Crafting

I got the bag done for #1. She had asked for this after I completed a similar one for #2 for wrestling but I kept it hidden while in progress. This morning I had it hanging on her breaky chair. When she came to the table her eyes lit up with recognition. She was excited.


I embroidered the lines on the basketball and hand appliqued it to the outer fabric. #2 helped me decide where to write her name (because of Mr. Wiedz's security requests I've cloned it out using my handy photo program), rounding the basketball along the side and top with a permanent marker.

This bag I wanted to line but I wasn't so sure how. I got the fabric out that I knew I wanted to use, some left over blue I don't remember where and some more of the old sheet I used for the hankies. I knew the shape I wanted and started laying things together, and cutting. Pretty soon I knew what I was doing!

It turned out just like I wanted it to. A flat bottom bag but with a little better shape than #2's bag.

I guess we're both excited about #1's basketball bag.

What we've been doing...

So Saturday I was by myself with the kiddos at home on a cold, drizzly day. We did nothing. I think the TV was on the entire day and #2 had that blasted DS on all day. Mr. Wiedz was cutting up a tree that fell over from the storms at his dad's house. And he and Papa went on a dump run (they did take #3 with them on that trip, small blessings).

But after that LONG boring day we've been busy!

Sunday, after a beautiful church service where a fabulous lady shared her gift of music with us, and a quick lunch Mr. Wiedz took the big kids outside with him to unload all the wood thanks to that tree in Papa's front yard. #3 and #4 were, of course, napping during this.

I HATED loading/stacking wood when I was little. HATED. IT.

I even remember telling my parents Sundays were to be a day of rest and we shouldn't be hauling/stacking wood. Didn't work. Now, here are my kids, dutifully hauling/stacking wood on Sunday!

While they were out there I stayed in. I tried to make some order in the kitchen and in attempt to stay with the "extra something" I tackled this:

And turned it into this. I don't think I got rid of anything just resorted, re-stacked, wiped down and made a little more organized.

I even did another cabinet and I did purge some old lids that don't match anything and a burnt up pan that I don't use anymore.

Before dinner the kids got their monetary reward for all the hauling and stacking.

#1 is saving up for some more American Girl accessories (including getting Kit's ears pierced) so she'll do anything for a quarter. Don't tell her it'll take FOREVER to get anything at that pay scale!

To add to #1's cuteness right now she asked me for some handkerchiefs, "since it is getting to be runny nose time". Sunday night we cut up an old sheet (had holes and stains) and after bedtime I hemmed them and sat with Mr. Wiedz watching basketball (or football, I don't remember) while I added some embroidery.

She was very excited the next morning when I had them sitting at her breaky spot. She's carried one each day in her pocket!

Monday, I was helper in #2's preschool class. There are 9 preschoolers (joined by a kindergartner when her class is done with recess) and I am wiped out at the end of the day with them.

There are a couple of boys who turned four mid-September so they are right on the line of going into Kindergarten next year. They test me big time! Being the helper is a big deal for the teacher, who loves parents to help each day. And #2 was really excited I was going to be there!

The biggest news is Mr. Wiedz has gone back to school! Today was his first day of classes. He was able to register for 16 credits at the University of Oregon (1.5 hour drive from our house). Luckily all those credits are Tuesdays and Thursdays which cuts down his travel time and therefore our gas bill.

He is excited about the opportunity to complete his degree. It is a lifetime goal and he is now one step closer! He'll have another term to go, for sure. He's majoring in Policy, Public Planning and Management (PPPM) which has some courses only offered each term. Because of work he missed Fall term so he may have to wait and complete some of the required courses next fall but it'll only take a term or two of 16+ credits and he'll be DONE!

I am proud of him for working so hard to get to this point. It'll be a real challenge to balance all the school work, the driving to school and the being at school with the work he still has to do, basketball to coach, wrestling practice to attend, family, home, church, parenting and life but I know he can do it!

Now I'm off to try to complete her other request. A bag to tote her basketball supplies to school/practice. I made a wrestling bag for #2 and now she needs one of her own.

My "something extra"

Rachel over at Home Sanctuary posted her resolution to do one thing extra each day. Not wanting to get sucked into my standard list of resolutions or goals or whatever...I always fail.


But one thing extra. One thing I didn't want to do or thought I didn't have time to do. Maybe I could tackle that.


So in that spirit when I was cleaning off the dining room table this afternoon I was about to move this basket back to where it lives...in the laundry filling up.


Instead, I did one extra thing today. I folded socks.



I do not usually fold socks. I tend to pile them until 1) the pile keeps falling over and making more of a mess or 2) everyone is yelling because they can't find socks and it takes many more minutes to get anywhere since I have to stop what I'm doing to find matching socks in the basket.


Today: extra...folded socks.

Catching Up:Christmas Day

Christmas Day was a wonderful day to be a family. #1 woke us up about 7am to let us know that Santa had come. I talked her into cuddling with me until #4 got up (it is just against everything in me to get up before him). Once all the boys were awake and the adults had coffee we let the kids start with their stockings and move into opening gifts. We took our time as much as we could, going one at a time and weaving in an adult opening with the kids taking turns. #4 was not interested in much other than the candy so he had a little pile of presents to open later.

After the presents were opened it was time for breakfast. Christmas morning breakfast is the same EVERY year and I LOVE it. I use my mom’s recipe for sticky buns and get them ready the night before (actually I usually do it the afternoon before but I ran out of time this year and was up until 1am to get it finished). While we’re opening presents the buns are cooking and making the house smell fabulous. We also have a tradition we inherited from my mother in law. The canned goods that were preserved this summer (read all about my canning season here) are not allowed to be opened until Christmas morning. So with our sticky buns we enjoy the first taste of the peaches and pears from the summer.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing with the new toys, a nice nap for #4, tidying up and cooking for our Christmas dinner. My parents usually come for dinner but because of the snow storm they were stuck in their new house. #2 didn’t put the DS down until I made him get dressed for dinner (at 3 o’clock)!

We cooked a ham from the pigs we raised this summer. It was huge and it turned out wonderful! Mr. Wiedz was in charge of the ham and he did a perfect job seasoning it, glazing it and carving it. We had so much left over we put a bag in our freezer, sent a bag home with the in-laws, took a bag to my parents, sent a bag to town for Papa B, gave some to K and sent some home with Grandpa A, plus we ate another bag in our fridge for a couple days. I also used the bone for ham and bean soup on the 30th!

The day was wonderful and quiet and calm. Perfect. I do wish we had more traditions that focused on Christ’s birth for the kids and the adults to reflect better. We did light our final advent candle and read a couple verses from Luke to finish our advent readings. I just know there is more we could do. I’ll add that to my list of things I want to do next year.

It was a Merry Christmas!

Catching Up:Christmas Eve

***Note: The Christmas posts are only to be part of "the record" as it were.****

We spent Christmas Eve with Mr. Wiedz’s family, the J’s. The snow and ice made things a little difficult, Aunt M even wanted to postpone the party until New Years but the family wouldn’t hear of it.

We’d thought we might go up to Portland earlier in the day to spend some time with my parents then head to the party. But chains were required on I5 all morning and the freeway was even closed down a couple of times the day before so we cancelled that part of the day.

We didn’t get the memo about what time the party started so we were an hour early. Because of the storm there was nowhere else to go so we hung out at the party place. I’d been so busy trying to get ready to leave that I didn’t pack any toys so we were a little stretched to come up with activities for everyone before the family got there.

The snow did make everything take longer, Uncle C went to get his mom and that took 3 ½ hours instead of 1 hour, but we had a great prime rib dinner with all the fixings and a fabulous time with the family. All the aunts and uncles spoil our kids with gifts and hugs and tons of attention.

Precious memories!

What happens when Mama is on the computer for too long!

He pulled them off the counter and smashed them all and played in them until I turned around and found him...had to take a picture before I took them away!

Catching up:Gift Baskets

Years ago I wanted to give my neighbors and “the people” in our lives a little something at Christmas. “The people” being our pastor and family, my best friends family, my friend at our local store, the mail-lady.

Over the years these gift baskets have changed but this year they turned out really great! I was really happy with them and VERY happy to have them done and ready to give. It is so fun delivering them, wishing all these people in my life a Merry Christmas and spreading a little joy if I can.

This year’s basket held:
caramel corn
sugar cookies
seafoam candy
a mini-loaf of banana bread

The caramel corn was a new addition this year, added to help fill the basket and it did so perfectly. I made a lot of batches of caramel corn, we couldn’t keep out of it so I only got about 3 bags full from each batch!


The sugar cookies were a last minute addition once I realized I didn’t like/didn’t think I was good at peanut brittle. After my first batch of peanut brittle I decided to change my plan to sugar cookies. The power went out while I was frosting them but I was just grateful all the cookies were out of the oven!

Seafoam is my favorite candy that you buy in candy shops at the beach. 2 years ago Mr. Wiedz came home from the beach with some seafoam for me. As we were eating it he commented that I could probably make it myself. So I did what any modern girl would do…looked it up on the internet. I found a couple recipes and after some trial and error can replicate pretty well my favorite candy.

Banana bread was last on the list. This year I got the mini loaf stoneware pan from Pampered Chef in November when it was on sale. I was even able to make extra loaves for our freezer.

Hope all "my people" had a Merry Christmas!