This Little Light of Mine

Scheduling?

Ah, the beauty of a schedule.  I never knew how comforting it could be!  I think I finally had it down to an art last week.  We had a school schedule (for my homeschooled and regular brick and mortar kiddos) that we followed, a dinner plan we followed, a work schedule I sort of followed (the thing about working from home is it's always THERE so you can actually work more hours than you should if you don't keep track of it), and a special time/creative time plan I sort of followed (hey, Rome wasn't built in a day).  It's important to me to do something creative with them each day.  I don't mean sew a whole quilt, but just something that uses their hands and nourishes their creativity.  I'm also trying to spend quality ALONE time with each child doing what they enjoy.  For Campbell, it's knitting together or maybe a trip to Bath & Body (cringe).  She's obsessed with those little anti-bacterial gels (cringe again).  For Sawyer, it's playing a board game or cards.  For Henry, it's reading him story after story.  I'm finding that this is so important for each of them, and will come even more important in the new year with our new little one arrives (we picked out a name....secret for now!).

So, in the midst of my schedule bliss one evening as I began to cook dinner (it was my night--no more "what are we going to do for dinner?" at 6:45), I doubled over in pain and thought I was in VERY early labor.  I kept thinking it would ease off, but after about 45 minutes, being drenched in sweat and thinking I was miscarrying, my very sweet neighbor took me to the ER.  And it turns out, I have giant gall stones that are getting stuck in the duct.  Nice. 

I am so very thankful our little girl is okay.  Although she was such a surprise, now I can't imagine her not being here.  We're trying to decide the best course of action, and I'm still not sure what that will be.  I can try to control it with diet (they recommended vegetarian, low fat), but I'm anemic (revealed after bloodwork) so that explains why I've been craving hamburgers (that I now can't eat).  And I had another attack two days later.  We'll see if the diet can control it.  I can have surgery, but it must be before I'm 30 weeks.  And it just scares the heck out of me to have surgery while pregnant.  However, if I get past 30 weeks, and the attacks get really bad, well...that's problematic too.  So, I'm leaving it up to my midwife (I have her cell and was able to just call her right up....beautiful....no having to call an office or an answering service) and the specialist.  There....I'm not in control.

So, sweet schedule....I'm hoping to find you again this week.  You make me happy.  Oh, and red meat, well...I guess I'll see you around....I'm off to eat some celery and beets (these are good for your gall bladder).  Fun.

Blueberry Love and Doobies? (not what you think)

Blueberry love.  Or lack thereof.  I took the kiddos to a dear friend's farm to pick wild blueberries last week.  Now, maybe I should have seen this coming.  It IS awfully darn hot right now.  Especially in South Georgia.  So, maybe I set myself up for this one.  I have a tendency to do that.  They lasted about 7 minutes.  They were so excited at first, but very quickly, they were begging to get in the truck and for me to turn the AC on 5 (as high as it will go). 

Although Henry dropped his bowl of berries and headed for the the coolness of his car seat,  we managed to pick enough to make a blueberry "doobie."  Now, don't get the wrong idea.  I have no idea if this is a Southern way of saying cobbler (although I guess I thought cobbler sounded pretty Southern), but my family calls them "doobies."  I will never forget a night years ago when my sister had a new boyfriend to dinner.  After we had cleaned our plates, I remember my Dad saying "now let's have a doobie." Millie's boyfriend's eyes got wide, like he wasn't quite sure what kind of family he had the pleasure of meeting that night.  His fears (or hopes) were dashed, when Mom pulled out a peach doobie.....er, um, cobbler.

Here is the recipe:

1 cup of self rising flour

1 cup of evaporated canned milk

1 stick of melted butter

1 cup of sugar

5 cups of fruit

Mix dry ingredients, then add melted butter and milk.  Mix and dump fruit on top.  Cook at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes (until golden brown and bubbly). 

 
 

Things That Make Me Smile

1)  My kiddos loving the ocean.  

 
2)  Getting on a schedule.  I'm not a schedule person, but it feels good to get my time organized.  It's not something that really comes naturally to me.  I've realized that it is an absolute necessity for my family and myself.

3)  Watching my girl knit.  She learned this summer (first with the "knitting Nancy" and now she's making this scarf).  I love this supply list she made for the yarn store. 
4)  Planning all the baby things I need (correction...want) to make.  I mean, how many fuzzy hats do you need in South Georgia?  Journal by Nikki McClure-my favorite artist.

 
 
 
5)  By the way, it's a girl!  So, we're even now.  Two boys, two girls.  The Adams Family is having fun tossing around names.  I would tell you our favorites, but you'd probably giggle and say they all sound like "Little House on the Prairie" names.

6)  Treasures from our summer adventures....

 
6)  My knitting bag.  Also by Nikki McClure.  The title of the mushroom print (you can get a print, notebook, bag, etc.) is "Mother."  You know, like the baby mushroom under the mama mushroom.  Fitting, huh?