The Importance of Being Late.

Lately, I've been "discovering" things in the most tardy of fashions.  We don't have the TV hooked up to the antenna, or cable.  We mostly entertain ourselves with the wonders of the internet.  Netflix's "Watch Instantly" feature is a definite friend of mine.

We've spent many a happy hour working while watching "Sherlock Holmes" with Jeremy Brett, who I have an inexplicable old-man crush on.  If you haven't seen any of these, go out and find them immediately.  They are old-school PBS stuff in the best way possible.  I defy any Robert Downey Junior supporters.  Jeremy Brett is Sherlock all the way.

We also finally got around to watching "Firefly."  I'd seen the movie "Serenity" a few years ago, and liked it all right, but the show was great.  Now I want to see the movie again, except they kill off a main character that I didn't know I liked until seeing the show....It's a total shame that this series ran for only one season, and I know that all the rest of geekdom already got over it years ago.  It's still fresh for me, though.

It's kind of the same with music.  I have been so spoiled by MP3 players that listening to the radio is a real chore.  While working, we visit Pandora, Last FM, and Slacker a lot.  I also found Grooveshark recently, and it is awesome.

I'm discovering all these bands that have been around a few years, maybe even since I was in high school, and I completely missed them.  Coldplay and Radiohead fall into this category.  I'm also listening to the Killers a lot these days.

Sometimes, I love something for convoluted reasons.  I now adore the song "Total Eclipse of the Heart," after watching the masterfully done literal video version of it a dozen times.  I jumped on that bandwagon about twenty years late, because someone was making fun of the randomness of the video.

I always liked the fifties-ballad sounding dance song at the end of the movie "Twilight."  It seemed sweet and soft and delicate and I always wondered what the words were.  Go look them up for yourself.  It's awesome to me that what sounds like a cute little romantic dance song at the end of a girly movie has such dark, creepy words.  Now, guess how much more I love it?

One of my favorite bands to listen to these days:  OK GO.  It all started with this music video, which, considering my track record, you have all seen years ago.






Oh, heck.  That was done in all one continuous shot.  It took lots of engineers (the ones cheering at the end), and lots of takes.

But wait, there's more:  This is a different version of the same song, done marching band style.  Soo awesome.  For a former band geek, anyway.




How could I in good conscience not love this band?  I even like the music.

A Day in the Life.

Being self-employed from home allows for moments like these.  I have a whole file full of kids with the mannequin.

Ivy likes helping Dad make sure the sleeves look all right in the pictures.

Different Worlds

There was a bit of an altercation today in the sewing room.  I was working and talking to Toby, and Olivia was coating the ends of the boning for me.  She calmly said to me:

"Mom, did you know you have a spider on your back?"

People who have no phobias don't understand that it doesn't give you enough time for rational thought, or a decision-making process.  I didn't say to myself, hey, let's ride this one out and see how HUGE that spider on my back might be.   No.  HECK NO!

I brushed my back frantically, then whipped my shirt off.  Sweet, huh?  Very cool.  Then Toby said I should have stood still and let him get it off me.  The problem is, I have no idea if we were talking about a little harmless spider or one like in this post.

Let's just say my knee-jerk reaction wasn't going to let me stick around to find out.  Huzzah for an impromptu strip-tease to break up the monotony of the workday, though.

Not for Arachnophobes.

This was in my bedroom.  IN. MY. BEDROOM.

Please don't hold me responsible for jitters, heeby-jeebies, freak-outs, strong men weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth, incontinence, girly screaming, etc....

I warned you.

I learned something this morning.

Ivy cottage is without a dishwasher as of yet, and it seems that if dishes are going to be washed, I'll be doing them.  I need to make the kids do it, but until school's out, that will have to wait.

This morning, I was looking at the pile of dirty dishes, and thinking how many there were, and feeling very sorry for myself.  Then I thought it would be nice if I stacked them according to type, so they could be washed in order.  I am a bit OCD there.  I like to do glasses first, then plates, then silverware, then pots and pans...that way, I'm going from least dirty to most dirty, and I don't have to change the  water too many times.

I stacked the dishes, in organized piles, and...there weren't that many.  Or at least, my brain didn't register the neat towers as "chaos."  Suddenly, with a little order, the task seemed a bit easier.  Whatever it was, I'll be trying to remember it in the future.

More Progress.

This is Toby painting our living room.  It dried a bit darker, but no less eye-searing.  I do love it.  You can also see the red dining room a bit to the right.
 
Meet my new favorite chair.  She will be in the library, I think.  We're making slow progress on the house, what with church jobs, trying not to neglect the kids, still making a living, and so forth. I'm hoping we'll begin moving this weekend.  Fingers crossed.

Gratuitous cute little girl picture.

My new button-down shirt.  I have issues with bust/waist ratio and finding a shirt that flatters both.  This genius shirt has knit side panels and works for all my mismatched parts.  I actually don't even mind this picture.

Post Name or Something.

We are slowly making progress toward moving into our new house. We're down to finishing a few things in each room, and then time to pack up our belongings and go.
Vea has graciously traded tomorrow's Hen Day to me, so we can all work together to make it so.

Last week, I was tired and worn out and kind of resented the time-suck the Ivy House has become. We have decided it's neat enough and sturdy enough to live in indefinitely, so we're trying hard to finish things before moving. We've learned the very long and hard way that it's much harder to work on any home improvement projects while occupying said home.

Some projects have dragged on past funny. I'm talking to YOU, sanding the wood floors. Some projects have popped up unexpectedly, like hanging new sheetrock on the dining room and bedroom ceilings. Mostly, it's just lots of work and not enough time. I spend a lot of time half-handedly trying to accomplish something while Loch hangs from my hip.

Today, I walked around the house and fell in love with the place again. The setting is lovely, in a little cup of a valley with a nice mix of run-down fields and trees. All the leaves are coming out, and when the sun warms up, everything smells green and wonderful. I inherited two lilac bushes, and roses, and four fruit trees of some kind. Out behind the tumble-down shed, there are wild blackberry bushes with tiny nubs of green berries already growing.

Toby and I used to discuss our ideal "dream property." Our wish list included rolling hills, big trees, a few acres for kids to run, seclusion, location near both sets of parents. We have everything we wanted, and more. I must remember that, when I get impatient. This will be a great place for us all to play and grow up.

Did I mention that Sunday,the kids spent HOURS outside playing? How awesome is that?

Setting My Sights on the Improbable: To Do This Week.

Business

Take pictures of skirts & list.

Take fabric pictures & list.

Call Cheeptrims.

877-289-8745

Cut black ECTR bodices.

Paisley Pirate Coat Replacement

Bustle Vixen

Purple WC

Check Ready-Made orders.

Make 3-5 RTS bodices every day & list.

Family

Mo Taxes

Send Bills on Dresser

Make week plan & menu plan.

Buy Groceries.

Pack up books.

Fill 1 Walmart bag per day with Crosslines stuff.

Primary Meeting Wed.

New House

Install mailbox.

Finish painting Dining Room.

Finish Staining & Polyurethane floors.

Bedroom Ceiling

Close Bedroom Doorways

Patch & Paint paneling.

Replace bathroom wall(s)

Tape, texture & paint bathroom.

Paint & install vanity, counter, & faucets.

Paint Laundry room.

Paint kids' room.

Close door between kids' room & kitchen.

Pull carpet in kids' room.

Mouseproof kitchen cabinets.

Texture Living Room.

Paint Living Room.

Install door to garage.

Last Stop for Self-Pity.

We're mostly sick around here. I don't know if it's THE flu, but it probably is. All but two of us have been sick for days. It's not debilitating, but I'm sick enough I just want to lie about and feed the baby all day. Too bad it's the Halloween Craziness Countdown, and I have a specific amount of bodices to sew every day so we won't get behind. Awesome.
We're so much faster and better at what we do than last year. I remember being crazy busy and working all the time the month of October last year, but I know that we have probably sewed three or four times as much merchandise. I'm FASTER, this year. Not nearly so fast as Michelle, but still. Toby said he almost can't keep ahead of me cutting.

Check out my trash can full of thread. Okay, there might be a dirty diaper or seven under there, too. Believe me when I say that there is thread EVERYWHERE around here. I find it in diapers, on my food, in my bra. And the little dots of fabric that are punched out when we grommet bodices. Stay tuned, I feel a Family Dictionary entry coming on.

What I did today:

Decided not to send Hollis back to school yet.

Managed to get Olivia on the bus for the first time this week. Remembered the note about Achievement Days, even.

Took a nap that was longer than it should have been, since it was only eight AM.

Finally sent back the longest-rented Netflix movies ever.

Skulked over to City Hall to pay the water bill that was unfunny-late (Toby took one for the team here).

Dropped Toby at my parents' so that he could play some golf with my Dad.

Got to Prairie Hens Day an hour late, but had a great time and some lovely chocolate scones made by Vea.

Visited with Mom before she had to go to work.

Went home when Toby and Dad got back from golf.

Cleaned, trashed, and de-cluttered our sewing room upstairs. Believe me that these are AFTER pictures. I know. But check out the pile of stuff we're unloading. Granola box, get thee behind me! And the floor, which has not been in evidence for many a long while.

Made a quick pot of chili out of the beans that we've been cooking since we got home today. Made cornbread to go with.

Posted on my blog while the chili cooled off.

Made plans to become prone very soon.

July Already?

Yeah, those are my kids. All four of 'em. In a box. It's okay, the cuteness makes me weak also.

I know...everyone says that time seems to go so fast, and I usuallly disagree with them. In this stage of my life, with little kids and pregnancies, time seems to just molasses by. I am grateful to Kim at Large Family Logistics. She said that when all your kids are little ones, with no bigger ones to help, that is the most difficult time in having a large family. I hope so.

Actually, I may see some light at the end of that tunnel. Livvy is being such a help to me. She likes to vacuum the living room, and does it without being asked after a pick-up. Also, on Friday, she loaded and washed and dried two loads of kids clothes all by herself. No, I am not raising her to take over all my work, but just to know how to do the things necessary to care for a house. I expect Hollis, Maggie, and Ivy to learn in their own good time, and whomever else may come to our home. Then their own homes and families will be blessed by my hard work.

Right now we are working on establishing routines. I hope that it will pay off later, but at the moment, I do a lot of drill-seargenting. I would like to see that someday all my kids (and my husband) know how to take care of their own clothes, toys, and dishes. Let's be honest, I need to do that, too. I'm trying to remember to be fair, as in "Eat only in the kitchen," applies to adults as well as kids. It makes doing the dishes easier and it keeps the rest of the house cleaner.

All that aside, don't get the idea that we have this regimentally organized household. Not even remotely. It is summertime, after all, and I think that summer is a time to just be a kid. I want the kids to know how to work, but I also want time for reading, and playing, and being creative. Hopefully much less TV. On the days when we are home, we have been very good at sticking with naptime, which is an hour of quiet after lunch. Sometimes we nap, sometimes not, but we all have to lie down and relax with a book (and a baby, in my case), or some Tolkien on tape.

Yes, Tolkien. I am very proud to have cultured kids (not unlike cultured yogurt). We are trying to immerse them in good things before they learn they're not cool. This means a lot of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars (the old ones), and Beatles music galore. The Yellow Submarine soundtrack is very kid-friendly. I get all warm and fuzzy when I hear my four-year-old singing "Nowhere Man."