“Pwetty Pink Dwess” for a Pretty Girl :)

It’s true!  I finally finished my little gal’s “pwetty pink dwess”   She’s been waiting patiently.  With all the OCD happenings going on here, it had to hibernate a little while.  Still, everytime I’ve pulled it out to work on it, her eyes would get wide and she would exclaim “You make my pwetty pink dwess?!?”  So adorable <3  And when I’ve had her try it on, she’s danced around on her tippie toes with her arms out like a tiny little dancer.  Love it!  That’s my little princess

Here’s a shot of her in the backyard before church today.

Side view of dress & matching headband    Pretty girl in front yard after church

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This dress was so fun to make!  It looks so delicate and lovely.  If you’d like to make one like it, the pattern is Charlotte Belle from Crochet Garden.  Go on, spoil a princess in your life   Have fun!

Paper play the pretty way

Yesterday I put together this bracelet for my sister in law.  It was her birthday and I wanted something special for her.  I made some paper beads a few weeks ago and when they were finished, they made me think of her.  I sealed them with a glossy modge podge.  When they were dry, I made this neat bracelet.

I had enough paper beads to make a key chain dangle and I put together some simple earrings to match the bracelet.

I love how this project turned out   Next up, fabric beads!  Have a great day!

Tons of fun with beads

I have loved beads for a very long time.  Longer than I have loved yarn actually.  I actually still have some plastic seed beads and monofilament that I bought way back in high school.   I think there are a little over a dozen beads left, haha.  And there was a cool rock shop that I loved to visit when I was in college.  I would go in and rummage through the sodalite, peridot, quartz and other beautiful stones and think of making beautiful jewelry.  Problem was, I didn’t have a clue how to go about it.

And then yarn entered my life and I sort of shuffled beads off to the side – until I learned about beaded crochet and knitting.  How cool that I could crochet or knit beads into many pretty things!  And now, thanks to the internet, I’ve been learning a few beading basics.  It’s been so much fun!

This is a simple pair of earrings I made.  About a 5 or 10 minute project and so pretty!

I made this Lanyard/Keyclip for my keyring.  It could also be clipped to a bag or zipper pull.

I made this agate bracelet with leftovers from a bracelet kit.  I made the bracelet from the kit and gifted it to my sister.  It’s beautiful and of course, I didn’t take a picture

A fun bracelet with green and purple glass beads and a silver flower charm.  I made a pair of earrings to match.

This is a fun set I put together using blue glass globe beads and green and clear seed beads.  It includes a necklace, bracelet, earrings, and lanyard/keyclip.

I made these fun key clips with some of the beads from the previous jewelry set.  Aren’t they pretty? 

This is my most recent beading project.  It is made with remnants from other projects.  I love that you can combine beads in so many fun ways.  And it’s been fun to have some new accessories to wear.  And that is what I have been up to lately   Wishing you a beadarific day!

Adapting to OCD

I’ve talked a little bit about OCD and how it affects our life.  I thought it would be helpful to share some of the ways we are trying to adapt to OCD.  In our household, OCD means:

a lot of washing of hands and lips = extensive soap consumption

a lot of lotion to combat dryness of hands and lips

a lot of clothing changes = a lot of laundry

a lot of cleaning items = rapid wipes consumption

and a lot of towels thrown on the bathroom floor when they are deemed to yucky to use anymore.

There are other issues but these are the ones I’m talking about today.

Soap – We are currently ignoring the increased soap use.  Kiddo has been asked to stick to one pump of soap per washing.  I tried to convince hubby to switch back to bar soap because it lasts longer but he’s a spoiled man   He said he’d rather buy more soap than use a grimy bar of soap.  Okay then.

Lotion – I don’t really discourage this one because kiddo’s hands, lips and arms were getting like leather.  Now that we’ve added the lotion into the routine, his skin is healthier in spite of all the extra washing.  I do ask him to stick to one pump here as well.  We quickly discovered that lotion had to come from a pump container or kiddo overuses it.  We’re talking an entire large bottle of lotion each week.  Stuff that used to last at least a month.  Having it in a pump container helps him monitor his usage better for some reason.  It still doesn’t last like it did but it’s a little better.  Baby steps here.

Clothing changes – This one is still tricky.  I could really stress over it and hassle him all day or I can work it from the back end.  Pants, unders and socks all get washed as normal.  But kiddos shirts now get a light cycle or a rinse only.  He wears at least 3 shirts a day and I figure they haven’t been on long enough to warrant more than that.  I’m also trying to convince hubby to let me put a clothesline out back.  I think the savings on energy consumption would help combat the increase in laundry soap expenses.  Hubby is a little resistive because he thinks the neighbors will think it’s trashy.  He’s a bit silly that way

Wipes – this is one I’m just ignoring right now too.  It falls under the not wanting to nag kiddo all day long.  I do have one rule – he has to dispose of them.  He’s very bad about just tossing them aside after he’s used them.  We’ll work more on this issue when some of the bigger ones get a little more under control.

Finally, towels – This one just occurred to me yesterday.  The issue has been four or five or more towels just tossed on the bathroom floor (or in the hall or on the stairs, etc) when kiddo decides they are too wet or dirty to use anymore.  So, now I’ve switched him to hand towels rather than bath towels.  I told him he can use one bath towel for bathing each day and 3 hand towels per day.  The hand towels should be one until around lunch time, one until dinner time and one until bed time.  I figure 3 hand towels are less than the equivalent of one full bath towel and he can set it right by the sink rather than trying to hang it on the towel bar after he washes.  He doesn’t like to get too close to the toilet so he always leans to hang the towel and often drops it onto the toilet and that is it for that towel.  There we agree   I don’t want to use a towel that was on the toilet either, lol.

And there it is.  That is what I’ve come up with so far to try to manage OCD in our household.  I’d like to end with a poem I wrote for my kiddo

My OCD son

I wish I could tell you everything is okay

And you don’t really need to wash a hundred times today

I wish I could help you feel calm and secure

I wish the costly treatments were more of a cure

I wish that hugs shared with you weren’t stiff and uneasy

And that you didn’t spend so much time worrying if something is greasy

More, I wish I knew what thoughts plagued your soul

So I could obliterate them forever, leaving you peaceful and whole

Even so, I would never change who you are

And the journey we’re taking will teach us to stretch so far

I want you to know that I’m thankful for you

And that I’ll love you forever and unconditionally too

So take my hand and let me share all your years

Exalt in your joys and dry up your tears

For that is my privilege and claim as your mother

And my love will shield and protect like no other

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Have a great day!

Pretty Peonies

I clipped these peonies from my front flower beds.  I thought it would be fun to share them with you

Aren’t they pretty?  The pink ones came from a plant I was given a few years ago for my birthday (thank you Jeff and Dawn <3).  And the white ones came from a plant that my grandpa gave me.  He dug a start off of one of the peonies in his yard a couple of summers back and the plant has just flourished.  I love peonies!  They are beautiful and they smell so nice.

Wishing you a beautiful day!  <3

Mystery Loom Along – Part 5

5-26-09: Edited to add the pictures

I was going to hold off until tonight to post this because I wanted to have some pictures to add. We’ve had company today and we’re heading off to a barbecue but I will get pictures up tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, Happy Memorial Day everyone!

Part 5 – Finishing:

Before we get started, here is a final inventory of what parts you should have to complete the project:

1 of Part 1
2 of Part 2 = 3 peg I-cords measuring 4 inches long
Part 3 = a tail that is already attached to part 1 and a 4 inch long I-cord that is not attached to anything yet.
4 of Part 4 = 2 peg I-cords measuring about 3 inches long and knotted at one end
Plus your black embroidery floss or 2 black beads

Alright, let’s finish off the project! Locate the shorter section of part 1 and one of the I-cords from part 2. Using the long yarn tails, sew one end of the I-cord to the side of the shorter section of part 1. Curve the I-cord to form a loop and use the other set of yarn tails to sew the other end of the I-cord to the same side. One ear is now formed. Repeat this step with the second I-cord from part 2 for the other side of the head. Placement on the ears is completely a matter of preference. I did mine about halfway back on the shorter section with the top of the I-cord loop near the top of the curve on the tube. The bottom of the I-cord loop was sewn about 1/2 inch below that. Play around with placement until you like what you see.

Next, locate the longer section of part 1 and one of the I-cords from part 4. Using the long yarn tails from the cast on end, sew the I-cord (knot end down) to the left portion of the underside of the longer section on part 1, about 1/2 inch from the gathered lifeline. One leg is now attached. Attach the next leg about 1/2 inch behind the first leg in the same manner. Repeat these two steps for the right portion of the underside of the longer portion of part 1.

Only one part should remain now, the I-cord from part 3. Using the long yarn tails on the front of part 1, sew the I-cord from part 3 to the front of part 1. Weave in any remaining yarn tails.  Can you guess what you have now?

One final step remains. Take your black beads or embroidery floss and place eyes on the shorter section of part 1. Again, place these where you like them. Mine are set about 1 inch apart from each other and about 1/4 inch away from the I-cord that was just sewn to the front of part 1. Ta-da! I hope you like your little scrappy critter.

PS. This critter does have a name and I will post a finalized pattern here in the next few days. I just don’t want to spoil the fun Have a great day!

Mystery Loom Along – Part 4

Here are the instructions for the final bit of knitting on our mystery project.  We are still working with 2 strands held together as one on a large gauge loom.

Part 4: (Make 4)

Leaving a 5” tail, create a 2 peg I-cord 4” long. Bind off and weave in the yarn tails at the cast off end. Tie a knot in the cast off end of the cord near the very end of the I-cord. Set aside

Okay, have fun!  I’ll be posting the assembly instructions a bit later today or tomorrow if things are too busy around here.  Happy Memorial Day everyone

Stop and give me 10

Before I get started with this post, I just want to thank everyone for their kind comments (here and on facebook) regarding my last post.  It means a lot to me.  And I’m feeling tons better.  It’s so nice to have the energy I need to keep up around here.  It’s awesome.  No more dragging out of bed in the morning and I don’t need to sit and recoup as much anymore.  Love it!  Alright, down to business

Last post, I talked about the disorders that we face and touched a little on how they affect daily life.  Well, we also pick up a few tricks along the way or get a bit creative to bound over the hurdles that present themselves.  One such hurdle is resistance to starting.  ADHD kids look at the big picture and get overwhelmed.  And then they refuse to even start.  It’s like dragging a donkey down a path.  So the trick is getting them to realize that they don’t have to ‘eat the whole elephant’ at once, so to speak, lol.

So we are trying a new thing here.  Instead of asking my ADHD kiddos to “clean up their room” or “clean the playroom” or “pick all of that mess up”, I’ve been asking them at random points to “Stop and give me 10″.  It means they stop what they are doing at that particular moment and each one picks up 10 things.  I don’t care what they pick up, it just has to be 10 things and they need to go in the right places.  It’s working pretty well.  It cuts down on them feeling overwhelmed and saying “It’s too hard” or “There’s too much”.  And it actually makes an impact.  That’s 4 kids x 10 things put away = 40 things in their places.  Plus I help right along with them so we can really make an impact even when they’ve created bigtime clutter.  Because let’s face it, 4 kiddos may be able to clean pretty quick when they get down to it, but they can also make a house look like a tornado hit in the blink of an eye   If you find your little ones have a serious case of ’startitis’, give this a try.  Have a great weekend!

Aw, crap! I WAS depressed.

This is a more personal post than I have ever, ever made before. I make it anyway, in the hopes that it might be helpful to someone.  If you would like to leave a comment to this post, please be considerate and compassionate with your words.  Thanks

In our household, we struggle daily with ADHD, OCD, ODD, GAD, depression, apraxia and Tourette’s syndrome.  To say that things are often tumultuous is putting it mildly.  I often say that it is like being on a roller coaster.  Lots of ups and downs.  The argument is that everyone’s life is like that.  The reply is that these disorders magnify the ups and downs of life and make them stronger.  I had a therapist tell me once that an ADHD child counts as 10 in the education system.  I don’t know if that’s really the case but there are some days that I feel like I’ve been chasing after at least 10 kids.

These disorders cause complications in all life areas.  I am going to briefly talk about this so you might get a good picture of life as we know it:

Family life:  ODD used to be the biggest stressor in our family life but OCD has quickly taken over on that.  My OCD kid changes his clothes frequently, washes frequently, consumes an insane amount of wipes and even makes his siblings wash or change their clothes if he feels they are ‘dirty’  We still get oppositional behaviors and the impulsiveness of ADHD causes plenty of tension too.

School life: School is a very touchy thing for us.  We have had one nearly perfect school year and that is it.  First grade.  Teacher loved kiddo and he wanted to make her happy.  Was blissful right up to the last 2 months.  K grade teacher and kiddo were like oil and water and he’d cry every time I took him to school.  We found out at the end of the year that she yelled at him almost every day until he cried and then made him put his head down on his desk for crying.  2nd grade- kiddo was really off (meds weren’t right) and teacher met me at flagpole nearly every day to ‘talk’.  3rd grade- teacher was assertive/I am not.  Teacher uninvited kiddo from class field trip and also told me kiddo was not welcome in her class unmedicated.  4th grade- teacher just didn’t care.  Didn’t follow 504 and didn’t remind kiddo to turn in work.  Let peers bully kiddo (including physical abuse) and call him ‘uncool’ and ‘diseased’.  5th grade- the year of phone calls.  Just complaining.  Kiddo is off task.  Kiddo is tired, come get him.  Kiddo wiped deodorant on his chair (worst offense this year) etc.  We’re ready for summer!

Church life:  Church can be a tender subject too.  We have had chapel doors snapped shut on us because kiddo was making too much noise in the foyer.  We have had looks.  We have had Primary Pres call because teacher was at wit’s end with kiddo.  We have had children laugh at kiddo and call him weird and no one attempt to correct them about it.  We have had adults whisper about kiddo.  It’s harder to take at church because I guess I expect everyone to be striving to be more Christlike.

Public life:  Public life is tricky.  Restaurants were out for a loooooong time.  Even places like Wendy’s.  Shopping centers are still iffy.  Dental offices have referred us off to more expensive Pediatric Dental offices because kiddo is hard to treat.  Even visits to the park or the library can be draining.

So there is an overview.  We’ve had ups and we’ve had downs.  Pretty normal.  With the toughest downs, I’d have a cry (yeah, I’m a wimp) and get over it.  Not depressed.  Plenty of happy days.  Not dwelling.  Chipper and friendly almost all of the time.  Ask my friends   I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that hubby once tried to suggest I might need an antidepressant.  I got defensive and told him “I’m NOT depressed!  Anyone would have a hard time with these disorders.”  I just followed my pattern of being distressed for a few days over whatever the current fallout happened to be and then moving on.

Almost 3 years ago, I was working graveyard shifts to help with the family budget but still be around for the kids.  I worked graveyard shifts for about 6 years.  And I was understandably tired.  And when I finally quit working graves, I was expecting our 4th kiddo.  Still understandably tired, right?  And of course who is peppy through the newborn stage?  So why am I still tired with littlest kiddo nearing 3 years old?  Sleeping like a log and about 10 hours too?  Should be enjoying plenty of energy, right?  But I wasn’t.  I was bone tired.  And getting even more so.  The last 6 months or so have found me exhausted after just bringing a load of laundry up the stairs.  With arms heavy and weak after cleaning the glass on the sliding door.  Dragging through each day with a serious lack of energy.  Something had to be wrong with me.  I have an under active thyroid so my first thought was that my medication level needed to be boosted.  Had that checked twice.  Not it.  Okay, it must be low iron levels.  I’ve run low before.  Nope.  Not it.  Doctor checked me for arthritis, lupus, mono and more.  Nada.  Just last week Doctor sent me home with an SSRI to ‘help my neurotransmitters fire properly’.  My best friend laughed and told me that he was politely telling me I’m depressed.

So why would I not think I WAS depressed?  Well, I wasn’t staying in bed all day.  I wasn’t crying every single day.  I wasn’t feeling hopeless.  I wasn’t thinking life was not worth living.  I wasn’t eating everything in sight.  I wasn’t suffering from lack of appetite either.  I definitely wasn’t sleepless.  I slept like a log but never felt rested.  I didn’t have negative thoughts.   I was socially active in online groups and friendly and cheerful there.  And so, imagine my surprise to suddenly feel tons better with the antidepressant.  Aw, crap!  I WAS depressed.

So what symptoms did I overlook?  Here is the entire point of this lengthy post.  I was extremely, extremely fatigued with no apparent reason.  I was gaining weight no matter what cut backs I made in my diet.  Even delicious breads and pastas were avoided to no avail.  I found it really hard to concentrate and my memory was (and still is) really terrible.  I kept forgetting important dates, tasks and appointments.  Reading through lengthy chunks of text (like this one ) was increasingly difficult.  Little stuff was bigger than it should have been and my tear trigger was touchier.  I avoided mentally draining tasks and overwhelming chores.  Sometimes I would look in the kids’ playroom, feel dismal and shut the door.  I would just think “Uh, I can’t think about that right now…”  Things like that got shuffled off to later.  And I lost a bit of zest for my favorite activities.  If I wasn’t testing a pattern, I couldn’t settle on anything to knit or crochet.  And many times, I would get a craft project  out and just sit and look at it.  I attributed all of this to the fatigue.  I just figured I was too tired to even play.

In reality, it looks like I was gradually being depleted by the stresses that come with the disorders that are part of my world.  It was a slow wear out and I think that is why I didn’t believe I might be depressed.  But the marked improvement I’ve felt after just under a week of treatment is undeniable.  Even after just 2 doses I found myself feeling like I could clean the entire house AND the yard!  Much more than the usual few rooms before I required a break.  I’m still not 100 percent or anything, but this last week has been markedly better.  I’m also not claiming that medication is the answer for everyone.  I just know it is helping me.    What I do hope is that this post might help someone else.  If you think you might be depressed, know the symptoms and talk with your doctor.  Best of wishes to all and have a great day!

Birthday Beauties

Thursday was my birthday   It was a nice day filled with birthday wishes from wonderful friends and family.   Thank you for making my day – you are the bestest pals!

My twin brother called at a quarter to one.  I had just finished vacuuming the stairs.  He wanted to know how many kids I had with me and if I had plans.  I told him it was just me and my little gal and that I was cleaning the house and then picking up kiddos from school. He convinced me to meet him and his wife in Layton (20 minutes away) for lunch.  So fun   I was able to squeeze it in and they spoiled me with beautiful lilies from the florist shop.  Aren’t they gorgeous!

Here’s a closer look <3

And they smell divine!  Thank you Jeff and Dawn <3

At the end of the day, hubby took me and the kiddos to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory.  Yummy!  It was one of the best birthdays in years.  Loves to everyone who helped make it special!  Have a great day!