Sticker charts...

Things are in flux around here. Thinking back, they were in this magnitude of flux back when Blondie was born. The difference I think, is that, back then I was a new "stay at home" mommy. I was still trying to wrap my personal identity around that as well as being the new mommy of 2. And Big Daddy was not traveling nearly as much...
This time around, the mommy of three, the mommy of a school age child, a preschooler AND a little one, well there is a lot of "WHAT AM I DOING??" everyday. Not in "how did I get here?" but "Wow, how am I going to get from point "A" to point "B"?" Point "A" and "B" change from second to second. This blog post was going to be about the wonders of sticker charts...but how do I get from here to there?

We started charts a couple of weeks ago during Big Daddy's first trip away. The first night I will admit to being a screaming mommy. I was. It wasn't pretty. I thought "Would they behave any better if I gave them stickers for all of the (few, seriously it was a bad night) good/helpful/nice things they do?" It worked pretty well. It helped Brownie stay focused on being helpful and Blondie was able to have a better incentive for using the potty more regularly.

It worked for them, but in the weeks since I think that it works better for me. At a low moment I can go to the charts and see that they really are helpful most of the time. I can be reminded that if there aren't many stickers that I maybe have not been "present" enough with them to notice when they are working well together.

We are all works in process Must remember... we are all works in process.
I leave you with my latest quilting bee block. This goes to my friend "hanies" in this bee. She wanted us all to make a 16" block that was like a mini quilt. What a fun group of fabric to work with!

JMB

The games we play...

This is the game we play with little babies. If you haven't done it before, you should try it, it will make you laugh, even if you are "very mature".
The other game I have been playing lately is called "Collect fabric until you feel like a spoiled fabric brat"
It is true. For my birthday, when people asked what I wanted, I said "Fabric. Fat Quarters, whatever you like!"
And boy, did I receive! Thank you, thank you family! I just finished washing and putting it all away. Wow, I really need to reorganize now.
This was a lovely collection from Big Daddy and the boys...I think that I want to make another birthday quilt...but I have to finish last year's first.
The following photos are the fabrics that I bought for myself this year, it is a little game that I like to call....

"I shouldn't,

yes I should,

no, I shouldn't...

wait, they aren't going to be around forever, so I should....."

Well, I did...
And I am so happy...
JMB

what to do today??

How's this for 2 posts in one week?? Hooray for me!

Today, Mango gifted me two hours of sewing, during which she slept in her car seat. First time ever folks!! I got to sew and move and there wasn't a baby to be found ON ME! SO EXCITED!

I do realize that they are only small for a short window of time. I have been loving all of the Momma-baby cozy time, but it was nice to sew ALONE!! Plus the house was quiet! For the first time in over a week... BOTH of the older Brothers were well and AT SCHOOL!!!

I worked on my "Traveling Threads" virtual bee blocks. I really want to keep the upper one. I don't know why I like it so much. I was making a kind of lame house and then I flipped it over and it made kind of a cool boat.

CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVE!! That is what is called for sometimes. For instance I was giving my kids LOTS of time-outs and basically being a crabby mommy... so I decided to make a positive chart and they could get stickers for when they were doing what they were supposed to. NOW, on a "bad" day I can go and look at the chart and if I have been doing a good job then there will be stickers there and I can remember that they were behaving better then, say earlier today...but let's not discuss it, OK?

Here was my extra block...I made it with some of the scraps from the first one... these blocks really made me excited about sewing again. I just LOVE the "good folks" fabric, but I have been too miserly with mine. Maybe I will cut it now?? I hope so!
Here is a peek at Little Blondie's "I spy Apartment House" quilt. It is getting so big. I finally put the roof on and I just need to add the side borders and then we will be in business for basting it up for quilting. Hooray!

Mango is screaming for her supper... gotta go!

JMB

35 is half way to 70...

Yesterday was my birthday. #35. Is that a big one? Aren't they all?

I did everything that I wanted yesterday...

I woke up early with Mango, then went back to sleep and let Big Daddy do his own thing with the brood.

I sewed, showered, went on a walk, and bought some delicious cream for a special afternoon cup of coffee.

I drank my coffee in the backyard, as Blondie shared his shelled peanuts with the chickens.

I read a new book, received a store's worth of fabric, and had a nice dinner with my family, sisters and mother included.

I had a second piece of cake as I watched Battlestar Galactica.

What a way to start a year!
Little Missy was so busy this morning. We really saw her changing this past week. She is 6 weeks old now. This morning she graced us with her first smile. She was beaming at her dear brother, Brownie. Yes, Big Daddy and Grandma...she smiled TODAY. (It is only the official first smile if the family documentarian sees it to confirm, and that is me folks. That is me.)
The kids were so cute this morning laying on the floor together. What a full house I have. What a full heart. 35 is going to be a busy and exciting year, who knows what it holds, but I bet it's going to be great!

JMB

PS

This was a fun challenge block for my guild this month. I didn't win the drawing for the blocks at the meeting (which I actually made it to, with Mango!) I am a sucker for pumpkins and Halloweeny/autumny things so I started a pumpkin quilt using this pattern to show off my Halloween fabrics....I have 3 finished and they are so fun. There are more cut out, I am such a good starter!

Sometimes, when I 'm lucky...

See there, tucked in so sweetly... a wee Mango, going for a ride at the sewing machine.
Before, I show my most recent acquisitions, all mommies should at least glance at this site. I found it enlightening and so very real.
There was a sale on decorator weight fabrics... $5/yd!! I am such a glutton.
I finally bought a yard of these...I had been looking, but then the local store got them in and wow they do look THAT good in real life.
Must buy pinks!!
Still can't escape the aquas!!
And to top it off some beautiful new solids. The orange I had to buy because it is called "Mango". The two drab ones are actually lovely colors of grey, a light one and a charcoal. I am excited to start something new... but then again I always LOVE the starting!!

I saw this post, I just love the colors that Lily used!! I have never tried this pattern because I thought it was "too easy"???? I have to say that, today, I am so wooed by the simplicity of it.

I have been working on a large quilt (on and off for about 3 months) it is for my little Blondie. He was so excited when I let him hang a swap quilt on his wall that I knew it was time for him to have his own bed size quilt. I finished another big chunk of the front piecing. I will share it when I have some of the bigger pieces put together. I am very happy with how it is turning out.

Well, in the famous last words of a new mother, I am off to feed the baby. Thanks for being so sweet to little Mango last week, she had such a lovely time blogging.

JMB

another little hello...

Hi there,

Mango here, taking over this blog. My mom wanted to post, but I am really needing her attention these days. I am a month old now and I am just beginning to realize that I run the show around here. I think I kind of like this.

So, just between you and me, I cry and then I get food/attention/clean dipees/ANYTHING I WANT. Then there are the "bigs" around here. They are pretty fast, it is as if they don't like it when I let a scream out. The only problem is... sometimes they don't guess right the first time, so I have to scream real real loud the next time to help them out. THEN they usually get it right.

I really like to ride around on this one "big". She takes me great places. The smaller "bigs" call her mommy, so I think that for my purposes here she will be known as Mommy. I like to sleep in that carrier thing, look around, all sorts of things, because I know where she is AND she knows where I am... it's a good thing.

I have gotten so good at going to sleep in there that sometimes I wake up in this room filled with fabric pieces and there is a relatively comforting whirring sound. My mom just seems so happy in here that I usually just go back to sleep and rest a bit until I get SUPER hungry. I am living a pretty good life.

it is kind of hard to hold up my big head and type at the same time... I am getting very very sleepy... KShfksjghkshgkjsh