Leave of absence, sort of...

As is obvious by now, I've not been a very good blogger in terms of frequency! Part of it is simply being summertime, there is more to do, and part of it is just where I am in life right now. I've had spurts of things to say, but a lot of it would have been complaining, and I didn't want to drag anyone down with me so to speak!
To update everyone in my personal life, I have about 4 weeks til we deliver this baby, which I'm greatly looking forward to, even though I'm quite disappointed it looks like I will need a repeat c-section. I'm grateful that Hunny and I have two friends willing to come all the way to Texas to help us out, but I'm still battling fearfulness for surgery recovery (if it comes to that) and still needing to be Mama to two little guys at home as well. I'm also nervous about what 3 kids look like in "real life"--I thought going from one to two was hard!
Speaking of real life, this is actually my main incentive to take a decisive break from blogging (as opposed to the accidental beaks I keep taking). I need to get stuff done. I just got done reading an excellent article about being a calm mother and "getting off your butt parenting", but while I read those posts, I yelled at Bunkin at least twice without physically diverting his attention and redirecting him, and I ignored a plea or two from Bear for me to help him do something... also while having my couch covered in laundry that's been sitting there for two days not folding itself! I can make a hundred excuses for why I don't feel up to doing certain activities, but the truth is, often I take the lazy route, leaving me with disgruntled kids and myself highly frustrated as well. I need to take a season, especially with this new baby, to reprioritize balancing real life and all the other things that take up my time (crackbookfacebook, anyone?). I have a girlfriend who refuses to get on the computer at all while her kids are awake... I'm on mine all day long for various reasons. Instead of reading about parenting, I need to DO parenting. It's great to be inspired and convicted and read about spiritual disciplines or healthy/natural living, but to what avail if I'm not actually DOING any of those things?
So... I need a break. I'm sure there may be random posts here and there if I'm particularly inspired by something or just want to show off my latest crafty adventures, and certainly I'll post when the new little man is here, but til then, I'm going to lie low both in my own blog and in the rounds I make reading others' blogs (in fact, I'm going to clean up my sidebar and narrow down to the blogs I truly love and get something from instead of trying to keep up with the blogging Joneses and link to everyone).

Cloth diaper giveaway!

Oh my, way too much time has passed since my last post, but please, if you are praying for Josiah and his parents, continue to do so! I know Merri and Stephen have appreciated everyone who has lifted their sweet family in prayer!!

I have so much to write about and catch things up, but I'll start with OH MY GOODNESS, I have less than 50 days til this baby is born!!!! There's a lot that goes into that (while I'm technically 31 weeks, I'll be delivering by 38 weeks at the latest... so soon!), which of course means my mind is in overdrive!

One of the things I'm most excited about doing with this little man is starting him in cloth from the beginning. Since potty training is nonexistent not working at this point with Bear, I may have three kids in diapers, which means a lot of money! One of the reasons I never started Bear and Bunkin in cloth from their hospital days was my prefolds were just so huge on them. As I wrote before, I have some newborn sized dipes, and I'm very excited to get going with them!
As an additional boon, Simple Mom is giving away some cloth diapering options on her website. She has an EXCELLENT series on cloth diapering if you haven't heard me laud them enough! She has a great review of several of the major brands, and you or I could potentially be a winner of one of these brands, so go on over and check her out!!

Managing Chaos, part II

Phew! I'm finally back to blogging my Managing Chaos posts, and if you missed the first one on Beauty, you can find that here. The second part of my thoughts refers to the idea of Quality. I actually wrestled with what to write, partly because I'm still stuck on the notion of Beauty (the 2 can very well be interchangeable at times), and partly because quality seems to speak for itself. However, the more I thought about what Quality means, one concept came to mind. When I go to a restaurant or make a phone call needing sales support (or the like), I expect quality, demand it even. I know there are times that I have pitched a fit mentally or otherwise simply because I didn't get what I thought I deserved. Yet, how often am I the one with less than satisfactory service to my own family? I've served food with a bad attitude, I've cleaned the house with a grumbling spirit, and I've pitched my own temper tantrums with the slightest provocation. Thinking about the quality of service I offer to my own family has been humbling, particularly in this season in my life when I've been pretty selfish and frustrated. I am not going to freak out with unrealistic expectations, but I am going to attempt to think about serving them in a manner that tells them I love them enough to pull out all the stops for them and give them the best. I can offer the best quality food (whole, nutritious things with very little processing), I can offer the best room service (ha!) with natural ingredients instead of a bunch of scary chemicals, I can provide the best we can afford in terms of environment and toys, and I can put their needs over my own. I bet life wouldn't feel as "chaotic" as it does sometimes if I simply remember why I'm serving them and the best way to do that! This was a good lesson for me this week.

(And on a completely separate note, would you please pray for me as I have to make a big decision this week about my prenatal care?! Thanks!)

Managing Chaos, part 1

I read this post, and while much of it didn't really relate to where I think I am right now, this line completely connected with me: Managing chaos with beauty, quality, and ruthless simplicity. In my last post I mentioned how I can feel overwhelmed with Life with Littles, and it is precisely this concept of managing chaos that makes me say, "Aha! That's what I need!" But not only do I want to contain some of the craziness, I want to do it with Beauty, Quality, and (this is my favorite part) Ruthless Simplicity. Because I want to figure out in real terms what these three components look like, I'm going to blog a separate post for each of them, detailing how specifically they will work in our life.

In this season with my little guys at home (and one on the way, of course), I want to be diligent and faithful both, not only to them, but to my home and husband as well. And that can feel a bit like juggling puppies at times, let alone seem unsightly (say, when the house is a wreck and Hunny's due home in two hours). That's where Beauty comes in. If you're surrounded with beautiful things, don't you want to take care of them and keep them beautiful? Having finally just bought some new (via Craigslist) furniture, Hunny and I have laughed that we have "grown up" furniture, but the truth is that it's nice! We want to keep it that way, and Hunny's turned into this crazy cleaning machine... he has to straighten the living room every night, and I think that stems in part from the "let's keep this nice" theory. (Well, that and the "hey we spent $x on this and don't want to throw it away!) I've culled the boys' toys from time to time (cross-country moves are a nice incentive), and have decided to do so again so that I can replace some of the obnoxious bright plastic toys with some more classic wooden varieties, or even just toys that encourage more imaginative play. Not that we have to get rid of everything; I'm sure the silicone, oversize "lego" type blocks are just as good as a more natural version; I am, however, looking to get rid of battery-operated thingamajiggies as soon as the batteries no longer cooperate! Following with my last post, I'd also like to set up a specific space for Bear to work with some of the more hands-on activities I'm planning for him, and continue encouraging him to clean up when he's done.

I think I'm learning that beauty can come in several forms, too, for instance, just turning the classical music station on more often than the chatter-filled radio or another pet-themed kid's variety show. I love classical music, but rarely turn it on, so I'm going to aim to choose this musical choice a little more often. I go through phases where I need less sleep just keep the house cleaner than at other times, but I'd also like to go back to my FlyLady days, most specifically the idea that I want to "bless my home" (that's what she actually calls it; I love that it's not "chores," or "housework," don't you?). I'm also going to be a little more proactive to teach the boys to clean up after their first activity before moving on to the second-I get lazy and it's often easier to just do it myself, but that's robbing them of an opportunity to learn.

So, in short, I'm going to keep nice things nice through home blessings, cull the toys to replace lesser quality with a more beautiful and imaginative choice, and be intentional about the sounds and sights of beauty in our home, from cut flowers to music, and most importantly teach my children to love beautiful things and desire to take care of them. What do you think of managing chaos while keeping beauty, simplicity, and quality in mind? How do you keep your home beautiful?

Why diabetes sucks and projects to distract me

Ok, I rescind all that about being fine with the whole diet thing. I was trying to be fine, but I'm not. Can I just rant for a moment and shout out to no one in particular that I HATE DIABETES. HATE IT. I was still encouraged by ranting talking to G (who also has this stupid disease), but after a whole weekend of eating correctly and my numbers still being out of whack, I feel like giving up, or to be more precise, drowning my sorrows in the largest slice of cake I can find. (That would be "happy birday to Edah cake," if it were Bear speaking--he's obsessed with blowing out candles and singing happy birthday to his cousin Ethan since his birthday a couple of weeks ago). While that kind of indulgence is highly impractical, it's also completely wrong, but I'm so aggravated that doing things the "right" way still isn't yielding the results I need. In fact, it's even more annoying given that I have to count calories, carbs, proteins, and all the while try to feed two little boys and menu plan for a family. Oh, and did I mention the whole pricking your finger thing? At first it doesn't hurt, but now every one of my fingers is calloused so I have to use the larger needle size and it does hurt! If you want, you can imagine me stamping my foot in a moment of childish petulance.

Ok, ranting done. Just needed to explain why I've been in a Lurch (again, a la Dr. Seuss; can you tell what I've been reading to Bear?) and terrible food-related mood. Chocolate chip cookies anyone?

However, I have been keeping my over-pricked hands busy today doing a project I've wanted to do for a long time. And that would be unraveling a sweater to recycle the yarn. Yes, I'm that amazing. :) I first read about it here, then read about it here, then was reminded how much I wanted to attempt this after reading she's doing it, too. A couple of weekends ago B and I went to the local Goodwill and there were a ton of sweater choices. I bought 3 for $12 and while I'd hoped to go with 100% cotton or wool, I did get two all-cotton sweaters and one mohair/nylon blend. I took a picture of all three sweaters, but then accidentally deleted it from my phone. I do, however have my first sweater, a lovely butter yellow cotton sleeveless turtleneck:

Following the above tutorials, I got out my scissors and starting ripping away. I ended up having to just cut out the neck because of all the "bad" seams, but I still yielded quite a bit of yarn for the $4 I paid for the sweater! Here's an in-progress shot:

And the final outcome! The only problem is I don't know exactly how much I have, and I can only guess at its gauge (I'm thinking dk or sport weight if you're curious).
This was way easier than I thought it would be, and I've already started my second sweater, which I thought was a beautiful variegated maroon and baby pink yarn; however it's actually two strands: a maroon wool and a baby pink thread. It was a little tricky beginning the unraveling of the sleeves, but once I figured out I was dealing with two strands, it made a lot more sense and went much faster. So far, I've done both sleeves and have two sizable balls to work with.
Now the fun part will be deciding what to make with my cleverly repurposed yarn, eh? The yellow will probably become a baby garment, and I'm thinking the pink would actually make a really nice scarf and hat, maybe some mittens?

Living Simply Saturdays

I found a new blog this morning and incidentally she has a Saturday carnival, Living Simply Saturdays. Everyone who reads my blog regularly know that I am striving towards simplicity. I want to declutter my home, my mind, my heart's desires. And I find that the more I focus on one area, the more inclined I am to want to madly sweep all the areas, all at once. In fact, that is one of my character downfalls... wanting too much too soon. Which is where practicing simplicity really speaks to me... spiritually being content. I really, really need to practice contentment and truly being joyful in what I have AND WHO I AM. There have been times where I've been embarrassed by not having the Pottery Barn house and then I chide myself for wanting bigger and better. But what I miss more often that not are those times where I'm champing at the bit to reach the next level of maturity or growth, when often it's the experience, the ride, that get you there! In fact, all of my friends laugh because I used to say I couldn't wait tobe 30. Now, I'm very close to that age, and I'm still eager to be wiser and more mature, but I'm realizing it's going to be nice to earn that big 3-0! The flip side of actively being content, though, is denying my tendency to be a perfectionist. There have been so many times where I have failed to even try to do something b/cs I didn't think I could get it right. again, what have I lost in the experience? what will I miss in the lessons learned, even if all I do is screw up? God is bigger than I am. Take rest in that, Misty. Remember He is good and true, and that He provides both the opportunity to grow and learn and make mistakes, and even to be content in those circumstances.
So, this is where I am right now in my simple journey. I often forget how spiritual it is, not just material, to live simply.
For more posts, go check out Keeper of the Home's Living Simply Saturdays!

Works for Me Wednesday

This is my first time to participate in Shannon's carnival, but probably not my last, at least as long as I can think of tips and tricks to share!
My contribution is cheap reusable totes, the kind that boasts being eco-friendly, and won't hurt your pocketbook in the process. Hunny used to be amused by some of my attempts at being more environmentally friendly, but as he's hopping on the vegan bandwagon, he has also come to terms with some of the reasons to watch your impact, even if its just for frugality. He's also been the best accountability partner, as I've suggested buying this or that, he kindly reminds me to use said item. While he was running an errand this weekend, he discovered Walgreens had the reusable totes I've been wanting to incorporate into our lifestyle as we shop at the farmer's market and Whole Foods. These are lightweight, and clearly have the Walgreens logo stamped on the front, but aesthetics aside, they will surely get the job done, and for only 99 cents. That's a steal, people! If you want the expensive organic cotton totes (like the two I bought at Macy's), go ahead. If you want to make your own very cute designer style, go ahead. However, if you are in the market for saving money and have a love-hate relationship with your sewing machine like i do, these economic, environmentally friendly totes work for me! For more ideas, go check out Shannon's blog!

Simple woman's daybook

Outside my Window...the night is hot and dark, mosquitoes buzzing against the porch light.

I am thinking...about the movie I just finished watching (Babel).

I am thankful for...a nice evening with Hunny after both boys went to bed.

From the kitchen...absolutely nothing! We ordered pizza for dinner tonight.

I am creating...a moving list.

I am going...to Kathryn's house tomorrow to deliver a meal after the birth of her third son!

I am wearing...one of Hunny's t-shirts and my comfy capri pajamas. :)

I am reading...What is the What by Dave Eggars. Go get it.

I am hoping...my migraine goes away soon.

I am hearing...mine and Hunny's off-sync typing.

Around the house...the living room and office are CLEAN-thanks to Hunny. The kitchen looks tidy but has a sink full of dirty dishes. I also have piles in all the other rooms that are sorted by To Freecycle, To Give Away, and To Toss Before the Move.

One of my favorite things...my iced latte that is in the fridge (don't want the caffeine to keep me awake tonight, but boy oh boy, looking forward to it tomorrow!).

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...go to Kathryn's and deliver a meal, go to playgroup, go grocery shopping, not to mention quite a few errands-hopefully I can combine days to get them all done!

A Picture Thought I'm Sharing...

Simple woman's daybook journal

FOR TODAY July 3, 2008
Outside My Window the black cat we've dubbed Skittles is taunting Pele
I am thinking about the note I wrote my mom
I am thankful for a gorgeous day, a smiling baby, and the encouragement I got from Brownie yesterday
From the kitchen I need to bake bread
I am wearing a t-shirt and capris
I am creating a mental to-do list and a list of ingredients I need for the cake I'm baking this weekend
I am going to go grocery shopping tomorrow
I am reading Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, Sheperding a Child's Heart, and Irresistable Revolution
I am hoping that Hunny and I get clarity on his job situation soon
I am hearing Pele barking at aforementioned cat and Bear talking jibberish into his play cell phone
Around the house I have a huge pile of laundry that needs folding
One of my favorite things is how Bunkin smiles at Bear every time he comes in the room
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: our family will celebrate the 4th, and a welcome home party on Saturday for a friend
Here is picture thought I am sharing...

I love this idea, and I am not entirely sure if I'm supposed to do it on Mondays or not, but I figured I can mess up the first time I try it out! Go on over to The Simple Woman if you want to see more Daybook Journals!

Simple living

I'm reading Janet Luhrs's Guide to Simple Living and here are some quotes that I love:
Simple living is about living deliberately.
Living deeply means living consciously...being fully present, fully aware.
Living deeply means living intimately...closely tied to the people, places, and things in your life.
(this next quote really hits home with me)
It is much easier to stay busy and frantic than it is to love and know ourselves and others deeply. We're busy because we want to be busy. Staying busy appears to give our lives meaning, and staying busy is safe.

I don't want to be safe; I wan to live life fully and fearlessly, and teach my sons to love others and choose to be still when there is a time to be quiet and choose to have a few simple relationships so they can love deeply.

Anyway, so far, I'm enjoying this book and am eagerly looking forward to exploring how my faith fits into this, as well as moments of practical application as I protect and nurture my home and raise my sons.

On a side note, we ate from the products of my efforts last night! I made a delicious (if a tad garlic-y) pesto served over pasta-so simple and so yummy! It was truly fascinating to pick basil from my garden and produce a delightfully fresh sauce! This is dangerous ground: I might actually want a huge garden next year!! I am also enjoying some gorgeous flowers as my hydrangeas and gardenias are blooming. The gardenia is scenting my entire house w/ the cuttings I gathered this morning, and it is wonderful.
Still working on my banner pole; I promise pictures very soon!

A full plate

My emotional and otherwise plate has been very full these last few weeks, and I've run out of steam in so many ways. I'm reading a book that is challenging me on a deep-heart level; I've been decluttering my house (nice procrastination on decluttering my heart) little by little, and while immensely rewarding, it's also hard work when Bunkin has been positively attatched to me non-stop the last couple of days; all in all, I've just been busy being busy, and I'm ready to be still and know.
Oooh, speaking of knowing, tho... Hunny and I had a huge answer to prayer tonight: we recovered the rent money we lost!! Thank you!
Back to being still... I have a few projects that I've been mentally working on but not physically. There is still Baby Helen's sweater, which is only an inch or so along, but I'm glad to say that Helen made her appearance in the world on May 23 in perfect condition (Yay, Brownie!). Next in my project queue is my "Banner Pole of Remembrance." I've already started this project years ago, but I want to re-vamp it. It's basically like the Israelites erecting the stones to remember what God had done for them (verse/reference to come later). I am so bad at remembering how God has provided for me, so this is to help out. More details and pictures to come.
On the home front, Hunny and I are officially vegetarian again and already I feel better. I'm more determined than ever to lose weight, so that is occupying my mind a lot. My little Bear will be 2 in two months so I'm gearing up for that as well as beginning to think about potty training, as scared of it as I am. Oh, and my garden is thriving: too well, I think! I gave away a bunch of herbs to my neighbor in an attempt to be friendly, but I still have quite a handful. Still waiting for the tomatoes to say hi--I'm ready to eat some fresh salsa!
I'm also elated to say that I've been Freecycling like crazy, and have been clearing clutter left and right, most notably from the basement, the junky corner, and all the tops of surfaces of my living room. Slowly but surely I'm simplifying my family's home, and it feels good to be free of clutter!
So pretty much I'm just cleaning a lot, thinking a lot, trying to process and continue to remember He is good. But I'm tired!! That's not a complaint, just a fact. I'm looking forward to taking a break and getting some work done.

The Story of (MY) Stuff

One of my new online/bloggy/knitting friends KnittingLoca shared a video with a few of us on Ravelry called The Story of Stuff. It's a pretty amazing and very convicting video on consumption and consumerism. I've been mentally dealing with what I saw and how to digest it as a Christian, and I'm far from real answers and solutions, but I definitely see my place in here somewhere. I'm one of the first people to tout living a simple life, and I have taken some small measures to help some of my impact on my family's life and our so-called carbon footprint (Hunny just flinched that I wrote that phrase down!). Well, really, I have thought about taking those measures... but it often seems like the things I do don't matter, or that it's not enough, and sometimes, honestly, I want what I want, which includes disposable, expensive, and often irrelevant items. How do you marry a desire to make a difference in the environment, a duty to love your neighbor, and take care of your family within your means? These are some of the questions that I am dealing with after watching the film. I had this immediate want to de-stuff (can I coin this phrase?) in my house and in my life. It's one thing to cloth diaper part-time, but what about biting the bullet and cloth diapering at night, despite its percieved inconvenience to me? Or, perhaps, to convince Hunny to use the new lower-electric light bulbs? (And let me just tell you, those of you who are fortunate enough to live in a city with more than one utility company--count your blessings right now!) Seriously, though... our society is one that is really geared for immediate gratification and consumption/disposal. I grew up poor, and I tend to want things to validate my social worth as a person. It's easy to feel badly if I am not wearing the latests and greatest, and yet there are many times I don't even really want the latest fashions, I just want the acceptance from my peers. This points to the crux of the problem on both the consumer level as the video shows, but also on a spiritual level, because I'm seeking validation outside of my identity as a daughter of Christ. He even tells the rich young ruler to get rid of all his possessions. It's amazing how many people like to skip this passage in the Bible. Anyway, I know I'm rambling, and all over the place, but I'm just starting a dialogue with myself (should that be a monologue?) about what I need to do to truly be a good steward of both the grace I've been given as a Christian and beloved of Christ's as well as with the things he has given me.
I will probably be readressing this issue as I pursue this a little more and either find or test out my need to de-stuff.