another sewing success

I am beginning to really enjoy sewing. I didn't think it was possible but with the help of a friend's mother, I have become pretty confident in the basics.
I was inspired by what I saw here, so I decided to give-it-a-go. I purchased these towels from the Target $ bins. Cheap. Gotta love that.

I am proud of the way they turned out and the girls love them. Another sewing success.

~cheryl~

Crazy about this Man

So in honor of Valentine's Day, I thought I would share about the love of my life.
My husband is training for the Ironman, or what I like to call the Crazyman. If you aren't familiar with the Ironman, let me explain.  
My crazy awesome husband wakes up 6 days a week early in the morning, eats breakfast, has a cup of coffee (which I set for him the night before - that's my sacrifice), stretches and then does a combination of running, biking, and/or swimming. Did you catch that I said 6 days a week?  Yes, that's right. Pure.craziness. On the weekends, he works out for about 5 to 7 hours and before long it will be anywhere from 8 to 12 hours, just on the weekends. Oh, and he also burns about 8-10,000 calories a week. Are you kidding me? I easily eat that much in 5 days.

He's been doing this routine for 16 weeks and has just under 100 days until the big race. Until the big day full of other crazy people, who have chosen to swim 2.4 miles in a lake, ride 112 miles on a bike with a seat the size of my fist, and then, are you ready for this? RUN a MARATHON.  That's what gets me e.v.e.r.y.t.i.m.e.  After doing those two other crazy things, swimming for over an hour and riding for six plus hours, they will then run a marathon. I guess they feel that the first 115 miles wasn't proof enought of their physical stamina, so running a marathon is how they end their day. Yes, it takes almost an entire day to complete. If you look like you aren't going to finish it under 17 hours, they have people on the course that have to tell you to quit and that you didn't make it. Wouldn't that be the worst job? "I'm sorry, after you spent all that money and all that time training, you will not be an Ironman and you will not be able to finish what you came here for." Ouch. 

But that's not going to happen to my Crazyman, no siree. Because if you know my husband at all, you are probably not surprised by the fact that he is training for the Ironman. You probably aren't surprised that he has the discipline to work out in 20 degree weather when most people would skip a workout. He will crawl across that finish line before he would ever think about quitting.

And we are so proud of him. I am so proud of him. I have learned a lot from this man over the years. And although, I struggle with focus and am easily distracted, he has taught me to work when it's time to work and to relax when it's time to relax. I have learned that it does pay off to do things I don't like doing sometimes. His work ethic has been an excellent example to our family.

Some people say that triathletes can be selfish people because there is a lot of training involved. And while there is a lot that goes into it, Patrick has done most of his training around our family. He gets up early, day in and day out, so that he is available for the kids and I. He checks with me to make sure we don't have plans and gets his workout in when he can. HE DOES HIS OWN LAUNDRY if I am behind. And puts away his two hundred pairs of shoes and athletic gear, so that they don't pile up. He does the dishes when I'm too tired. He is one of the most selfless people I know and I love that our kids see a serving father.
  

I am honored to support him through all of this. When he wanted to sign up, I was initially hesitant because I knew it was going to be a huge time commitment. But when he told me that he didn't want to be 40 or 50 saying he wished he had done an Ironman, it hit me. Of course, I want to encourage him to live a life without regret. I want to be his biggest fan and support him along the way. On his Road ID, that I gave him for Christmas, I had John Piper's quote engraved, "Don't Waste Your Life." I wanted it to remind him to live the life God intended with passion and clarity. I want him to always remember to use his gifts to the glory of God and to not waste them. So although, at times I think he is crazy for wanting to be an Ironman, I know without a doubt that I am CRAZY ABOUT THIS MAN.

~cheryl~

Seeing Them as Individuals; Book Club, Part 4

I'm trying. I am trying to say 'yes' more and 'no' less. I am trying to see my kids as individuals and not as a host of little people who are more of a hinderance than a help. 

I often complain to my husband that if it was only one child wanting to help, then I would do more. But Rachel Jankovic, in Loving the Little Years, dispels that notion by saying it's not their fault that there are so many of them. It's our job to adapt and not make it their problem. In Chapter 10, she says:

"I have to adapt. It is not their problem. Individually they are being precious and curious and excited. As their mother, I am responsible to see them individually, even when they are presenting themselves to me en masse."

This is common sense, and before I had 3, I would have thought, of course, it's a mom's job. But to read it now and realize that the past 4 years I have been in "survival mode" and that I need to snap out of that thinking, was a huge slap in the face. I had totally been letting the group overwhelm me instead of seeing them as individual little people. And I can't use that as an excuse anymore to not stop and feed their individual curiosity. 

It's hard for me to say 'yes' to help in the kitchen, especially when I know I can do it in half the time and a quarter the mess. It's hard when I have a set amount of time during Reed's nap to get things done. So saying 'yes' to the girls isn't always that easy. But I have resolved to say 'yes' more than not.

 And while I do allow them to help me in the kitchen, and we have done a lot of baking, I'm not going to lie and say it's always so much fun. Because that would be a total misrepresentation and I'm just trying to keep it real, y'all.

But I have been challenged at a deep level by this book once again.  Man, had I known it would be so convicting, I would have never picked it up. I kid, I kid. 

I have enjoyed the challenge. I want to be a better mom. I just didn't realize to what depths this books would speak to me. I didn't realize the author had been a fly on my wall and knew exactly the struggles I was facing.

So she threw down the gauntlet and I picked it up. I asked the girls to help me make valentines treats for their friends.

They quickly grabbed the chairs and manned their stations. They stood at the counter while I made the rice krispie treats over the stove. And they waited until they cooled and helped cut the shapes out and put the sticks in for lollipop krispie treats. 

   

I'd like to say that it went smoothly, and that they waited patiently, but their attention spans are short and they got pretty restless. So when it came to doing the chocolate and the sprinkles, I opted to just do it myself. At that point I wasn't feeling up to listening to them bicker about whose turn it was. I was tired of remaining patient myself. I was tired of the mess and I wanted to just get it done.

But I am still glad I said yes. Because the more times I do, the more we'll all learn and the easier it will get. I know that the lessons they are learning - to help and to serve - are invaluable. And that makes saying "yes" easier. In fact, I said 'yes' the next morning when I made biscuits for breakfast. It was less painful and I even overheard Meadow tell her big sister, "This isn't a playground, Saige, this is the kitchen."

 Well, I wonder where she heard that?  :)

~cheryl~

Valentine's Day Fun

Valentine's Day is so much fun with kids.  I love to celebrate it and do something special for them - to remind them that we love them.  But it is also SO much fun to have them make things for their friends.  When they're young, it's easy.  Mainly, since it's platonic, but I suspect it will be harder when they get older.  See this post, if you want to know my feelings on the subject.  :)

Anyways, a good friend of mine, Diane, posted a fantastic and simple DIY on her blog.  

I decided that it would be fun, and something the girls could easily do. I wanted to keep the whole project simple and not end up doing most of it myself.  I do that a lot.  I get ideas, and then when I go to implement them, I realize that they're not very preschool friendly, so I end up finishing them myself.  But this time, I wanted the girls to be able to do most of it on their own.  

The girls absolutely LOVE to paint, so they really enjoyed doing this project.  In fact, for several days afterwards, they asked if they could paint more hearts.  So, thanks, Diane, for sharing your idea.

This is what I decided on for the end product.  Simple, cute and fun.

(it says, "You can count on me, when things get sticky")

So... Happy Valentine's Day.  Share your ideas - there's still time for me to steal them too.  ;)

~cheryl~