mumofmanee

Miss Precious

2009-10-12T14:48:00.001-07:00

This was last years Christmas Pic, and I'm looking foward to doing pics again this year. She is growing and so beautiful. She is 2 1/2 now, and thankfully potty trained. I thought it would be an absolute nightmare potty training two at once (her and her foster brother who is 4 months older) but I think they fed off of each other. It was all kind of hum drum til the M&Ms came out for #2 then it sounded like a geriatric ward where everyone got enemas at the same time. LOL Yes, he is completely potty trained now also. It took Mira 4 days to complete her training, and only took him about 2 or 3 weeks to get it 100%. I know that doesn't sound like much but these little guys have so much on their plates already, adoption, foster care, visiting parents, so much grief and confusion at times. I think they did an awesome job of working on learning their pottying also. Miss Mira has been working with a physical and developmental therapist for the past year, now she will begin working also with an occupational therapist(for all the sensory issues), and if she doesn't calm down some, we've been warned a behaviorist will be brought in also. I can honestly say the child is full of fire. LOL She can wear me out but at the same time, I don't mind it because she certainly has an opinion and makes it known. I expect between all the prenatal drug exposure and sensory issues, add terrible two's to it all and you end up with what appears to be a bag of dynomite. LOL She is talking better, above all her level of understanding is awesome. Knowing what I know now, if I had it to do all over again, I'd still adopt her. She is beyond amazing to me everyday and she has a heart of gold.

Cricut Gypsy

2009-10-12T14:36:00.000-07:00

The Gypsy is on the market now, among much confusion, questions, and excitement. I have gotten one, and while I see some room for improvement, I'm not giving mine away, selling it, or generally looking for anything other than more updates and more carts. It is light weight and I do love the preloaded carts. You link your carts to it, you can't then link to another gypsy but the carts still work in your cricut machine, the Gypsy doesn't "eat" them. I do love the portability, the fact that I am not tied to a computer. My Gypsy basically goes where I do, except to the bathroom, still want privacy there. LOL I will really enjoy seeing the future of this little machine, it has so many possibilites!

Christmas Bags

2009-10-12T14:32:00.001-07:00

Goodie giveaways to an online group last year. Filled the bags and tied the tops with ribbon. All paper piecings were done in SCAL and with PreciousPiecings paper piecing patterns. All finished with a touch of ribbon, markers, and stickles.

Cards

2009-10-12T14:29:00.001-07:00

Cards I made for a messageboard exchange, all made with the Stretch Your Imagination cartridge. I guess there is a destructive side in this crafter, I love being able to tear, ink, and sand paper. LOL

Paint Cans

2009-10-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

There are some things in life that I love simply because of how they look, this includes paint cans decorated for a wonderful gift giving, pink and brown colors together, gingerbread men, my cricut! LOL I've used all to make this paint can. The gingy is cut with a software program called SCAL ...... a word of warning that it does void your warranty on your cricut machine. The gingy itself is a paper piecing found at PreciousPiecings ...... her patterns are very inexpensive, they come with the svg for cutting with SCAL and also a JPEG for piecing reference. My delivery has always been fast with her, excellent service Miss Lisa! The stamp tag is from Stretch Your Imagination cricut cart, the heart from Plantin Schoolbook, and the circles are a shared .cut file for Cricut Design Studio.

Time To Get Some Of My Finished Work Posted

2009-10-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

So many times, what I make seems to leave as fast as it comes out of my Cricut, so the next posts will cover what survived long enough to get a pic taken before it left the house! One project stays, and that is the project done to add designer flair cricut style to my cricut expression machine. I can't say enough good about my cricut, my crafting and designing capabilities have reached an all time new high with this machine. You know that craft that you pick up, spend money on, just to set down months later and never really be interested again? I was afraid I'd be doing that when I got the cricut expression, but that just never happened, I have fallen in love with this machine and found so many different uses for it that I can't imagine ever growing bored! It cuts paper, it cuts material, and it cuts vinyl. And now (drums rolling)................The Queen!

Day 5

2009-04-26T08:10:00.000-07:00

LOL It sounds like a good suspense novel, but in all reality, it isn't so bad. I still haven't had a cigarette, and still don't want one more than I do. Sound confusing? heehee I stopped at a station a few days ago, and met another junkie in line. Mind you, I couldn't have told you this woman was a smoker in the wild throws of trying to quit, I don't know what compelled me to speak to her. As we stood in line I quietly said to her "I want a cigarette so bad", and she replied that she did also, which really shocked me. She had been quit for two days, and I for one day at the time. I told her to just hold on, one more day behind her and she should be in the clear. Well, her turn came and she counted out every nickel she had in her pocket to buy her pack of smokes. I felt bad for her, sad too that such a strong compulsion to self destruct is so easy in the face of addiction. My turn came and it wasn't easy, plenty of money extra, I could have bought a few packs, instead, it turned out that I didn't want a smoke even more than I wanted one. Wow. Yesterday, Miss never has a cigarette of her own and ask everyone else for one suddenly becomes Miss Generous, she offered me her one and only smoke. Thank God that it was a menthol or I think maybe, just maybe I would have had a more difficult time turning her down, who knows?! Regardless, as I looked at it I realized two things immediately, first, I truly didn't want to smoke, I am so tired of the very act, smell, and feeling that comes from it, second, I also realized the great love in me for cigarettes. I feel as if I have walked away from a life long friend yet one who kept me in trouble. I truly can't claim any wild urges to smoke, I haven't had them. My cravings have been extremely mild and easily managed. More than anything, I do realize that I've been bored. Fortunately, working out is easing a lot of the boredom, I'll save the work out post for later. LOL

Allen Carr's Easy Way To Stop Smoking

2009-04-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

I recently acquired this and couldn't be happier! People, I have tried everything!!! I've done hypnosis, along with a local stop smoking program, along with patches that gave me dreams of places I'd never want to visit again. heehee I successfully quit that time for a few months. The old addict attitude crept in and there I was, I can have just one, well, it's true, one does lead to many so don't fool yourself. If I could stop at one, I never would have become addicted in the first place. So, after a few months quit, my addict brain led me directly where I swore I'd never go again. I tried Chantix, ummm.....can you say expensive. No, insurance didn't pay for it. However, looking at it from the point of view of how much I'd save on smoking, it was much cheaper than the cigarettes. I never had the urge to do psychotic things while on the med, I did have very vivid dreams, and did faithfully take my med, and no, I, for whatever reason, never succeeded in stopping smoking with that method. I won't knock it, I've heard of many having success from it. Who in the world has the answer to why I didn't? Maybe I'm just a hard core addict, chew the pills like candy and chase em with a good ol smoke. Believe me, it does sound funny, but it is scary as can be. I've been putting in two packs a day for too long now, and several years ago buried a sister whom was a 5 pack a day smoker, she died from lung cancer. Recently I stumbled onto a book by Allen Carr, Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I thought "why not", tried everything else and had even considered getting tiny little needles stuck in me all at another expensive tune, surely I could afford to read this book for free, I was going to spend the time on something. In the back of my head, I was saying, this man is insane if he expects me to believe it can be easy to quit the cigarette habit. Well, I read the book, and you might like to do the same, I'd bet your local library probably even has a copy of it. No, I didn't magically just set my smokes down that day. LOL I now believe that I could have, however, fear is an ugly thing. I read the book a month ago. I have held onto my smokes like Linus does his blanket in Charlie Brown. I have been scared to death and convinced Allen Carr was the man that would finally drive me insane if I dared listen. Ummm....guess what? He didn't lie to us at all! Unreal!!! When I quit before, wearing a patch, attending smoking cessation counsiling, and listening to my hypnosis cd, believe me, I still had urges that would have knocked a full grown cow over! After this book, I have had maybe 10 urges total in three days, none of them enough to even hardly notice. Good Grief, It is beyond easy to quit once you realize the lies behind smoking, and quitting. I wish I had found this book years ago. No, I am not putting down my own effort at stopping with other methods before. Like any addict, they say we tend to fall off the wagon sometimes many times before we finally get it right, that time was important to this time quitting. I am so grateful to have it in me to get up, dust off, and climb on this horse again, knowing the potential for getting thrown. I am also grateful to have read a book that taught me so much about the lies behind smoking and quitting, that it made it so EASY to simply quit. Trust me, I know the addict in me well, the last time I quit and started again showed all the ugly of that junkie!!! If nothing else, that quit time showed me her in my failure, and I wouldn't be able to recognize nor respect her otherwise. I know she has the potential to kill me if given one moment to follow her own will, never have I so personally known anyone so self destructive. She will say anything to get what she wants, than roll over me like a train to keep getting it. She will take everything I own or desire to own, she will literally kill me for that fix. She is Me, a junkie, always in search of that drug she felt she Needed, and always miserable that it was never enough. I think back to a 14 year old girl buying packs of cigarettes out of the vending machine at the laundry a few blocks from school. The girl who had to force herself to learn how to smoke, really didn't like the smell, choking on it all the while. I look at a Government today that taxes it, all in the name of putting it toward wonderful children programs. Ummmm.....why don't we get real?!?!?! Childrens programs, how about you step up and help the childrens parents get off the very drug you helped to Legally push in their faces, why don't you put that money into stop smoking programs....PERIOD! So our children never smoke, and their children don't! Why do you want to keep telling the lies? Come on folks, we all better wake up, our own government plays as dirty with us when it comes to tobacco as the very dealer in the streets does addicts with other dope! We have a crisis but unfortunately we are treating the symptom, not the problem!!! You told me to quit smoking in restaurants because I don't have the right to kill you with it, yet did you tell the government to pull their very hands and help out of this drug deal. If it is killing you, it is killing me, and my children, I am one of zillions of smokers. Hello...knock.knock. I'm not asking for a miracle, ok, I am asking for a miracle. I am asking our government, and the tobbacco companies to quit with the lies, stop making Your deadly weed look so wonderful. You didn't reel a 40 year old woman in, you reeled a child in. Before I was old enough to understand addiction, you helped me become an addict. The 40 year old finally found a truth about it all. Your age requirements stopping children from smoking now? I don't think so. People, get real and drive by a school, a school with policemen on patrol. Watch these teens walking with their cigarettes and lie to yourselves that anything has been done to stop it all. They aren't being stopped and pressed for info where they got their drug. Let them walk down the street with a crack pipe and the police would sure wake up then! They would want the dealer, and rightfully so. But, let our own government help push their legal drugs into those same hands and we look the other way. Why aren't parents raising their children smarter, why aren't they keeping a better eye on them. Let's not go to the source of the problem and demand an answer. Yes, parents definitely have to stay alert, but there are more responsible here. My foster mom couldn't sit on me 24/7, nor can todays parents. The more answers I find, the more answers I have, the dumber I feel in the end.

Foster Parenting

2009-04-07T20:50:00.000-07:00

I've heard so many people say that foster parents are in it for the money, they are in it to steal children for themselves, etc, etc, etc. I would like to explore this further. I suppose some might be in it for the money, yet can't see them getting rich from it. As a foster parent myself, I love spending money on my children. Put a cute outfit in front of me and money is gone in a second. LOL Any given day will find even my two year olds and infants in jordans, and a nice denim outfit. Or you may find my girls in frilly little dresses, with a specific color of patent leather shoes on their feet. Never mind the fact that I do like a little jewelry to set it all off. I am even a sucker for swimming trunks with summer fast approaching. I had my eye on a spider man outfit this evening, imagining my little foster son rolling around the pool with his little round belly pushing them out. LOL Set clothes aside for a minute then you look at toys, I am a learning toy fanatic. I have two children in occupational therapy, if I find a toy that will stimulate their senses and help them learn, yes, I search for a bargain but we make sure we get it regardless. I have two in physical therapy, if we see a toy that encourages physical activity, we are after that also. Set toys aside and you have food. I love to see all my children eat well, and enjoy it. As you will find later in my blogging, many children come into care with a not so healthy attitude toward food. I love for my children to have plenty, and have options. Then you have activities, yes, we spend for activities also, even with just babies at home now. Whether it is a zoo pass, a trip to a restaurant, we get a lot of public outings. As with anything, you will encounter greed in any aspect of this world. We've heard horror stories on the news of too many children taken from parents, placed in homes, then locked up in cages and further neglected. Let me tell you a short snippet from my own stint in foster care. I ate, sometimes a lot and once in a while by personal choice not at all. I tore up more than I care to go into details about. heehee I had nice clothes, not always the name brand I wanted at times but excellent regardless. LOL I was in more activities and busier than you would ever believe. Yes, the foster home was paid some money for me each month, and believe me, it was spent wisely. You have good and bad in everything in this world, don't expect because you hear of a foster home that you've heard of the next rich family, it honestly isn't so. Now, let's talk about foster parents in it to steal children for themselves. Take a look at my first foster family: I went to them with No table manners, gagging at every meal, wetting the bed on a nightly basis, sleep walking, more lies than any adult could ever dream possible, and an attitude because they weren't "My" family. Wow, what a sweet little girl. I went to my second home with a viral infection and couldn't walk because it had attacked my ankles, my fever was spiking at alarming rates, and I can't remember being very coherent for the first couple of weeks. They had to carry a 12 yr old back and forth to the bathroom because I was Not going to use a bed pan, nope, not that far gone. LOL They had to carry me to the bath and bathe me, they had to hand feed me and clean up everything that I couldn't hold down. They had to carry me into the Dr. office. Yep, lots of work and steady lifting of a little girl that couldn't stand to hardly even be touched or looked at too hard. These people went about it with all the compassion in the world possible to show another human being. I was cared for better than a hospital could have done, and saw an old couple that cared enough about me to plow through it all and keep assuring me it would all be all right. I went to my last home screaming if someone tried so much as to touch me with even one finger. I was scared to death. I had little concept of boundaries. I followed my foster mom all day and can still remember the poor woman literally tripping over me yet never complaining. I lied, I stold, I still wanted "My Family", and I was just generally a very broken soul. Over a four year period, I never heard from my mom that gave birth to me. These people loved me, they saw me go from screaming to begging for hugs. They led me from shy and scared to death to many leadership roles in various programs through school. They showed me love and understanding, even when they had no concept in their heads exactly What they were trying to understand. In todays best of labels, I'm pretty sure I would have bordered on a RAD diagnosis, yet this family never faltered in their support for and love of me. I went from that to being an all out teenager, making plans for college, and praying to God that my life was finally coming together. Yes, they wanted to keep me. They saw many other children come and go from their home, all with their full support at the time. I can still remember the little ones being geared up that were going to family. Then, there was me, a little girl that had come so far under their care, hadn't heard from my mother in four years, and they definitely couldn't imagine living without me any longer. When they requested to adopt me, I finally got contact from my mother. My whole life changed, within six months she got me back, and within a year of that kicked me out of her home. I was running away, telling lies, and my whole world had come back to a solid state of confusion. I've been on my own since, though thankfully have received some awesome counciling through the years. Imagine, the counciling for childhood trauma and abuse did more for me than any other. Don't assume, please, that every foster parent is just trying to steal children. If someone had "stolen" me once upon a time, they may have very well paid a kings ransom to return me before their life ended in divorce and a broken home. LOL For all the children that come into my care, I pray on a daily basis that they have family to claim and love them. If ever I encounter children that do not have that, yes, I Want them forever. I see in them I suppose too much of the little girl that I was. I know all of my children have family that loves them, for whatever reason, it doesn't mean they are capable of raising them. I just want these children to know if they ever need me or a safe place, I am here. I have no desire to steal children, but I do have the capacity to fully love those that aren't considered mine by birth. Imagine for a minute if you will, spending a year or two with a child you dearly love, seeing that child grow by leaps and bounds in your care, then knowing you have to let them go. Yes, that is what fostering is about. Yet, if the foster parent didn't love that dearly, than you would have the situation of those children we hear and scream about that have been locked in cages and an untold amount of money claimed for children that weren't getting the love they so dearly needed. Imagine if you will, my foster mom. She gave me the love and security to blossom and grow, she spent sleepless nights when I was sick, she held me when I cried because I wasn't loved enough to even ever receive a letter. Yet, when it was time, she had to love me enough to let me go too, and it tore her to shreds. No, she doesn't foster anymore, quit not long after I left, what a shame. I lost my family and security when I lost them. Peace to you all, I beg of you to walk a mile in the other persons shoes before you make an assumption. On one last note, I'd like to make a statement for the parents out there also. I will state plainly that they never should have sent me to my mother, it was doomed for failure before it ever began. My mom loved me with all her being, and you can bet I always loved her, while she was still on this earth, I just lost her a little over four years ago. However, for whatever demons chased her, she was never capable of mothering me. Not when I was two years old, and not when I was a teen. Don't think for a minute that I don't feel the pain of every family of every child I ever have in my foster home. My mother left this world with grief in her heart over the lost years with my brothers and myself. Not only the years we were in care, but also the adults we became that weren't capable of having a close bond with her. It would not have mattered so dearly to her if we didn't matter. I loved my mother, and for the children that come to me now, it isn't such a far stretch to have love and compassion for their families also. Above all, I have a devotion to these children. I want to see them grow in love, strength, and knowledge. I know the very demons that drove my mother and father, I wish to God it hadn't been so. I also loved my last foster family. They held me when my mom couldn't and maybe wouldn't have, they led me in ways she was never capable. No, it didn't make her less of a person or mother, it made her who she was and made me doubly blessed. I should have been adopted, and should have still been able to see her also, so I knew who I was, where I came from, had all the love and security in the world, and she would have had me in her life also. Just as with my adopted daughter now. I love her, and will stand by her for life. Her mother loves her, and will stand by her also. I love her mother, yet can't and won't allow her destructive behaviors to spill over onto the baby. Her mother loves me, yet is beyond angry over the restrictions of visitation and not being allowed to tell Miracle what to do, basically feeling as if she isn't being allowed to mother. There is a fine line in all of these relationships that create tension, strife, and grief. I pray as each adult looks at it, they consider how confusing it can be for them, then further consider how much more confusing it is for a child who has barely began to explore the world. I can honestly tell you that I don't know how I survived to even make it into foster care at nine years old, must have definitely been a guardian angel. My mom didn't neglect me because she got her kicks out of that. She did what she knew to do, but it wasn't enough to keep me safe. I refuse, because of what I learned through her, to label any parent as Bad. She was lost and never capable. Keep in mind though, for all the children you serve, she still meant the world to me. For all I know now, and all the counciling, I can still tell you, from the bottom of my heart, I love my mom.

"The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog"

2009-04-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

The title above is the title of a book that really set my thought process running full steam. It gives you different cases of childhood trauma, abuse, and neglect. It walks you through the make up of the brain and what each part controls. It discusses memory and the impact of all this on the very basic development of the brain, from infants to older children. Basically, it really gives you a lot to think about, and I walked away with more questions, wishing we knew more about the human mind and how it works. If you are involved with fostered children in any aspect, know an abused child, than this may be one of the best books you will ever read. Never doubt the human mind, and all the changes it can and does go through to preserve the person.

Foster Care

2009-04-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am going to begin blogging more about foster care, both from the perspective of a child being in care and away from their family, and the perspective as a foster parent, as I have experience in both. I hope that everyone will keep in mind, what I state isn't solid law, it is only my own opinion. If you throw out everything I ever say, my hope is you will find some little morsel in it all to feed you and possibly help you on your own journey through life. Whichever side of the coin you come from, whether a foster child, a foster parent, a social worker, or a parent, my prayer be that God bless and guide your path to happiness and contentment. As this is a journey that we all take, even when we feel that we have no hand in the life of a child, you may be shocked to know what an important role you do have.

Happy Birthday Miracle!!!

2009-04-02T11:42:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuu, happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuu, happy birthday sweet Miracle, happy birthday to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I love you Miss Independent, you are my world. Will get so many pics up on here at the end of your big day, let's see how far you've come in a year little lady!

Malaika

2009-02-28T11:43:00.001-08:00

My very beautiful little Granddaughter! Miss Malaika, what could I say about you? I would first have to speak of your loving ways and tenderness. You can't get enough of trying to kiss Miracle, and you never quite understand her cranky nor exploring spirit, yet you just want to kiss it all out of her that much more. You show the tenderness of your Mother, and the thoughtfulness of your Daddy. Those qualities I love so dearly in each of them, you have in such abundance in your little self. I can't wait through the years to hear everything you will have to say, because I know even now you are reaching and striving to understand everything in this world on the level of an old soul that has already done this before but didn't get all your answers then either. I love you so much. Everytime I so much as look at or touch you, my heart spills over. Sweet, sweet baby.

Moving Ahead Full Steam

2009-02-28T11:12:00.001-08:00

As you can see, Miss Miracle has the ever present sauce on her face. Have I mentioned lately how rewarding and challenging it is to know, love, and live with this little lady? She has been doing beyond awesome in her occupational therapy. As a matter of fact, we are going to start working with her in public settings and I expect it won't be long before her therapist just can't find a good enough reason to keep coming and seeing her. She has been working so very hard, and I can't help but be proud of her. Her speech is moving right along, and her sensory issues are becoming so much less an obstacle for her and myself. I absolutely love and thrive on watching her grow into such an independent little personality. Lately, if she lets me help her with anything it is strictly on a help basis, she just knows that she has all the answers now that she found a few. LOL She got her little butterfly leg braces and she is in love with them. Now, she seems to have bionic legs, she is climbing on everything, and no longer accepts any help on stairs. I'm so glad to know that rather than seeing them as strange and something she resents, she has embraced them as just the boost she needed. Fortunately, we know that she has stretchy tendons in her feet, in time as her muscles develop more fully, they aren't as flexible and she will no longer need the braces. Til then, Bionic Leg Betty will set out to conquer the world with butterflies swirling around her heels. LOL No kidding, she has become so solid and sure of herself, she loves fighting with little boys now and wins too often. As an older mother, I find myself enjoying this child beyond words, celebrate each new milestone, yet mourn each passing phase that will never be lived nor seen again. I know that as she grows, I cheer her with each step. I literally stand in this childs shadow, ever watching in admiration, gently guiding, and praying for the woman she will become. I already strive daily to teach her compassion, strength, gentleness, love, sweetness, and to project her voice with firmness yet warmth. What an awesome responsibility, yet wonderful and abundant blessing. Miracle, everything I ever need to see, I can easily see as long as I only slow down and look through your eyes. You came into this world perfect as God meant you to be, all good, a perfect love, no fear, no bad. May I be strong enough to always strive simply for what you came into being as, a perfect love. May God guide me to continually reach for my own inner child, to believe in all the magic that is abundant in any childs world. Teach you to reach high and know the world is yours, yet temper your pride with a humbleness that compels you to pull others higher right along with yourself. As a woman, may you know your own beauty and lovingly embrace the beauty found in all others. May you speak strongly with knowledge, yet temper it with kindness and wisdom beyond your years. May you stand strong knowing who you are and have become, yet always look back where you came from, so you may see others needs, and know your gift is only yours as long as you continually give it to others. You are everything wonderful in this world. I'm so blessed to know you, and a million life times will never be enough to give you every gift I have for you. Thank you for being you, and thank God for making you. I love you and I DO believe in magic and Miracles, for that is what You are!

Love Note

2009-02-27T20:13:00.001-08:00

This was my first project for the challenge over at Bitten by the Bug. It is all cut on my cricut expressions machine. The heart is George, I don't believe I even have to mention how much I love that heart. The contest was to make a project with a heart of the non traditional red. Sooo... I stepped outside my comfort zone and went with a bright orange on this one. It was also my first project with my bind it all. The vines are from the PDDU cart, I love everything on this cart. Good luck to all the participants in this contest, I've seen so much beautiful work. Check out Reginas Bitten by the Bug Blog when you get the chance, I couldn't find enough time in any given day to look through everything there for inspiration, what a wonderful team of talented designers. I hope to be near as good as them some day.

Vinyl Picture Wall

2009-02-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Please excuse two facts here. One being the blacked out picture on the framing, and second being a big missing picture to the right of it. With doing foster care, I'm unfortunately not allowed to show pics of these beautiful faces, so they had to be omitted. I did the lettering for this project in SCAL, and the hearts are from George. All done on my Cricut. I saw this saying on the web, and immediately wanted to use it for all my babies pics. This project was in my mind a good one to post to the latest challenge at Bitten by the Bug Contest. Even if I don't win, I certainly had fun with it all, and my own heart was completely into this project. Good luck to everyone who entered! BTW, the little beauty peeping from the bottom center is my Granddaughter, Malaika, I'll have to get some pics of her up on here. She has the longest eye lashes, and all the sweet spirit of my oldest daughter, her Mommy. She looks very much like her Daddy. She is always following my little girl around and trying to give her kisses. I don't know a sweeter soul on this planet.

Weight Loss

2009-01-09T09:55:00.001-08:00

A forum for all of us to come to for weight loss support. Whether you need to lose 1 or 100 lbs., this is going to be fun for everyone! We are running 12 week programs, Grand Prize to the biggest loser, drawings for 2 other prizes from those who lose, and those who maintain. Everyone is welcome to join in, first weigh in this coming Monday. HERE

Sensory Integration Disorder

2009-01-02T23:16:00.000-08:00

Raising a child that falls into any category of this can be beyond interesting. The looks we get in public can only be imagined. LOL I have to keep a sense of humor, but quite honestly find it beyond humorous too many times. What a beautiful little girl I have in my life, she is just as precious in person, maybe even more so. You see people that look better in pics? Miracle is true to life in pics, and even more beautiful up close. I don't just say this as her mother, many people notice and fall in love on sight. I have seen adults walk into a room where she is at and stop in their tracks in amazement, just staring at her. First, this makes me laugh, I do know she is very beautiful but I live with her constantly, so maybe I'm a little more immune. She is also very outspoken and just embraces life, on a very large scale. You ever encounter a little person that can walk into a room and just fill it with their presence? That would be Miracle. Now, add sensory integration disorder to it and the fun really begins. I will be more specific about her part of the disorder, as it can come in different forms. Miracle barely (if you can call it barely) tolerates movement, touch, sounds, or change. Sounds simple enough. But, let's break it down further with simple examples of each. Movement: likes to run away from the car screaming in a shrill voice cause she doesn't like that movement, ever had a infant that wouldn't let you rock them? Ever seen a child that would rather lay as close as they can to the floor while playing and exploring their world, even walking can be irritating to them. Touch: any touch has to be very firm, soft touch will set off a frenzy. The touch also needs to come from someone she has known for some time, notice she doesn't like change either. To keep it really simple, I am mom, known her forever, with her all day everyday, I can get brave cause we have a day that she is seeming to cooperate with everything we do, go to touch her on her arm, she puts a hand out and says "Uh-Uh", a definite stop and I know to avoid that tantrum when possible. Sounds: the firmer and louder, the happier she is. A soft voice sets her off in total tantrums. GRRRR Change: We aren't even talking about major things as in moving to a new house or sleeping over at a friends, it's the simple things that get us. Try a grocery store line being too long so you decide to move to the shorter one, Somebody can become very irate over that. Big No-No, you even have to plan that ahead and know where you want to be. LOL Introduce a new toy in the middle of a play session to most children and you get wide eyed eager wonder, do it to this baby and you have started the next world war! LOL Now imagine this child in public, cute as can be, very alert, and drawing every eye to her. She has literally scolded adults for looking at her too long or hard, speaking to her (in a soft tone), and if they make the mistake of trying to touch her you can bet they draw back like they have been attacked. LOL Now imagine her with her physical therapist, whose job it is to touch her, get her to move, and bring a lot of changes to her world. This being a therapist she has only known for a few weeks. Then imagine how hard the occupational therapist who has finally established a loving working relationship laughs at just the thought of the physical therapy sessions. Keeping in mind that the poor physical therapist isn't used to working with any children with sensory issues. Fortunately, I believe this therapist is embracing it all with open arms for the learning experience behind it all. She is learning all about sensory disorder from Miracle, and I make sure to throw in a healthy dose of craft learning while she is here also. Easy enough to do when you have a tantruming toddler whom you have to ignore while she is rolling, kicking, screaming, grunting and generally covering a ten mile radius of the floor because she has been nicely asked to step over an obstacle on the floor. Heaven forbid you ask her to squat then stand up, believe me, rather than present it as something she needs to do, you are much better off making it a part of play. Add to it all, she will be two in the first week of April so we face the terrible two's, what fun. LOL Through her, I have learned to embrace and generally love so many qualities in so many people. I love the fact that the general public has the sense to know to back up from such an excitable little person. I just wish they understood that when I grab her firmly around the wrist, tell her "it's okay", and walk with her screaming as if nothing is happening.....No, I am not dragging my child, I am simply her firm force and foundation during the million times a day that her world spins out of control. LOL I love everything her occupational therapist has brought to our home and lives. After 3 months of hard work, I have a child at 21 months that I finally got to rock to sleep tonight. For the past two weeks, she can't get enough hands on holding and can't get or give enough kisses. No matter that she has to initiate most of it, it only matters that it is finally happening! LOL I love the determination of the physical therapist to work according to Mira's needs, and find a way to make it all happen. The sense and heart that she shows in knowing we all don't fit one mold, or even a million, one person comes along and changes everything about the way we thought or ever did anything. LOL I love Miracle, simply for who she is and as she is. She is working hard too, I personally can't even begin to imagine the work it took her to begin to touch and kiss, and truly enjoy it, and I was here to see the work being done. We made a trip to the grocery store yesterday, one of our better outings. I kept it short and simple. She did so wonderful in the store, only yelled out once when I first sat her in the cart(remember movement issues...hehe). We made it all the way through to the check out line without another peep out of her in irritation. While waiting in the line, an old couple kept staring at her and she kept staring right back, then the man says"Well, hello you beautiful little lady". Oops, someone stop the train. LOL After she told him off in baby language, they moved to the next line over. heehee So Not the way to make friends my baby. Fortunately, the next to step up in line happened to be our neighbor and keeping in mind that he does know her, she immediately gave him a challenging look, and he stated very loudly and firmly"I'm not even trying to talk to you". She was content then all the way to the car. LMBO So, if anyone reading this is addressing some, many, or maybe even all of these challenges with your child, know you aren't alone and play therapy really does work wonders. If someone is reading this and has only ever seen a child fall out in the floor at the grocery store with a really tired looking Mom who has a mean look, talks too loud, and seems way too stern with the child, you may think back to this article. Think outside the box on this one. Yes, I am tired. Yes, I do look mean, I am loud, and I do talk way too stern. Inside, I know if I go with a soft touch, a soft voice, the roof is going to come down before we are through if I don't help her find some form of emotional grounding again, her style. LOL As tired as I am, it would be so nice to not use the last of my energy projecting myself through my voice. Did I mention the occupational therapist also gets a good laugh just thinking of the outings families have with the children she works with? Because she, myself, these children, and their families know that a public outing is one of the greatest risk factors to a total meltdown. We all know what these children need, the general public is just at a loss, and you wouldn't believe the looks and/or remarks we sometimes get. Miracle, I love you so much, you are precious, beautiful, sweet, loving, smart, and everything wonderful in this world. Thank you so much for the million kisses these past couple of weeks, and thank you for just being you. You are so unique, and I know beyond a doubt that you have much to teach this world. Just Preach Baby, cause you know you can.

Candy Cane Holder

2008-12-18T15:58:00.001-08:00

How about this little guy as a candy cane holder? All you have to do is cut around the solid line around the outside of his mittens, tape him down to a package, and you're all set. Enjoy. Get him HERE.

Christmas Freebie

2008-12-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

Time to come out of lurking and crafting to get a freebie up here. Made this little guy in hopes that someone may be able to put him to good use. It is a psd file and easily opened in your graphics programs. You can get him by clicking HERE.

A Blog Award Already!

2008-11-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was blessed with this wonderful award from my friend Kat! The rules are to name seven things that I love, and to pass this on to seven creative people that I know. Don't you just love the internet??? So, here goes, seven things that I love most: I love the Lord, my children, my grandchildren, my foster children and their families, all my wonderful friends, my cricut, and graphics. LOL The seven creative ladies that I will pass this on to, and owe a world of gratitude toward also, for all their inspiration are:
Carmen
Linda
Okie
Susan
Mel
Terrie
Denise
Thanks to all you wonderful ladies for everything you create, share, and care about!

Snowflake Cut Files

2008-11-13T22:14:00.001-08:00

Ok, first one for the board. This is in Plantin only for now, sorry. You can get the .cut file HERE for it. I already cut it out to be sure it would work fine for everyone, it did just super!

Matchbooks .cut File

2008-11-03T07:34:00.001-08:00

Someone on the cricut board asked for a .cut file so she can cut matchbooks out on her cricut. This is done all in Plantin Schoolbook. You will find 3 pages in the file, the first that is for scoring and says DoNotCut, the second for cutting, the third, which is just my cut name and you won't use it on the project, it is there so you remember who did it. Easy enough to do it. I put the paper on my mat and loaded it, I just put a dull blade in upside down and hit cut, it scores the paper. Then, do Not unload the mat or bother with it at all, change to your regular blade, click the second page of the file, hit cut again and it will cut your matchbook out. Here's the link for the Plantin Schoolbook download.
As requested on the board, here's the link for the George download.
As requested on the board, here's the link for the George baby bug download.

Distressed Rest

2008-11-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

Card set that I just finished up, in hopes of someone falling in love and offering up a pay it forward to another! I had a blast creating this. The cardstock is just beyond belief, quality isn't the word. I distressed it, and added distress inks.

A couple of close up shots to show more detail. I can't quite capture it though. GRRRRR

And here you have the finished product, each card in its own matching envelope. I think the envelope showed better detail of the distressing. I'm going to have to get on my Christmas cards if this set takes off well.

Physical Therapy

2008-10-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

While having another baby evaluated for physical therapy today, my baby came walking into the room and I knew it wasn't good how they looked at her then immediately at each other. Seems something is wrong with her legs, I don't know what it is yet, so for now it is fear of the unknown. I knew she wasn't walking right, her feet point out, and her knees are coming inward to each other. They said over time this will take her knees and possibly her hips out without correction. So, I made the call to get her officially evaluated and get on this. Just saying a prayer of thankfulness that we are catching everything early, and praying too that she be led with strength through whatever challenges she faces. For somebody not walking right, she has managed to put her treads all over my heart! I love you Miss Mira, I'll always be right here when you need held, when you need love, when you maybe need someone to shout it out with you, and when you need a push to succeed at all you do.

My Baby

2008-10-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

My baby took a ride without me for the first time about 3 weeks ago. This was her looking up at me standing on the balcony. She really couldn't quite grasp why I wasn't going to be with her. LOL I am just as bad over her, fortunately she only spent about 20 minutes away from me, and when I walked into the pizza place, she clapped and laughed like the party was really starting. heehee Below was the look she gave my friends once she had a little while to process that wherever they were taking her, it was somewhere away from me. Her expression says it was a good thing she wasn't bigger. LOL

This next is just her at home with her sippy, tired as can be. Please excuse the sauce on her face, she is a sauce fanatic. If I am in the kitchen cooking, or even cleaning for that matter, you can bet she will be posted up in her high chair so we can talk and she can nose into what I'm working on. My best friend......

2008-10-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

Time to update and bring something new to the table. Halloween is right on us and I finally had a brainstorm! LOL I have 3 babies in the house under 2 years old, so I Stay short of time!!! I wanted something that would work up quick, but be cute. I prowled my local WalMart this evening for candy and finally settled for small individual packs of candy corn. The next question became, how to wrap them? Box? Nope, too much work for such a little pack of candy. heehee I thought it would be nice if I could just decorate some paper a little and wrap it around them. Duh!?!? That's exactly what I did, match book style. The .psd is here , so you add your graphics, just use this as a template and cut from it, decorate, however you choose to do your magic! I have stamped some with some wonderful stamps given to me in a trick or treat swap on the cricut board, I have added wonderful freebie graphics from other fine ladies. It was so simple...I added my graphics, scored, put the baggy in Then stapled my bottom flap(keeps the candy from falling out), then folded it in as a match book. I am off to bed now, will add pics later after the babies have had some time to work me over and admire these little treats!

New Calendar

2008-10-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

A lady on the PC messageboard asked for this, wanted to share with everyone. This is set up to fit a 8.5x11 paper, print it out, cut twice, and taaadaaa, you've got 4 months of calendars ready to be put together under your own pics or graphics. Have fun, please leave me some love in the comments and show us what you did with it! These are in 3 parts and the file version is pdf. You can get them here , here , and here .

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-12T19:28:00.001-07:00

I also love digital scrapbooking. I love creating my own and I love to see the fine work of others, such as above. Everything used above you can find here . I will update my list on the right as I go, keep checking back because you can bet you will find some wonderful blogs.

Design Studio

2008-10-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, you can only cut from this with the carts you already own. You can't create in Photoshop nor other programs and import them into here, you can't import other fonts.
If you download a .cut file, you need the carts that were used to design it in order to cut it out. If you get it into design studio and still don't know what carts were used, just left click a line of the design to highlite it, then right click and left click on show cartridge. It will help you to better see what I am trying to explain by clicking on the pic below to enlarge it.

I do this over the pieces and then have no guesswork on if I have the right cart or not, before I ever begin cutting. However, with only two carts and my own wild imagination, I am really becoming impressed with what I am coming up with on this. If you look to my links on the right of this page, you will find the cricut messageboards, then along with myself, you will likely be inspired by what you see others designing. I have truly never seen such a talented group of individuals in my entire life!
Now, onto one of my newest fascinations with the program. When I first began working with it, I would make a design and know I had every square inch in the middle covered so only the outside of my design would be cut. Right? Wrong! Once in a while, I would get beyond frustrated when I would hit my preview button in all excitement of a wonderful piece, just to find a hole in the middle showing to be cut, one that I knew I had covered so it wouldn't exist. Trust me, if it ever happens to you, you will know it is happening. If every piece you have put together you have also clicked weld on, and...you didn't leave a gaping hole in the middle, welcome to my occasional used to be world. I didn't know what to call it other than aggravating! Now that I've found help through another blog, I am furthering my love relationship with design studio. heehee You can read here about burping your piece, and now I have another name for what was happening.

Autumn

2008-10-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Newest card. Don't ask me what the spots in the pic are, they aren't on the card...hmmm.
I made this from Plantin SchoolBook and Stretch Your Imagination, the only two carts that I own for now. For now being the key words...first chance I get there will be more carts added. LOL First things first, in the matter of a week, I've had two vehicles go down, unfortunately, priorities say that they had to have repairs before my expression and myself got another cart to chew on and work over. If and when I find where I got this scalloped edge card cut from, I will update and post a link to the original site for you. Just got a different computer going and my links aren't what they were. This was my first go at chipboard (leaves and title) and it couldn't have been simpler, thanks to the wonderful instructions posted here by Sarah, many thanks to her! I cut the chipboard first, cut my paper right side up, then cut with a sheet facing down, put all together, and you have this wonderful chipboard creation that you didn't know the day before you even had such creativity lurking in you. I even have more beautiful chipboard pieces laying around that I have finished, those will come in the days ahead, some with .cut files. Granted, I only have two carts but I do have design studio and am loving the freedom I am finding with it!

Baby Boy Blue

2008-10-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Baby Card .cut File

Made only with Plantin SchoolBook

This card is my first .cut file and also my first card made on my expression. I didn't make a file for the purse or any attachments on them, they come from the PS cart. My oldest Daughter has a baby shower to attend. She told me to pay close attention while watching the instruction video that came with my expression, so here you have my level of concentration. LOL

3x3 calendar .psd file

2008-10-10T18:45:00.001-07:00

2009 Calendar .psd

I created this in PaintShopPro, you should have no trouble with it in your graphics program. You won't get all of the background graphics with it. It is simply the calendar template, blank background, you add your own graphics. OK...Please excuse the heading on my calendar. My BF is a truck driver and I made this for sticking onto his dash. Well, he likes reading really big things about himself. teehee I put some graphics on mine that I got over at Pccrafter(you can find the link in my links on the right) I printed it all out, stapled together, glued to the backing after I ran that through my xyron. There you have it, no more searching high and low for the little sticky calendars every year. Please, comment and share a link so I can see what you've done with it!

Miracle

2008-10-10T17:53:00.000-07:00

What I know about you already and what I love dearly:
1. You really notice and appreciate the little things in life......
You are fascinated when fall leaves crunch under your feet.
You love to pick up bugs and turn them over, on an endless search for a belly button.
You love babies, are quick to say hi, and stop in your tracks when they cry.
2. You are a crafter at heart......
You are crazy about the zany pumpkin on the SYI Cricut cart.
You are in love with simply holding and gazing at my glue pen.
You immediately notice any new finished project, showing wide eyes of wonder.
3. You already know that you don't have to conform to anything......
You love to drop your head and stick your neck out with a funny little expression, silly girl!
You love to step high and funny sometimes, just because you can.
You don't mind twirling your finger in your belly button in a crowd of people.
4. Above all, you are such a wonderful blessing to me. When I didn't know how I'd ever start being a Mom all over again, you showed me that I could while now making me question how I ever couldn't be a Mom to You! You teach me to slow down and enjoy this wonder called life and the world with you. I know that I love you, unconditionally and forever. I feel as if I have known you a lifetime and a million more would never be enough. I'm so blessed to have been able to adopt you, to love you forever, to teach you and be taught by you, I'm simply blessed to know you and hear the word Momma off your sweet little lips.