads.  Break it down and it just seems like it can be conquered.  That said, one month?  Sure, I'll give a dog a bone and do it for one month.

Gluten free plus endoflex plus good ol' Synthroid (which the reviews are looking  a bit fifty fifty on whether it works well or not but it appears to be the go-to drug of choice as far as hypothyroidism goes) should- in theory- make my body jump for joy.

Day one.  Cereal for the kids, eggs for me.  I see many in my future since they are quick, nutritious, cheap, and easy. 
 

Raising Husbands and Wives

Jokingly, I have made remarks about who I want my kids to marry.  Namely, my girls. :)  There are some very well behaved, God-fearing, raised along our beliefs, boys who I have seen interact with my kids and I have said "Marry HIM Eleanor! I like his parents too!" Hahaha :)

Just recently I received a cute message that a friend's daughter has made a remark- or two!- about marrying Ernest.

I've suddenly had a realization:

I am raising someone's future spouse.

A whole new set of "Don't drop the ball on this one!" has revealed itself to me.  And now I look around and see who I would rather have them not marry as well.

Am I teaching the girls to be respectful?  Are there kind words on my tongue?  Are they being taught to be kind?

Are my boys looking for opportunities to build their head-of-household skills?  Are they developing a skill at all?  Are they go getters and learning to work with the mindset of working for the Lord and their family?

I know my friend's children, we are already as close as family.  I love these sweet little girls with their crazy hair, pretty eyes, and sweet coyness.  I want them to marry Godly men who love the Lord first and are looking for God to show them who to be their spouse.  If one of them is my boys then I want it work out well and not be full of desperation and resentment that could have maybe-possibly been taken care of when they were younger and their hearts were softer.  Know what I'm saying?

Ernest and her would make a pretty cute stinkin' couple though....

*I already pray for all four their future spouses*

And they lived happily crazy after.  The end.

He made my dreams come true

First, start at this post. All I wanted was 1. a place for the kids to play outside, 2. a washer and drier, 3. a garage.

I have all of those things now :).

I am still grateful to have running water and a shower (this came from my trip to Africa and I still breath a sigh of relief each and every time I take a shower).

I am grateful to have a place to play outside, a washer and drier, and a garage.  Our family used all three today as well.  Praise the Lord.  And thank you Kendall for your hardworking work ethic, you never cease to amaze me and will go to the end's of the earth and back for your family.  

Biggest Post-Baby Regret

I'm just going to lay it on out there- my biggest post-baby regret is that I didn't encapsulate the placenta. 

Still with me?

Read on dear readers, read on.

Enlightened Mama explains it best, it's just downright good for you.  It makes happy milk, happy mama brain, happy mama body, and so on and so forth.  They'll even steam it up with herbs and dehydrate it for you!

At Emma's birth, I had Kendall take a picture of the placenta because it was excessively huge.  Even our been-there-done-that nurse made a comment it was the largest she'd ever seen.  Thank you??

However, I very protective of the integrity of my placenta and will not put it on the net for wondering eyes to explore.  To each his own.  BUT I SO WISH I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT HOME!

I even asked Jensen what it would take to get that bad boy outta here and said "A bag."  Very dry that one, very dry.

And the more I read and the more I hear, I can't help but wonder just how wonderful it is.  I personally cannot get over where it came from and will not deny the ick factor that it gives me.  To me, it's like eating a healthy version of a booger.  But I need to get over that if history and women who know say differently.

Maybe it helps shrink the uterus so you don't get the mommy pooch?

Maybe it makes my babies into utterly adorable Michelin babies who have roll after roll of heart melting baby chub?

Maybe it takes away acne?  Arthritis?  Back aches?

MAYBE IT MAKES ME HAVE THE METABOLISM OF A 16 YEAR OLD BOY?!?!?

Now we're talking...

Next time, if there ever is one, I'm doing it.  I'm encapsulating my placenta.  It's not like you can taste it, right?

Newness

Things happen through out the day that I feel like would make a great facebook post but instead I should just blog it, it really is worth of a post!  Finding the moment where I'm not refilling a sippy cup or bowl of apple sauce is another deal.

Tonight, for instance, I decided we are not going to AWANA.  It started at nap time, if you don't take a nap you don't get to go to Sparks or Cubbies.  Nobody wants to be around a crabby kid, those sweet volunteer teachers shouldn't have to endure a Mohr child that has gone napless.  Bless their hearts.  Then as the time drew closer I second guessed my parenting choice.  Really, take away CHURCH as a form of punishment?  Shouldn't they go to church to learn obedience or at least have it reinforced?  What kind of good ol' Christian mother deprives her children of JESUS?  Oh how a mountain out of a lump of clay can form in a woman's mind.  It's nerve wracking just thinking about it. 

Nevertheless I got elbow deep in a project and they are all playing SO well together it reaffirmed that maybe we should just take a night in.  Really, we did our Bible work today, studied our scriptures this afternoon, and are building relationships.  Sounds good to me.

Our home is two stories with a basement.  The basement is scary with spiderwebs, concrete floors, wood showing in the ceiling, and not enough light nor a real window.  It is like the Cosby basement, remember their basement was freaky?  Well, I have decided I need to utilize every ounce of square footage in this home.  It's a two bedroom one bath on the main floor, an upstairs that is an attic that someone put carpet in and called it a room (but it does have two large windows at both ends), and the basement is dreary.  I sorely need to search Pinterest for help on how to transform everything into a usable living area.  This is my first winter where I have four children running around, playing, needing to burn off energy and what in the world are we going to do at twenty below zero this January?  We have been downstairs trying to transform the dreary, scary, basement into a fun, bright, warm, loving spot to sit and learn. 

Whenever I have a big weekend with guests coming over, say for a birthday party or BBQ, I usually take those precious hours and days before hand to do the most tedious work like clean and organize the silverware drawer.  Because every one's going to see that drawer right?  Every time.  Ugh, I neglect the papers that need sorting or the books that could some donating.  Seriously, I go for the pantry and wipe it down and sweep and organize.  Well, if you ever come over on a big holiday weekend or for a festive moment fill free to look in my medicine cabinet because odds are I attacked with every Norwex cloth I own.  Go. Me.

That said, Eleanor's birthday party is this weekend.  And my basement is coming together nicely.