Hot Glue

The hot glue gun has been out a LOT lately. I've been doing projects for my church's VBS this summer. I'm the preschool director, so I have lots of little projects to "assemble" for my leaders. Cutting felt, cutting construction paper. This week was gluing little faces on popsicle sticks. It took several "shifts" to do all of them. There were over a hundred. 

Then I was doing a few projects for the upcoming birthday party for the little one! This year I'm doing cookies and milk. And doing some decorations in that theme. Finding things with cookies on them - like a chocolate chip cookie, not a Christmas cookie - is absolutely impossible. So I had to come up with my own cute decorations. And I did some research where I found some cute ideas from a blog - a mom that did a cookies and milk birthday party!  Super fancy, but it got me thinking. [I don't remember where it was... sorry!]  So I got crafting!  I made some little felt cookies - using hot glue.  On the final portion of the project I burned my thumb. B. A. D. 

"Luckily" it was on the thumb that is numb. So I couldn't feel it.  But I couldn't FEEL it!  It probably burned more than it would have if I had normal feeling in my thumb.  And I thought that the weird thumb numbness was the injury that I was going to take to the beach with me.
Nope... I was wrong.  
After a few hours, the horrible pain went away.  Have you ever felt a hot glue burn?  I don't recommend them.  And it wasn't as bad as I first thought it was going to be.  Although, it's only day two and the healing has just begun.  So one good thing from the burn?  My thumb isn't numb anymore.   Well, I can at least feel it a little more.  Nothing like scalding skin to get the nerves working!  
Gluing tiny faces on popsicle sticks didn't cause a burn.  But doing a 2 inch cookie did.  Hmmm.  


I was working on a variation on this tissue paper project from Martha Stewart.  I saw some of these - and variations on that great blog I found.  So I decided to do my own take on this.  Themed to cookies...  And of course, what glues the cute little paper poofs to the board?  HOT GLUE.  Somehow one of the pom-poms slipped out of my hand (the burned thumb hand) and onto my index finger.  And BURNED.  Bad.  Again.  So now I have one on each hand.  


The searing pain is now gone, just a little throbbing now.  And now I wait for the blister, er blisters, to show themselves.  Just what you want to travel with to salt water and sand.  I didn't know crafting was so dangerous.  I've used the hot glue gun many many times.  But this time was just special.  

Numb Thumb

I have a rather weird hand injury. Actually most of my injuries are kind of random and weird. This one was kind of painful - for only a day. But now it's just kind of annoying. This weekend I had this horrible pain in my hand and I couldn't move my index finger without a shooting pain. So I buddy taped it to my middle finger and stopped it from moving. So the pain was kept at bay. But it was on my right hand. Of course I'm right handed. 

I have an injury on my right hand from when I was a kid. I was sewing Barbie clothes and thought the carpet would be a good pin cushion. It wasn't. I had to have surgery to remove half of a needle from my hand.  Oops. So I was thinking maybe this is scar tissue causing an issue. 

But then the next day, my index finger pain was mostly gone, but then the weird started. My thumb went numb - like asleep. And it has been that way for three days now. But... It seems to be getting better. 
V E R Y slowly, though. An OT friend of mine said that it sounded like something to do with the carpal tunnel. 

I'm keeping an eye on it. Hoping that it just gets better. And it's headed that way. It's just making it much harder to do things. Hold children. Carry things. Type. Hold a cup (of coffee!) Write. It's making this week interesting... 

Occupation Contemplation

I like my job.  It's hard, but it's fun.  I like being a mom and running the household.  Sometimes it feels pointless and frustrating.  But most of the time, I couldn't imagine doing anything else.  I worked at a great job for almost 9 years and when I became a mom - so quickly in those FOUR days - I left that job to stay home with the new baby.  To start my dream job.  A stay at home mom.  

I was thinking the other day - it was a rough mommy day - if this is hard, what would be something that I wouldn't want to do everyday...or ever!!   

• I wouldn't want to work a job where I would have to be "high up" on something, i.e. in a cherry-picker, washing windows, ladders, or anything like that.  

• I served my time being a server at a restaurant, and I never want to go back to that.  It stressed me out, exhausted me, and I wasn't very good at it.  Which really needs to happen if you want to make any money at all.  

• I don't want to work somewhere I'd have to dress up everyday.  I had one job that required "office" attire, and it was miserable.  One of the many great things about the job that I left was the casual atmosphere.  And my daily mom attire... just as as casual!  

• I wouldn't want a job where I would have to drive around all day - a courier, something like that.  I don't like driving.  It's not as bad as it used to be, my dislike for driving, but I do like staying in my little part of the world, driving my girls around!  

So, what would I want to do as a career?  I'm thinking out-of-the-box, dream jobs here, that don't really take into account skill or training that I may or may not have.  

• Professional organizer.  This job has been in the back of my mind for a long time. It's really something that I would like to do, and I think that I'd be good at it and have fun with it.  It's just a matter of having the drive and the time to start going with it.  And for it to be the right time to do it.  

• Editor - probably more like a copy editor.  But it would be amazing to do paste up and layout for a magazine or something.  I did copy editing in college and really enjoyed it.  And I've done proofing too.  Maybe it's the nerd in me that likes the challenge to find a mistake.  

• Designer - Interior or Clothing.  Neither of which that I really have the talent for.  I just think that it would be fun to have such a creative outlet for creating beauty.  Looking around my house and in my closet, I wish I had just a touch of talent for this...  

• A chef - Again.  I like to cook, but that raw talent isn't there.  I would like to bake - making tasty treats and beautiful cakes.  It would be fun to layer the cake and smooth the icing on something that tasted as good as it looked.  

But for now, I'm happy being a mom. But I do wonder what I will be when I grow up? 

Code Name Kids

So, I guess you have noticed.  I don't use my kids names on the blog.  I'm paranoid.  Not just about this kind of thing.  About EVERYTHING.  I have been my whole life.  Paranoid about stuff I said and did.  Paranoid about what someone is thinking.  Paranoid about what is going to happen.  Paranoid about what did happen.  

When I started blogging, I had no little ones.  Then along came baby girl.  So I called her that for a while.  Baby girl.  Well, baby girl is turning TWO soon, so not much of a baby anymore.  So... not "baby" 

This past fall, we brought home our precious three-year-old little girl from China. Some people use numbers for talking about their kids, like #1 and #2.  But my "first" child is really my second, younger child.  And my "second" child, is my older one.  So that's just really confusing and crazy.  So...no numbers. 

I guess initials are my best bet? I don't think I have any good nicknames that I can use either.  Any ideas? 

The First Haircut

I cut H's hair for the first time this past week. It was getting just a little too long. And it was looking really stringy. She's been on this kick of wearing her hair down, and it was just too much hair hanging down. Plus it got stuck in a sticker (a name tag on her back) and that was the final straw. I had been thinking about doing for a while. Daddy has been saying "cut it" for several weeks.  And so we had our first haircut.  And it was pretty easy to do.  

She did great!  She just sat there - and stayed pretty still.  I put two rubber bands around the locks to save them.  Since this was her first haircut - for ME!  I don't think that the length was ever cut in China.  She did have this weird mid-length that had been cut in China.  So this haircut kind of even things out. 

It ended up being a little shorter than I was planning.  And H did wonder for a minute where her hair went.  She kind of grabbed behind her and made an Eh noise.  But then she was saying it looked pretty!  And her hair grows pretty fast, so it will be long again in no time!  But for now it looks so much healthier.  And more proportional to her size!  And really cute!  

An "Off" Week. A Good Day.

Next week is finally the end of tax season.  This week was the last full week - my last push to the end.  And this week felt like I was trudging through mud, up a hill, and running into a brick wall.  After tax season - it's so much better.  More family time because there are no Saturday workdays, there are earlier evenings home and even Fridays off.  We really haven't settled into the groove of being a family of four - in a normal way yet.  We got back from China and it was ROUGH.  Then it was the holidays.  Then tax season was already upon us.  And it's been crazy for D this year.  Last year, it was just me and a baby.  And she was barely crawling around.  Basically a little cute lump of fun, in a baby swing.  But this year, COMPLETELY different story.  And I'm wearing down, wearing thin.  Mommy needs some rejuvenation time.  

And this week - just being a very bumpy road - isn't helping that final push that I need to make.  Nothing terribly bad, just bumpy.  An "off" week, where things just aren't clicking.  Things just aren't going right.  And I feel that I'm running late for everything - rushing just to keep up.  

...The dog is vomiting all night - and all day, have to get something from the vet.  Forgot my phone when I left the house.  Forgot my sunglasses (I HAVE to have my sunglasses to drive).  Going for a run on the treadmill at the Y - the machine was flipping back and forth between miles and kilometers.  And was taking about 3 minutes to respond to any speed changes I made.  Which led to me running REALLY fast for about 5 minutes.  Too fast.  Then it slowed down and I was going too slow.  Neither of which you want to do on a treadmill - especially if you're me, with my not-so-gracefulness!  So.  That was just one day.  Before it was even 10am!  

...I tried to get a haircut appointment.  Long story short - it just didn't happen.  But not without utter frustration.  And then the computer was acting up - and I got so mad and frustrated that I cried.  I'm a "mad crier" - but all those tears left me with laryngitis.  Oops.  

I feel like I'm just fighting through this week.  And it reminded me of my favorite book for the girls.  It may not be their favorite, but it's mine.  A Good Day.  The back cover reads "what can make a bad day a good day? You decide" 

So I went forward in my day looking for a way for it to be better.  And I couldn't do this alone.  I realized that of course, I needed God to turn my day - and my attitude around.  I was letting all the "stuff" get to me.  When it's not about that.  

So I had someone watching the kids yesterday morning so I could run some "kid-free" errands.  It didn't start as planned.  But I just had to believe there was a reason that I was running late and had to shift things around.  I did a walk-in haircut, dropped my gross puke-smelling comforter off at the cleaners and got some clip-in cycle shoes for spin class all in less than two hours!  The speed that I can have without the girls in tow...  

And my bad day that was ending my bad week...  I was worried about the haircut, going to the walk-in place.  Last time they just didn't do it right.  But I got this great lady.  It was just a simple thing - that I needed today.  And then at the cycle shop, the lady that was helping me, I had met Monday in a class that she was teaching at the Y.  She was great, helpful, and fun to talk to -- and the shoes...on sale!!  

I know that my day and my attitude didn't change by anything that I did.  God blessed my day.  Because I was willing to see what He was going to do.  Even broken, whiny and exhausted as I was.  A Good Day.  

A cookie afternoon

I made oatmeal raisin cookies yesterday afternoon. And H helped. She did great dumping the measuring cups into the bowl. And she loved seeing how everything came together. I had two little faces peering into the oven while during the baking time. The girls were chanting "cookie cookie". And for three and almost two years old, they did very well waiting. Please note, that I was there making sure no one came in contact with the oven. And they even waited a few minutes more for them to cool off so they could eat them. Success! 

These were really great cookies! On my quest to find a great oatmeal cookie recipe, I might have already found it. Flaky and crisp on the outside, just enough. Soft on the inside, but not too much. Everything I love in a cookie. Not too sweet, not too doughy. Pretty fantastic. And the next day, they were super soft and rich, but not mushy.  So cool for cookies that are great right out of the oven to be great "next day" cookies too!  

This is the second time that I have tried this particular recipe. I found it online, labeled "the best oatmeal raisin cookie" - so I thought that would be a great place to start. I made it a few weeks ago... And well the results were quite different. It was "user error" - a kitchen boo boo. The key in this recipe is soaking the raisins in the egg/vanilla mixture for an hour beforehand. I was going to do that, but at the last minute decided to not use raisins, so no soaking. So I forgot to get the eggs out of the fridge. The dough seemed a little too crumbly. The recipe said that it would be a little dry, but this was ridiculous. Almost sand-like. So I added "more" egg and a little water - out of desperation to make it actual dough consistency. And as I put the eggs back, I saw the eggs. Oops. So for the next batch - the "very little egg" batch was in the oven - I added eggs. But a little to much. Because the next batch was a little eggy tasting. But even with a little egg and too much egg, I could taste the beauty in the recipe. 

So, I'm glad that the next time I made them, they were yummy!  But why did I do this?  Now I have the great cookies, that are so tasty...in my kitchen...and I'm eating them...lots of them. They are so light and melty - with that two sticks of butter I used! 
Making a great oatmeal cookie. A great idea. And...not so great idea! 

Spring...a fresh start

Easter was this past weekend. It was nice to feel warm spring weather, have silly fun with the girls, hear wonderful music at church and hear a message of the promises of Easter.  A fresh start. 

Had fun with the girls doing a few egg hunts - and eating candy. I couldn't believe how well the girls did finding the eggs. It only took one minute to show them what to do. And then they wanted to keep going. They had so much fun running through the grass, squealing with joy. They love being outside. And having new adventures. And I even dyed eggs - for the first time that I can remember. It was messy and really didn't work. I was glad that I had gotten the little kit with the stickers. H loved the stickers - using PLASTIC eggs! I tried to get some cute pictures of the girls - in their dresses. They so rarely wear dresses. But they are not ones to sit still. At least at the same time. I think other people have mastered the wonders of photoshop. But for me - I think I'm just going to stick with pictures of imperfection - pictures of the moment. And I'm trying to see the beauty in those.  They ARE quite the captured memories. 

So I'm trying to see this week as a fresh new start. I'm going to try new things with courage = action, despite the fear - (or usually in my case it's more of just an uncertainty). And do the things that I love to do - with passion. And to have the drive to do them, and do them well. Even things like my workouts at the Y, making dinner, doing the household chores...and blogging. Take action! 

And the most challenging "fresh start" that I want with all of this - a fresh new attitude. Seeing the blessings of everyday life. And enjoying where I am. Right now. Because "now" will never come back. So I want to make the most of it and not waste time wishing, worrying, whining about things that aren't worth it. Fresh. New. Now. 

10 things I don't do...

5 things I don't do, but don't really care to:

1. I don't take beautiful photographs. What I take would definitely be called snapshots. They are more for memory sake. I don't think I have the passion to learn all there is to taking great photos. And I don't have the passion to buy all the equipment. Oh and knowing me, I'd trip and drop a $500 camera. The camera I'm on now is a point and shoot, but has the options of customizing a little. And it's my third one that I'm on in 5 years, from dropping the other two. Oops. 

2. I don't stay up late or get up early. I'm not a night owl. Never have been. 10 pm is late enough for me.  And I'm definitely not an early bird. 7am is early. I force myself to get out of bed before 6am (er, 6:15) so that I can be ready before the girls get up. But I'm not fully awake until about 9:30. And at least ONE cup of coffee. I can do one thing at a time - multitasking occurs after 10am. 

3. I don't spend a ton of time on my hair.  I don't think I've used my hair dryer in about a year. And definitely haven't used it regularly in over 2 years. My hair has been getting curlier over the past 5 years or so. It started out as just a few waves. But now it can actually be functional as curly hair. So I'm loving air drying it!  Which is great. Because I don't want to get up earlier to dry and straighten my hair every morning. 

4. I don't buy things full price. Unless absolutely necessary. I will buy a few things for the kids - at the grocery store mainly, that rarely, if ever go on sale. So those things, I just grudgingly pay full NON-sale price. But pretty much everything else - it's on sale, I have a coupon, or preferably BOTH - that's when I buy it. Food, clothes, household products. Gone are the days of just needing something and buying it then. I plan ahead, shop the sales. 

5. I don't put sugar/sweetener in my coffee. I have never liked it sweet.  I do put a little plain creamer in it. But I like for the coffee flavor to come through. I tried this new creamer a few weeks ago. It sounded so good. Sweet Cream. But it was more sweet than cream. Just way too much sugar. The only flavor that I've ever really liked is peppermint mocha - used sparingly.  But for my everyday morning coffee, just a little unflavored creamer. 

5 things I don't do (often) but would like to:

1. Well, I'd like to be a blogger. I did great there for a while, a few years ago. But I think that my perfectionist tendencies get in the way. That the blog isn't perfect. Or I need to do something before I can sit down and work on my blog. I really need to do it, because I need that creative outlet. My idea is to blog at least 4 times a week. I've tried organizing with topics for the day.  I've tried just jotting down ideas and doing that. I don't know what is going to be best for me, but I think that jumping back in and seeing where it goes is the plan for now. 

2. Read. There are lots of books I want to read, need to read, should read. But again, I don't have time - or I don't make the time.  There has to be a time of day that I'm not too tired or too busy - or a time that I'm not going to get interrupted. Maybe I can find that time soon. Or maybe in a few years. And another one of my problems with reading...  I'm not a super fast reader. I can get through a book in a week or two. Maybe.  I'm not a one day-er, like some of my friends. Unless I really try. And I just HAVE to read then book. Right. Then. 

3. I want to bake more. I really want to perfect several cookie recipes. One being chocolate chip - the other, oatmeal raisin cookies. I want to have "MY" recipe for these cookies. That I can perfect, love, make, share and pass on to my girls. Something that will represent my love of baking. 

4. I want to think of special things to do - for special occasions. BEFORE the day or moment arrives and I think to myself "I wish I would have thought to do..." whatever the good idea is that I now have.  For example. Things that I wished that I bought in China. For the girls, for now...and later. It doesn't happen that often, and it's not like I have lots of regret with things like this. But it's something I'd like to remember to do the next time. 

5. I need to drink more water. That one is pretty straightforward!