when the cat's away

John is working late tonight and we've had a long day.  It all started with Alex's viola lessons, which were followed by a visit to the doctor's office for Katie.  While there, she made it quite clear that she isn't a fan of our captivating pediatrician.  The diagnosis?  Sinus infection.  Poor thing.

After berating the pharmacist at Walgreens for making me wait ten whole minutes before he ever acknowledged my presence or responded to the call button, (hello!  It's me here.  Don't you know how important I am?) we made our way home.  Not too long after lunch, Alex had golf lessons and we were out the door again. 

Where am I going with this mindless rambling?  To dinner, of course!  The highlight of every home cook's day.  I was so tempted to serve cereal and bananas for dinner tonight, given that my husband won't be home and the little one is finally napping.  I mean, throw a dollop of peanut butter in there and it's a fairly balanced meal, right?  I know it would satisfy me, at least this evening.  Not having to do the dishes afterwards would satisfy me even more!

Alas, I found a compromise.  Who says that dinner has to be served right at 5:30?  Well, me... normally.  Is that just my little quirk?  We're going to eat late tonight, at 7:30!  Shocking!  I'm still doing a two pan breakfast for dinner dish.  We're having good ol' corned beef hash, fried or scrambled eggs, and toast with apple butter.  Yum, yum! 

And that, of course, gives me more time to blog hop before I have to fire up the cooktop.  Yay!

If you're stopping by for the first time, or the hundredth, and would like me to check out your blog, please leave a comment with your link below.  I'll take a peek during all this newfound free time that I have.

ultimate blog party

So, yeah... two posts in an hour.  I'm on a roll, people! 

But, really, I just remembered that the Ultimate Blog Party 2011 over at 5 Minutes for Mom starts today.  So, I needed to get this here post up, STAT!

So, I need to tell you more about who I am.  I went back through my handy-dandy memory card, looking for a nice, current snapshot, but I couldn't find any of myself that were worth a damn.  Part of that might be due to my funky, country hair cut that I got a couple of months ago.  I'm still trying to grow that thing out. 

Not so great picture of me, but a super sweet photo of my little girl.  Couldn't you just eat her up?  This was taken at a St. Patty's Day breakfast with friends.

I am a mom of two... Katie is 2 and Alex is 10.  Yes, it is a spread.  No, there aren't any other little ones hiding between the bookends.  I always get strange looks when I mention my kids' ages, but not everyone pops 'em out a steady 18 months or even 3 years apart, you know? 

Katie is the little princess of the family.  She seems to run things around here most days.

Alex is my ten year old superhero.  He is interested in figuring out how things work, building with legos, and using his creative energy to save the world (namely, his sister).  She looks up to him and, most days, he takes full advantage of it. 

I also have a super-de-duper husband who somehow tolerates my quirkiness.  He puts up with eating dinner on the couch because the sewing machine has been left out on the kitchen table again, rushing around in the morning because I have forgotten something again, running behind again because I have no sense of time, and otherwise dealing with my foolish, crazy personality.  But, he loves me and I love him, and we get along pretty well.

I am a forgetful, zany, mess of a mom who loves to cook, sew, read, and craft.  I am a brand new homeschooler and am learning the ropes of home education through much trial and error.  Here, at One Creative Housewife, I blog about my mishaps, cooking adventures, crafty fortune, and daily life.  My hope is that you would learn a little bit and laugh a lot.

Check out the links to the left over there for some of my hit posts and favorite blogs.  Don't miss a drop of my bloggy goodness by subscribing or following me for (mostly) daily updates.  And, please leave a comment.  I love to meet my readers and I hope to see you back here soon. 

you have not (quite) been abandoned

Yes, I know.  We all hate those blog posts about why we're not blogging.  But, sometimes life happens.

This will come to no surprise to many of you, but keeping up with two kids all day long is exhausting.  Absolutely exhausting.  You see, aside from summer time and brief school breaks, I have not had both of my children at home for any length of time.  And, of course, those aforementioned school breaks are so relaxed that it doesn't matter if they don't actually learn anything much.

But, now we're doing schoolwork on a regular basis.  Like, an everyday sort of regular basis.  And, yes... I know that I had not gotten little Katie dressed when I snapped this.  She did put on something decent not too long after.

We've also been doing other fun spring-like things, such as visiting the duck pond and the park.  More about these in subsequent posts.  Promise.  (You didn't see my fingers crossed behind my back, did you?)

 

And then, in the midst of it all, my little boy turned ten.  Where did the time go?

Flashback to the 80's with a Ghostbusters themed party.  It was a lot of fun.

So, I've been running myself ragged.  I'm going to try to get more sleep.  And blog more.  And maybe clean my house a little better.  In the meantime, enjoy the weather.  It's spring!

something witty

I feel like I should be writing an absolutely brilliant post right now, since I'm Friday's Featured Blogger over at Mommy Only Has Two Hands (which is AWESOME, by the way. Much thanks to Heather!). But, I've got nothing.

  

Nothing terribly witty or brilliant, that is.  Quite honestly, I'm feeling exhausted and overwhelmed at the moment.  The house looks like... well, let's just say that I would refuse to open the door should anyone stop by.  I couldn't even just run and hide the dirty dishes in the bedroom.  It's that bad. 

It is 10:45 on Thursday evening and I'm about to go to bed, which isn't really anything new.  In fact, I think I may be up later than usual.  But, I'm really, really tired.  And, really, really whiny.  Things could be way worse, I know.  We are blessed in so many ways.  But, I just want to really sleep in.  Like, a go to bed whenever I want and not get up until noon sort of sleep in.  And, I want to do it because I can, not because I'm sick.

I'm about to depart to Brown Summit, NC to attend National Camp School.  A few months back, I wrote about how I'm going to be the director for the Cub Scout District Day Camp this year.  This is the training I have to take in order to be certified to take on this enormous task.  I feel like it is the day before the first day of high school.  Or, the day before I left for Woodbadge.  But, worse because I won't know anybody AT ALL.  

My friend Jannine pointed out tonight that Camp School is actually better than either of those other two experiences.  Why?  Because you don't have to do homework.  Um, yeah....  I think she's wrong.  My homework is going to be coming home and putting together a stellar camp for a hundred or so Cub Scouts.  That's all.  No biggie.

So, there's my monthly whine.  Sorry it had to land on a feature day.  Take a gander at my other posts.  You may find that you like them better.  Or not... you know, whatever...

A campin' we will go

A campin' we will go

Hi-ho-the-derry-oh

A campin' we will go

hump day blog hop

It looks like I swallowed a horse shoe last week, because I won the opportunity to be the featured blogger for not just one, but two fabulous blog hops this week!  If you're stopping by for the first time, please look around and make yourselves at home.  My hit posts are listed over yonder, on the left.  You'll also find a nice little Followers widget and a way to subscribe by RSS, if you'd rather.  Across the top are some tabs that reflect my interests-- cooking, reading, and sewing.  But above all, remember to have a...
 
Happy Hump Day!!

...and rest assured, because its all down hill from here. In a good way!

;)

<a href="http://mommyonlyhastwohands.blogspot.com/search/label/Hump%20Day" target="_blank"><img src="http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll263/Lynhea/Humpdaybloghopbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Its Hump Day!" /></a>

This is another midweek blog/twitter/facebook hop! But only link up just 1 of the three!

Our Guest Host This Week: Lindsey from One Creative Housewife

1. Follow your host  Mommy Only Has Two Hands  and One Creative House Wife with what they link up on the linky form, which could be twitter, blog or a facebook page.
2. retweet/facebook this hop. You can do this with my tweet button in the top left corner of this post or on the bar at the bottom of this page.

3. Follow who ever follows you! Of course you might have to initiate a follow by following people on the linky.

That is it!!

If you would like me to follow you, leave a comment and your URL to your blog, twitter or facebook page! 

It would be nice if you displayed the button in your post or blog sidebar. I just ask you only link up Family Friendly Blogs, Twitter or Facebook accounts only. I will make sure its family friendly!! Link up and have fun, after all the week is half way over....







get the InLinkz code

i talk too much

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Why did I start blogging?  Because, at one point, I was talking my husband's ear off.  No, not literally, goof-ball.  It isn't like he was shedding random body parts or anything.  He wanted some peace when he got home in the evenings.  Maybe the chance to watch a television program and actually hear what the characters were saying.  You know, some quiet.

Just a little, he said, not a lot.  But, really, I would make his ears bleed when he came home from work.  I didn't have anyone to chat with during the day.  This was before I was aware of facebook, myspace had grown old, and twitter was brand-new and, thus, deemed useless by the Great One Who Knows Everything (me).

So, he set me up a nice little blog using WordPress.  I called it Mrs. Hull's Musings.  It's still there, if you want to go look at it.  Somehow, we forgot to drop the hosting again, when it came up for renewal earlier this year.  Oopsie.   

I enjoyed that blog for awhile.  I would go on spurts, where I would post three articles a day sometimes.  Then, weeks would go by with nothing.  I had one loyal reader and a whole bunch of spammers.  I began to feel like posting there was pointless because I couldn't actually tell if anyone was reading my blog or not.  I thought that they probably weren't.  I wanted one of those cool google followers widgets.  I wanted my blog to look more real, less like a journal.  I also wanted a place where I could link up my etsy shop, and I didn't know how to do any of that on WordPress.

So, I hopped over here to blogger early this year and I've been so happy with the results.  My blog title has undergone some changes, as has my overall design, but I think everyone needs to rearrange things a few times when they first move in.  I've taken to writing nearly every day, which I'm proud of.  At one point, I even had a back-log of extra posts, but I used those up when I went to camp. 

So, I continue to write.  Mr. Hull continues to read.  I hope you will, too.

___________________
This post is part of the SITStahs Back to Blogging event.  Thanks to our lovely sponsors, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances.

Blume, Martin, and You: The Power of the Written Word

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All right, ladies and peeps, welcome back to my homage to the SITS Girls Back to Blogging Event. Today's post? Repost something with a title you like a lot. Well, here's some news for you, I like most all of my recent titles. I've really been working on capturing the spirit of the post in my title lately. So, I'm not going to bore ya'll with a repost of something I wrote just last week. To be frank, my older titles are just plain boring, so I'm not going there either. I think I'm going to spin this assignment around a little bit.

My favorite title was from something I posted last week, tales of a fourth grade something.  The post was a letter to my son on his first day in fourth grade.  Obviously, the title is a play off of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, one of my favorite childhood authors (the other was Ann Martin, of Baby-sitters Club fame).

I find it funny that I find inspiration in things that I read long ago.  I immersed myself those Judy Blume books as an elementary-aged child, yet the stories still come to mind as I deal with the situations my own children present.It just goes to show that words are very powerful indeed, and can stick with someone a long time.  Do you ever stop to thing that something you write, be it online or in a journal, or even published in a book, may have an impact on someone twenty years down the road? 

Who are your favorite influences in your writing?  Are they authors from your formative years, or people whose writings you have read recently?

Be sure to check out the Back to Blogging sponsors, Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances.

the first one was a mistake

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At least, it was about a mistake.

This week, the SITS Girls are going Back to Blogging.  You can read more about this endeavor on their main blog.  As always, the purpose is to improve our blogs.  The twist is that this week is sponsored by Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances, and one lucky gal is going to win big.  Real Big.  As in, a brand new turquoise washer and dryer set from Electrolux.  Now, wouldn't that look fancy in my new bathroom?

So, today's assignment is to repost your first blog post.  The following was originally posted on Mrs. Hull's Musing's on April 9, 2007.

Uh-oh 

So I am pretty sure I failed my math test that I took last week.  The teacher handed them back today.  I didn’t get mine because I was allowed to take the test one day late in the Learning Technology Center and they haven’t sent it to him yet.  He went over the test in class and I am certain that I actually missed all the ones that I thought I understood, and of course I couldn’t have gotten credit for the ones I left blank.  I’m hoping he’ll let me write a paper or something for extra credit as I really, really, really need that A…

Did I get the A?  I don't remember.  I do know that my final grade was an A for that class.  It was a math class, Mathematics for the Liberal Arts, in fact.  It was taught by a Mr. Fightmaster.  He was quite the character, but I liked him after I got used to his eccentricities.

But, back to the topic at hand.  That was my first post, and I like it.  It reveals my insecurities,, my worry, and my tendency to jump into projects with two feet, as if I've been involved all along. 

However, if I could rewrite it, and I actually did, when I started this blog, I would take more time to introduce myself, explain why I was writing, and address the reader.  Of course, at that time, I didn't think there would be any readers.

what's in a name?

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Last week, Kerin from Her Good Intentions posed a question on BlogFrog, an online blogging community (because, where else would a blogging community be located?)  She asked the following:

What do you think about using a child's real name while blogging? I know a lot of moms are against using their child's real name(s) while blogging or even chatting online. If you are someone who is against using a child's real name, why do you feel that way?

I use my children's real names and pictures when blogging.  When I first started, I called my son Master Hull and my daughter (once she came along), Little Miss Hull, as my blog was called Mrs. Hull's Musings.  But, it felt very impersonal and it was hard to keep up with.  Then, when I moved over to TattieTats and One Creative Housewife, I thought about using cutesy alternative monikers, but I decided against it. 

When I was a kid, everyone in my neighborhood knew my name.  It wasn't a big deal.  Now that the Internet has expanded our "neighborhoods," I can understand the caution.  But, I feel that my children are just as safe whether I use their names on my blog or not.  There are bigger fish to worry about.  I don't want them growing up in a house filled with paranoia and over-protectiveness.  They need some space to roam and the opportunity to feel safe in this great big world.

Mommy's laid back attitude about stranger safety is just part of this.  Our steadfast rule is, don't go with anyone other than Mom, Dad, or a grandparent (or uncle), ever.  period.  not if they know your name, not if they offer you candy.  never.  Other than that, what real measures can you take to actually protect your kids, as opposed to making you feel good, anyway?

So, what about you?  Do you use your children's actual names when blogging, or on Facebook, Twitter, etc?  Why or why not?  Join the discussion here.

Blogladesh

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I've tried to remain unaffected.  I've tried to avoid their blogs.  I've tried to keep my distance while three mummy bloggers (from the UK) traveled to Bangladesh to learn more about the struggles of the more than 9 million children who suffer and die in that country each year.  Save the Children has sponsored their trip and is hosting Sian, Eva, and Josie while they are in Bangladesh. 

But, try as I might, I catch glimpses of their blogs, bits of their twitter feed, and pieces of their hearts.  Those ladies are doing a great thing, spreading the stories of so many helpless children.  Their plight, described through words and pictures, might bring more help to their corner of the world.

To think, inflictions as common diarrhea take the lives of 9 million Bangladeshi children each year.  Diarrhea.  A common irritant here in the states, but one that can be cured so easily.   While we can easily monitor our children, take them to the doctor, feed them pedialyte, and generally nurse them back to health, the conditions in poverty-stricken countries are so poor that many children suffer and pass away.

I can't even wrap my head around it.  I can't fathom not being able to afford the care that my children needed for simple childhood illnesses.  So, I'm going to send you over to Josie's home, Sleep is for the Weak, where she will describe the importance of the work she's doing there.  Then, maybe more of us can come to understand.

I think it is a wonderful thing, what these mommy bloggers are doing, especially given the bad rap that mommy bloggers have gotten recently.  We aren't all sitting at home, watching soaps, eating bonbons, and blogging away our days.  Some of us really do make a difference.  So, be inspired by what these ladies are up to and find your own niche.  What can you do to change the world, one day at a time?  How can you make a difference?

Through our actions today, we can likewise inspire our children to do great things.  Take them with you, if possible.  Even little things like picking up trash in a park or delivering a lunch to a homeless person will make a mark on their tiny little lives.  Your moment of caring can transcend time, spreading through your children as they go on to volunteer in bigger and better ways as adults.  Imagine.  If a butterfly's tiny wings could possibly cause a huge hurricane, what will your selfless actions accomplish?

I Can't Hear You

Do you know what irks me the most about trying to read other people's blogs?  Yeah, I'm really going to go there because you need to know this... yes, you do.  It's when I really like what someone writes, when I get hung up reading multiple posts, and I really really want to keep up with what they have to say, but I can't because they don't utilize the Google Followers widget.  And, no, I wasn't paid to write this post.  At least, not in cash.  Maybe in aggravation.

Seriously, though, I know it is kind of weird to think of yourself as someone with followers.  I know that some people think that the subscribe by email or feed buttons are equal.  They aren't.  I don't necessarily want my inbox full of people's blog posts.  Nor do I want to have to go to Google Reader whenever I feel like reading a blog.  I use blogger, which is another of Google's world-dominating gadgets.  All my blogs that I like to read are in one place, organized in many different ways. I'm on blogger every day anyway.  It just makes sense.

But, if you don't use the Google Follower widget on your blog, I won't keep up with you.  I won't read your blog.  I won't bookmark your site because I'll likely forget about you anyway.  I won't google you to try to find you again.  Many others won't, either.  So, please, please make it easier on everybody by installing the widget.  Wordpress has one, too,  I think.  Then, put your followers in an easy-to-find place.  Take care of them.  They'll thank you.  After all, you do want someone to read your work, don't you?

Journal of One Traveling Housewife

on the road again

So, I just returned from a beach trip to Florida, next week I set off for a half-week of Scout Camp with my son, and in a few weeks I might be traveling to Erie, PA for a meet-up of some dear, dear friends (sorry girls, I still don't know if I'll make it...)  As a result, this blog is going to turn into a travel journal of sorts.  Given that it is my all-inclusive blog of sewing, crafts, homemaking, parenting, and so forth, I figure this is okay.  Eventually, I'll have little tabby-thingies up top so that you can jump to just what you're interested in.  For now, bear with me as I reveal all the fun and crazy times I had on my latest trip.

Still Tattie

So, if you came here looking for TattieTats, good news!  You're in the right place.  I promise.  I just did a little remodeling.  I think this new look kind of suits me better, don't you?  Well, anyway, welcome.  You can still find some of my etsy items over there on the right, just scroll down a bit.  And, if you're wondering where else you can find my marvelous goods, click that there Shop button.  Yep, right up there.  So, have a glass of tea, put up your feet, and relax a bit.  It's good to see you again!

(source)

Ta-Ta You Old Thing

My very first blog, Mrs. Hull's Musings, is officially on life support.  And, I'm about to pull the plug.  I just never could really regularly blog there.  I felt like I needed some blogging affirmation in the form of a follower's box, which I didn't know how to secure with my wordpress template.

It was a pretty blog.  I remember sitting with my husband designing it one day.  It was useful in helping me put my thoughts out there, but I think my only subscriber was Mr. Hull.  So, one day not too long ago, I jumped into blogger and I love it.  My hosting expires on Mrs. Hull's Musings on April 1.  I'm not going to renew it.

At first, I was sad to see those posts go.  I was going to take screenshots of every single page.  I think I've come to accept it a bit better now, though.  I am going to copy/paste all my posts into a word document, just so I have it for future prosperity.  However, I am no longer mourning the demise of my first blog.  I guess that's a good thing.  It doesn't mean I loved it any less, does it?

So, how about you?  Have you abandoned a blog before?  Did you do so reluctantly, or with excitement for what was around the bend?  Did you somehow save your stuff before you chucked the old site over the edge?

Hubba Bubba Chewdown

I don't even know what to preface this with, so I'll just explain it the best I can.  I met a woman on Twitter, named Jill (@JillElswick) who was delighting in having recently purchased a huge pack of Hubba Bubble Bubble Tape, with 6 ft. in each roll.  Being a smarty, I challenged her to see how much she could fit in her mouth, a la Heather of Notes from Lapland who stuffed 10 marshmallows in her "gob" recently.  Jill succeeded in chewing 6 ft of Bubble Tape this evening, which has been documented on her blog, The Same Old Cracks.  So, I wonder if I can top Jill's 6 feet of fun.  Let's see how I do.





Did you count?  That's 8 feet of Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape.  Beat that!

Now, it's your turn.  I want to pass this on to IckyDogCreations and my good friend Jannine Grubb.
Post your link here when you're done so we can all see how much YOU can chew.

Nothing Worse than Perfect

Fact: There is nothing in this world more rewarding than being a mother.

Unless, of course, that is flaunting your skills at mothering by teaching someone else how not to be a mother.  By commenting on and criticizing the skills and practices of others in the mothering community, a supermom can build herself up to the highest level of influence.  That's right, she can have the world!  Imagine, SuperMom enters the grocery store and women of all ages and backgrounds flock to her side to find out if they should buy this or that.  Not only is she raising her own perfect children, she has the ability to influence all the children, every last one.  Just by dictating the motions of their most revered resource for learning, their mothers.

How does SuperMom accomplish such a fantastic feat?  Not surprisingly, she has three very effective tools in her frilly little apron:

     1. Ridicule
     2. Shame
     3. Fear

Perhaps you know the nature of these aids?  Perhaps you've felt the embarrassment when SuperMom ridicules you in front of your peers at the PTA meeting.  Or, maybe, you've felt the shame when SuperMom blatantly asks how you could ever let your child do that, whatever that may be.  You may even have felt the fear when SuperMom warns you that there are predators out there and the slightest misstep will bring your world to its knees.

Well, you know what?  Though she may be snotty and self-centered, though she may carry an air of arrogance, though she may be incredibly hostile to anything that goes against her socially-accepted norms, SuperMom is not always right.  Period.  She's not.  She's not a god.  She doesn't know more than you do.  She doesn't control your life.  That's it.  She doesn't, she's not, and she won't ever.  Never, ever, ever.

So, what do you do?  First off, ignore her wholeheartedly.  Smile, if you must, but don't let her get to you.  Only you (and your husband) know what is right for your family and your kids.  Only you know how to best raise those precious little ones according to your particular situation.   Only you.  That's right, nobody else.
Mothers intuition guides you to make the best decisions possible.  All moms have it, even if they don't recognize it.  Embrace your personal knowledge and try not to second-guess yourself, lest SuperMom find a crevice in which to embed her crushing, debilitating thoughts and judgments.

Furthermore, take all the mommy blogs and how to articles and expert websites and books with a grain of salt.  Compare their advice with what you know is right.  Don't feel pressured to behave in a certain manner just because that is what is deemed popular in the moment.  Times change, parenting techniques must adapt, but allow your personal morals to become the stick against which all else is measured.  Now, don't take me wrong-- most of these writers and counselors mean well.  However, you have the final say in how you raise your own family and you can't abandon your convictions for a passing fad.

Last, but not least, love your children, your husband, and yourself.  In the end, this is all that matters.  You'll do the best you can, as will everyone else, and have loads of stories to look back upon as you grow old with your mate.  Not your SuperMom, your mate.  Now, doesn't that make you feel better?

If not, just give her a good kick in the ass shins for me.

Inspired by: Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop

the blog

Welcome to my latest blog creation! Here you will find quirky stories, tips, and tricks from a wife, mother, crafter, Scouter, and small business owner. I guess you can never know just what you might discover!