Thursday, August 28, 2008

Do as I say AND as I do

How many of us can truly say that this is what we want our kids to do? We all sin and all do things that we would be disappointed if our kids did. When we do, it is important to ask for forgiveness in front of our kids and from our kids.

We make choices everyday for our children because we want the best for them. Often times this can be a dictatorship. While I believe that kiddos need to be shown respect and feel as though they have a say in decisions, I also know the importance of "Because I said so, that's why".

Never has this been more true then with my 8 year old. There are times when I am exacerbated and just cannot fight anymore. My brain hurts and I want to go and hide. These are the times when I realize I need to lead more by example then by words. It is the times when she has already tuned out anything that I am saying, that I need to show her by my actions. By my patience, by my keeping my temper and by me giving myself a time out if it is needed. I grew up with my mother telling me she was perfect. I truly believed this even though I saw things that were wrong. My daughters need to know that even grown-ups mess up. Otherwise they may believe that when they are grown-up everything will be perfect. We all know that it is far from that.

"If you want to change the way someone treats you, change the way you treat them".

It may take longer, but everybody needs love and I believe this is a great way to show love to someone. This is a lesson I want instilled in my daughters.

When Shiloh tells me about someone making fun of her or of someone else, I try to get her to look at it from a Godly point of view. If Jesus was here looking at that little boy hitting everyone,
what would he do? Make him his friend and love him. It is a hard cookie to swallow sometimes. Kids can be mean. Hopefully I am doing justice by my kids teaching them this.

I also need to remember this lesson and teach it to myself ,and that, may be the most difficult thing in all this.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Chickens and international shipping

Ha! Bet you thought it was shipping chickens internationally! LOL

No really it is just to help to unload some things that are heavy on my heart. It is hard to live under someone else's rule at times and I think it is also a good lesson for my three girls to have to do it. With their father and I working for ourselves they rarely see that we have someone to answer to other than the paper bills in the mail.

First off let me say that we are blessed enough to have the landlord that we do. He is a believer in Jesus, he is our friend, and he is overall a nice guy. We live on the same lot together and more often than not we eat dinner together. It is like an extended family.

Living in Ramona I thought it would be neat to get the two older girls involved in a 4-H and with chickens. They are managable and can be kept in a pen. Visions of them having fun showing at the various fairs available to them danced in my head! I will not lie. Our friend had said no roosters. So I brought home 3 chickens. Another friend was nice enough to GIVE one to each girls and these were some really cool chickens! Cochin chicken. They have feathers on their feet, they are incredibly docile and very easy to hand tame. Another benefit...they do not go nuts and try to dig their way out of their pens as they take to confinment well. This is not to say that they would only spend time there but there is a small space of side yard that they could roam and I had tied pieces of string to their legs and the girls held the other end. They also are a breed that prefer to stay on the ground so the chances of them flying away (we clipped them anyway) was slim. This was a ground loving breed that did well with children, confinment and were show birds.

In the house we had previously live in here in Ramona we have lived 2 houses down wind and they had more than 3 chickens so I was very certain that the smell would be very minimal if at all. The children would have to daily rake out the pen and dispose of the droppings much as I do the dog and cat ones. I really thought I had it under control.....

So I picked up the chickens, got a list of materials that would be needed to care for them and had the eldest run the list in to dad. No problem right, these were after all hens, not cocks. Boy was I wrong! Needless to say the chickens stayed 3 days and 2 nights. The night before we took them back my husband and I were so sick we could not eat. We waited till the girls had eaten and bathe to tell them. I think we all cried ourselves to sleep. Tearfully the chickens were returned. And still they are missed.

Someday


So now onto international shipping....


Whoo Hoo I have finally added it to my etsy shop and I am looking forward to expanding that range of business now. :)

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Just a little update.....on hubby and the shop

Well DH is going to go to the Dr's today. I am afraid that his incisions are becoming infected. On the plus side he has been going without pain meds so far today......still waiting to see how his mood is and if that is such a good idea. This afternoon we will see what the Dr has to say although I have been keeing antibiotic ointment on it and it covered and clean and dry. I know the lord will watch over him and his healing.
And now for a shop update! :) I was so motivated yesterday that I made another apron! WhooHoo. I have not made a new one in some time, possibly months since I have been crocheting and making Tote Bags and Hobo Bags ( I stil have an orange one I need to finish the handles, it's been that was for at lease a month ) instead. But I really like this one. There had been some discussion on another forum regarding Halloween celebration and being a Christian. Being a mom I tend to enjoy the more kid friendly fabrics to begin with and while if I made one with roses and skulls it would probably sell but it would make my skin crawl! The need for money is not so great as to just create what I know will sell. Folks will either like it or they will move on to another store and that is okay by me. :)
Ok so anyway.....the apron I made yesterday was a cute little pumpkin patch one or jack-o-laterns. Either way there were two fabrics the kid helped me to chose at the store, this was one and the other is bright orange will friendly spiders on it. I know, sounds kinda creepy crawly, but there are in good taste.


I have also started to add Themed Key Fobs to my shop. I like them! They are fast, fun, and fairly easy to do. Plus with the economy the way it is, I want to be able to offer something under $5 that is well made and cute! I was lucky to establish good suppliers and coupons to stock up on material.


This one makes me think of my father in law. Hope you have a blessed and productive day, whethere it be in work or quality time with your family.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Praise god for the safe surgery and a sale in my etsy store.....

This last friday (Aug1), my husband went in for an outpatient surgery to repair an umbilical hernia. The word 'outpatient' makes you think that there should be no worries but when you are there witing and waiting and the surgery goes on for 2 hours rather than 1 like the doctor said, makes it scary. But praise god that everything went well and he is recovering well. Thru it all the kids were great. We did not hide what was happening to them in case something did happen and Richard was called to be with our maker. I am so proud of them. They are such awsome children of god.

Understandably, I have not been making new things terribly quickly for my etsy shop. The easy part is to find the fabric.....it is much harder to relax at home enough to work when worring about whether or not my husband has a life and death hernia or not. The doctors could not be sure until they operated but his weight was a factor in it. I am thankful this is behind us now. :)
So now I am having a huge sale...... I have just finished the Christmas in July sale but would like to move the current inventory of aprons that I have. All prices have been discounted already. There are also two bags currently on sale.

Something new..... I have started to make themed Key Fobs! They were a great distraction while waiting for my husbands surgery and they are fast to make and so can be offered at a great price! I love that. I love finding deals and I really enjoy being able to have them for people. They are under $5, perfect! Check them out. I have lots more ideas for themes on them and I am hopeing to have them out soon.

Now it is 9pm and time to see how my husband is doing and check if he wants pain medicine again. Thank you Jesus for the many many blessings you bestowed upon my family and myself this past week especially.
 Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker