I'm Moving!

Hey folks, if you haven't already noticed that my page takes a while to get to you, and that a few different backgrounds will appear, .....

                                             well,.. that's what's happened.

In my Oh-so-smartness, I somehow played with ,and permanently changed, my blog HTML. So now I can't fiddle with the design. (I'm brilliant I tell ya)

Soooo, please join me over at 

                    gluestixandducktape.blogspot.com


I won't be posting anymore on this site. I might, one day, figure out how to move this blog over to the new one,.. but for now, could ya follow me on the new one? Please?

Take care,
Heidi

A Bedtime Story For Caleb

Sometimes us Mommies aren't the best people to be around. Sometimes we get cranky and have bad days. Sometimes Mommies need some time to be by themselves and have quiet time. Sometimes.


I was having a day like this about a year ago. Here in my house we have FOUR boys! Do you ever get loud and want to wrestle and yell and jump around and run with blankets for capes and pillows for weapons? My boys sure do! My oldest boy is 15 and he simply loves getting his brothers to run around and scream and wrestle.


"Enough!" I said in my not-so-nice-voice. I was tired. I was cranky. I was also trying desperately to get my house in order for company. Then I had my big-fat-brilliant-idea!
"You boys can tear up your own room all you want. I'm shutting the door. Have fun! Tear it up! Throw your mattresses! (They do that too, on occasion) Just stay in here and let me have some peace!"

Now Caleb, dear, let me tell you- I was one grumpy Mum that day and was oh-so-delighted to shut that bedroom door and leave the 3 oldest ,loudest boys to themselves. Can I tell you something else? Shhhhhh- it's a secret- I was a silly Mum for that silly idea!


Back to my story:
So the pillows begin to fly at once. Things are hitting the closed door and I can only guess as to what they might be.
*THUD!*
"Must be a stuffed tiger"
*THWACK!*
"Hmmm, a shoe?"
*KAPOW!*
"Definitely a body part there"
And on the noises went. Squeals of laughter, giggles, and running feet. Furniture skareeeeeeched across my wooden floors.
All was fine and noisy for about 10-15 minutes. Then.   Silence. 


Silence.


 Now, at this point I figured that either they had all died in some sort of wrestling move, or maybe they were having a spontaneous nap time. Either way though, Dear Claeb, this Mum had to find out what in the world was going on behind that door.


So I stroll across my bedroom, into the hall, across the hall, place my hand on the knob, and .... nothing.


They'd locked it from the inside.


Those little stinkers (Well, one of them is a big stinker cos he's taller than me) were up to no good and I knew it! I knocked on the door and heard the panick set in othe the other side.
"Shhhh! Quick! Quick! She's gonna open the door! Hurry!"
(You see, doors aren't allowed to be locked in Jungle Man's House.)


I quick-as-a-flash grabbed the key from my room and ran for the door. Key in the lock.
*CLICK*
I swung open the door and became aware of many things at once.


#1. Nolan (He's the little stinker who peed on the foot ball your mum told you about) Well Nolan was sitting quiet as fish, just reading a book on his bed. (He likes to read)
#2. There was NO WAY I was gonna let Noah (he's the big stinker) see me laugh at this
#3 There was NO WAY that rope was long enough
#4 Big Stinker had better haul his brother George in from that window right away!!


So we have a new rule at our home, if you should ever visit:


No repelling out of windows!




~Good night Mr. Caleb


Heidi

~Sock Knitting Porn~

Because you have asked, I recently got some of my favourite socks together for an afternoon of fun. One of my most favourite pair aren't here, these can be seen gracing the feet of a friend in Australia. But I digress.. we were talking SOCKS- my favourite thing to knit in all the world.....


Socks begin as yarn that goes from this:

To this, my self entitled "Bluejean Socks":

Or how about this yarn:

This yarn confection turned into this sock sensation:

Then there are my first pair of socks. The yarn  has aloe worked into the wool. It is dyed in such a way as to make me appear much more talented than I am...

And finally, I give you Poem Sock Yarn. It was with this yarn that I truly fell in love with those little needles making  row upon row of tiny stitches...

So now, dear reader, you might better understand my motto:

"Walk softly, but wear loud socks."

~Heidi

For This I am Thankful

"For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security. "
Thomas Jefferson

This morning my 4 and 6 year old sons rose quietly from their beds. Without fear, they crept down the stairs and opened the door to the back yard. With biscuits in hand, the two brothers sat side by side in the grass, eating quietly while observing a beetle slowly progressing across the lawn.

This afternoon my husband is packing his family and driving into the country. We will drive, without fear of molestation, down to a lake. Here we will spend the afternoon in quiet enjoyment of what we hold dear. Yes, there will be roasting of hotdogs, we will attempt to catch some fish, there might be some swimming, and there will be lots of target practice with our pistols.

My oldest son plans on spending time running through the forest. He will do so because it is a freedom which he enjoys. There in the woods, he will not run across anything or anyone to hinder him. He will be safe from harm.


On this Memorial Day my family is enjoying sweet, beautiful Freedom. Freedom that was given to us by our forefathers. We will rest in the quiet of the day only because there were brave men and women who stood their ground and bought my children's freedom with their lives.

~Heidi

DIY Slab Door in 6 Easy Steps

First, some 'before' shots. This door is original to the house (cir. 1940's) I like the three panes of glass as it's a theme used in every window of the house.

 But this door was very old, and blocked a ton of light while letting in a ton of weather. (Both of these were taken without a flash to let you get  an idea of the light.)   

 This door had seen better days and known some small dogs with fierce claws. Our dog has given it the white scratches...

But the worst scratches were near the bottom...

 So, when I saw a slab door (so called because it comes sans frame) at a yard sale for only $10, I just knew I'd met my new kitchen door! So off with the old....

And so begins my first major DIY Home Project!

#1:

                    

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5

#6

 the final step with any home improvement project in my house.... get Jungle Man to redo all of it on his day off.

~Heidi

~Wednesday Whinge~

So Jungle Man came home, saw me on the computer, and asked me if I was blogging.
"Umm, no." *sheepish grin*
"Well, I'm certain that there are some disappointed people in the world." (The  man loves me, what can I say?)


So here I sit, writing to all my hordes and gobs of fans.=-p
.....And I'm all typed out.

But I miss blogging. I have so much crammed in my head and it's so great to just get it out. It's not all that important, it just needs to escape me brain. So, for toinght, I'll just leave you with this..

On the other hand.... you have fingers.

~Heidi

~Take THAT Robert Frost!~

My neighbours are home and this makes me happy.


Quite a sentence, that.
If you would have pulled me aside 3 years ago and told me that not only would I have neighbours &  have them as friends, but also miss them when they leave for a trip, I would have asked you what you were smoking.


I was raised in the country.   Waaaaaay out.    I never had a blind on any windows until 3 years ago. I never knew the use of them.


I did have neighbours as a child. Our property butted up to theirs on all sides. Maybe once, every few years, we'd have them knock on our door. But we couldn't even see the lights of their homes on a dark night.


So neighbours have been foreign creatures to me.   And then we moved here.   Now, Winchester is by NO MEANS a big city.  (And I've never made it a secret that we don't like this town at all) To us, Winchester seems to be a vortex, a black hole, that sucks up all light,   life, and anyone trying to leave. The faster you try to escape, the faster it sucks you back in.


Just the nature of the beast.


So when we moved here 3 years ago, it was just a means to an end. We found this home for waaaay under value ($120k under) and we were going to flip it and move out as soon as possible. We never dreamed that we STAY here. Just not possible.


The first week here, I looked out into the back yard and noticed that there was a little girl next door playing with her Dad. My very next thought was " What if they say hi??"  I had a minor anxiety attack right there in my kitchen.


Over the next few weeks, these neighbours introduced themselves. A very nice couple, and they kept saying "hi" to me! What's up with that?!? What am I supposed to do?? So I called another friend, on one of these bizarre occasions.

ME:  "She just said Hi to me again!! What do I do? "
Friend: "Um, Heidi, you need to say Hi back."
ME: "She comes out and smiles at me! What does she want???"
Friend: "Maybe she just wants to be nice. You need to smile and be friendly."

(Just to let you know, this conversation actually took place, it's not a joke by any means, and I really was quite freaked out by these friendly folk next door)

It took a few weeks more before I had the courage to talk to them. Oh, she knits, how nice. (This was before I was privy to the knitters secret creed which states, "All non-knitters will be assimilated. Resistance is futile") 

Then she invited me to knit. And to her house. And she kept coming over. She made me dinner. She took care of me during a dangerous pregnancy. She smiled (She's freaky I tell you!!!) She treated me as if she liked me, and I was her friend. She introduced me to other strange persons who like me for me.

These people never asked me what church I attended. Never were the questions posed to which I had become so accustomed: the questions where my answers not only defined me and placed me in a neat little box, but where my answers were used to help others build up their own walls on their own boxes in order to keep me at bay.  (really long sentence there- don't look English majors!)

Because of my neighbours (and a Jungle Man who pushed me to go out with them), I have learned that I am more than an extension of my children. I have the ability to learn new things, I am not confined to any box. I can be and have friends because of who I am, not because of my church, social club, mode of dress, husband's job, or number of kids.

And yet I was still shocked when, upon their return, I was so happy to know that they were back over there.

All in all, I think Robert Frost was wrong. Good fences don't make good neighbours, good folk make good neighbours.

~Heidi

~One of Those~

* warning: bodily functions discussed in next post.*

One of my least favourite things in the whole world to which I might be compared is a FART.

And there it is. It isn't a compliment, no matter which way you look at it. In no way is a fart cute. (Hmm except maybe from a baby's bottom)


Do I tell you that you are as "Plain as Poop"?

Now, there are many who elevate knitting to an art form . And there are some who include knitting in their art.  I am not one of them.

I am a woman who knits. Yes, this make me great, I know. And while I do believe that we knitters should be set apart and allowed special privileges (the front of any line anywhere and at any time) I do believe that we are  just normal people like you... who can't imagine being in public without 2 sharp, pointy sticks.

WE ARE NOT FARTS!

So please, please, please

Never call me "Artsy Fartsy"

I just may have to retort ,
"Uninteresting as urine"? (OK- that was a stretch, but you try to think of one with U!)

~Heidi

*Ahhh, And Yet Another 29*

What's worse than Mom's day the kids forget? A birthday on the same day. I really have a problem with days like these. *sigh* Jungle Man doesn't like b-days either so (playing the ever-aware male) he treats my b-day the same way he wants me to treat his. =/

Side note- got a cool prezzie from my mom: a picnic table. Side to the side note: she gave me hug (the only one I'll get in 2010 from  her barring the death of a family member)

So to re-cap: birthday's are hard for me cos I feel all wierd when seomone wishes me well. (What?!? You like me? What's up with that???) This day serves to remind me how messed-up I am inside, and how bad my childhood really was.

I guess I'll never get over the whole "friend" issue. I can not think of why people like me, what is their ultimate angle? It's ever present in my mind, so when someone wishes me well, it throws me for a loop. The "Just get over it. We like you!" approach doesn't seem to work, although it lessons the blow. (Anytime you yell at me it serves to relax me inside- be aware of what you're teaching your kids, Mommas)



Messed up, I know, to have such an abhorrence  to birthdays and Mother's Day. I really want to crawl into a hole and let the world pass me by....


But I don't think me neighbour and my knitty peeps would ever allow it. (I think God has placed those ladies in my life for a reason. They are teaching me what it is to be real.)

Sometimes, I think, it's nice to have such tough love after all.

PS- I'll still be 29 tomorrow.
~Heidi

~Update~

With Jungle Man on-call, the kids in bed, and nothing in my cue, I thought tonight would be the best time to write! So I set fingers to keyboard and wrote up the next part of Our Love Story. Just thought some of you (Miss Cinnamon) would like to get a chance to read it. =)

~Heidi

~When Gluesticks Won't Work~

OK, so I've not been posting too regularly lately. I've been having some struggles... and some great revelations.


The struggles first tho.


I've been having times where I look at the kids and despair that I'll ever be able to teach them what they need. I become so aware, at times, that how they will relate as adults is so tied up into their relationship with me. So if I'm angry, what kind of wife will they choose? Will they find an overbearing girl? Will they look for beauty on the outside but empty bitterness on the inside? (OK, that was a jab at my brother's choice for his wife.... ) But still,... it can happen to a nice guy... choosing the wrong sort of girl.
And my daughter. What kind of mother will she become? Am I teaching her patience and loving kindness? I think not.

I have a problem with kids.
There, I've said it publicly... don't hate. I really don't like gaggles of kids on the best of days. Don't get me wrong, tho. I love kids with flair. My friend's have kids with amazing personalities who can brighten my day. But I really hate co-op situations. I hate scouting meetings on Monday nights where the boys are all jumping and yelling and acting like boys. =p
I like quiet.
I like solitude.
I wanted to be a librarian, remember?

I mention this because it's become a struggle to get out where I know there will be snotty kids running around while their Mothers sit in a corner and discuss the latest Hollywood gossip. "Is Angelina preggers again?!!?? Gasp!"  (So maybe it's not the kids as much as it's me having to deal with groups of mothers? Hmmm, so I won't go back and erase that last bit.. I'll roll with this)

Where was I? Oh, .... my kids...
So I want them to 'get out' and experience more. I want them to climb mountains, to be confident in all social situations, I guess to be more than I've taught them to be... sigh.

So I've been frustrated with seeing the limitations in myself being passed on to my kids. I struggle to make them so much more, but I think I'm failing.


The other thing. Ever since THIS   happened, I've been struggling with my home. I love my home. I like the way I decorate. But it could be better. So it's become a daily thing to look at my home and wonder what I can do, today, to make it shine just a bit more. Then I wonder if it's healthy for my kids, to be so wrapped up in the home.... and the circle goes round and round.

*Nice way to brighten someone's morning there, Heidi.*

On to the happy side of the post!

I've been super busy working up THIS BLOG for a friend. I've learned so much and there are days when all I've wanted to do is research for it and work on it and let my responsibilities go out the window. To that end, Jungle Man got some advise from A GREAT GUY (who reads my blog, but that's not the only reason he's great,... he's known Jungle Man most of his life, he is serving our country and that would be another great reason he's great.) that I might want to look into learning web design. Interesting.

So Jungle Man and I have talked about it and he's all for it! Wow. So I've been spending time learning HTML on the web while looking for a way to take some courses online. Once I have some certification under my belt, I'll let you know. ;-)

Whiiiiiich leads right into the next big thing:

I'm comfortable.
I know,.. I need to loose 10 pounds. I don't have perfectly happy kids. I'm not a perfectly happy Momma.
But I am comfortable.
I like who I am in this stage of life (my mid 29's)
I'm comfortable with all of my flaws, not that I'm HAPPY with them... just comfortable.

And that's saying quite a lot.

~Heidi



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Our Monthly Trip to the Past

 A few weeks ago we took another trip HERE. So I took some pictures (that's what Moms do) I'd love to write about each one, but I'm lazy and posting with pictures is not one of my most favorite tasks. (Although it must be higher than laundry, cos that's what I should be doing instead of posting.)

I'm not sure what these two  guys are talking about here, but Noah looks so earnest.....

This lamb was a twin that the mother rejected. So the folks there were bottle feeding it and it had to stay close to them. It just sat in the fireplace the whole time....

George being silly...

Can you believe that I actually walked into the room and snapped this shot? Totally not planned...

George got an impromptu lesson on woodworking. He took home his piece of wood and said it was a yolk for carrying buckets...

And during that lesson, Annie taught Nolan how to play checkers....

Trying on bonnets in the store, how pretty....

We'll be going again next month.... anyone wanna go with?


~Heidi