Making of a Cape

Since this year I was privileged to make not one, not two, but THREE cloaks for costumes.... I thought I'd share the simple manner I discovered to make them.

This was the easiest cloak pattern I could find with the fewest steps and least complicated techniques.

I found this tutorial on Pinterest (https://mellysews.com/2016/02/easy-princess-cape-tutorial.html) and adapted it to my needs.  (Giving credit where credit is due.)

For the girls simple, sparkly, mesh, capes - I pretty much followed the above directions precisely other than the measurements.  My girls wanted their capes long and their hoods 'big' so they could have a 'veil' when the hood was on and a lot of 'poof' when not wearing it.

For the third cloak I continued with the basic concept, adding some modifications due to the fact this frock was to be 'lined'.

First - Jacob bought his fabric.

He chose a grey and red 'knit' type material.  Not my favorite textile to work with, but.... hey, he paid for it..... so.... I had little to no choice but..... to go with it.

I laid out both pieces of fabric on our living room floor -- one on top of the other with the right sides facing one another, since the cloak was to be lined.

Next I simply had Elijah lay on the fabric to determine the length of the cape and hood.

To do this, I measured from the top of his head to his shoulders and added several inches (giving the 'hood' a little extra 'poof' and bulk); then I measured to the bottoms of his feet and added an inch or so for the seam allowance. 

The grey material and red material - right sides together - Elijah stretched out on them to measure hood and length.

I marked both.

A line across the top for the 'hood' measurement
and a line across the bottom to cut off the excess for the proper length.

Next, I cut off the excess.

I used my cutting mat and rotary cutter to make this step as simple and precise as possible.

After this, I sewed all four sides closed, leaving a small section on one of the short sides (the one that will become the bottom) so as to be able to turn said cape right side out.

Sewing all 4 sides together -- with the bulk of close to 4 yards of material -- proved to be tricky.

Upon turning the cloak right side out, I debated with myself.  Was this sufficient or should I sew a topstitch around the entire cloak to give a more 'finished' look?  Completing this step would allow me to close up the bottom seam leaving the entire garment looking polished and refined -- especially the hood.

HOWEVER.... upon viewing the cloak in it's sewn together state, I determined putting the topstitch around the perimeter was simply not necessary for a costume.  That means I will need to do a quick stitch of the bottom when it's all said and done.

Not a big deal in the long run.

From here, I used my large sewing ruler as a 'guide' and marked a line for the placement of the ribbon (as my original mark was now on the inside of the cloak.  Doh!)  This will define the 'shoulder' section and also become the tie closure for the cape.  Pinning the ribbon down, I decided to place it on the inside rather than the outside of the cape as I'd done for the girls.  This will allow Jacob's tie closure to be 'invisible' when he wears it.  Above the ribbon will be the hood, below the 'body'.

Once the ribbon was pinned in place, I simply sewed down both long sides to make a 'pocket or tube' in which to thread the elastic.  I cut the elastic according to Elijah's neck/shoulder width so the cape would be 'gathered' once it's fed through and sewed into place inside the ribbon casing.

Sewing the ribbon down to make the 'casing' for the elastic.

Before adding the elastic, I folded the cape in half lengthwise with the ribbon on the outside.  By having the ribbon on the outside, the seam of the 'hood' along with the tie will be on the underside or inside of the cloak and not visible upon wearing.  Next I marked a curve along the 'point' of the hood as Jacob opted to not have it 'pointy'.  Then I sewed the 'top' of the cape together along said curve, making the hood of this simple cloak.  After it was sewn together, I cut off the excess material where I sewed the 'curve' and the bulky seam of the hood.

The cloak folded in half and pins to mark the 'curved' hood.

After that was all accomplished, I was able to thread the elastic through the ribbon casing to gather the cape at the neck/shoulder area.  Sewing the ends of the elastic in place at the edges of the ribbon casing on both sides completed this step.  The ribbon extends past the edges of the fabric to allow it to be tied shut - or a pin could be used as well.

The finished product with the hood down.  It's not as 'full' as Jacob had wanted,
but Elijah said, "If he doesn't like it, I'll take it."  LOL!

Just a few modifications and I had a lined, hooded cloak in a handful of simple steps.

Not to mention the time it took was fairly minimal.

The longest amount was spent getting the material laid out straight.  Go figure.  :-)

With the hood up.

The most difficult aspect was the shear volume of material with which I was working.  Close to 4 yards of knit fabric - doubled - is A LOT of fiber to maneuver.

The back with hood down in the back.  I like the rounded hood.  Probably could have rounded it even a bit more.

My Career - Motherhood

I consider being a mom and wife as my biggest 'calling' in life.

It's the most important 'job' I could have.

Yet, the prevailing message I perceive from our society is that this 'career choice' is no longer valid or valued.

Sure, there are still some of us 'die hard' moms out there that choose to stay home with our kids, but for the most part.... it's not respected.

Even more...   for those who do choose it, it's not considered 'ENOUGH'.

I'd dare to go as far as to say it's somewhat looked down upon - almost with disdain.

I see it on social media; in conversations w/friends and strangers; in commercials; TV shows; magazines.

The goal as a woman is to 'have it all'!  And 'all 'certainly is NOT to JUST stay home with one's children.

I recently read a 'new blog' in which the author was talking about just this very thing.  She mentioned being a mom and wife, but went on to say she's a '21st century woman' and can have it all, do it all.  Granted her point was that she's not trying to be what others say she has to be, but at the same time her emphasis was that she's not JUST a mom and wife. 

The prevailing message is:  Be a mom, but for heaven's sake 'don't lose yourself' while doing so.  Have your career - outside of the home. Something that DEFINES you. Don't - by any means - allow the terms WIFE and MOM to define you.  You are MORE than that.

That's the underbelly of most sentiments around the career 'MOTHERHOOD'!

When our older three children were young - infants and preschoolers, I joined a mom's group called MOPS - Mother's of Preschoolers.  It was a Godsend.  Techno and I had decided when Jacob was 18 mo old that I'd stay home - full time - to care for him and our home.  It was such a blessing to be able to do that.

I'm not going to say being home full time is always rosey - it's not.  Especially when you are in the trenches with young kiddos and have limited contact with adults during that time.  It's tough.

Sometimes you just want another grown up to talk to.

MOPS filled that need..... and more.

Friendship; encouragement; compassion; camaraderie; were all found with other woman navigating the same trenches I found myself in.

It also acknowledged the nobel calling of motherhood, wifehood.  It shed light on the importance of being home with one's children; of choosing to care for the home and your husband.

I was so elated when this group came into my life.  It helped me embrace the role I knew God had prepared me to fill and cemented my belief that such a role was meaningful.  Important.  Vital.

When our girls were born, I noted a change in the direction of that group.  It still supported moms of young children, but the 'bent' of the group was more toward empowering moms to meet their FULL potential - which now seemed to mean MORE than 'just motherhood'.

I was perplexed.

Motherhood, in and of itself, is an AMAZING way to fulfill one's greatest potential!  What greater way to impact lives than to raise up your own children?

I chose to not remain a member of that group.

It no longer fit my needs.

Plus, I was older, more mature, more established in my beliefs and friendships.  My older kids were being homeschooled and to be honest - I had more than enough conversations to fill my day.  :-) (Which if you recall, was one need I had when my children were young - conversation that included more than 2 syllables at a time.)

Reflecting now - I still see this same sentiment expressed.

Sure, being a mom is important, but....

..... it's not 'enough' for most.

Why?

It should be.

It could be.

It IS!

Maybe not everyone WANTS to be a full-time-stay-at-home-mom, that's their prerogative.  However, for those who do... shouldn't it be a viable, acceptable, even applauded role?  Just as any other 'career' a woman chooses is commended?

When I attempted to work part time, once all of our kids were school age, and I felt a few days a month working a few hours a day wouldn't be a big deal, I discovered an interesting mindset.

First of all was my own.

Even though our kids were a bit older - the youngest was 7.5 and the oldest was 19.5 and off at college - I still felt as though my 'job' should be at home - with those children.  Even though they don't 'need' me like they did when they were young, I could still be present to mold their character, answer their questions, console them when they were sad, comfort them when they were sick, rejoice in their triumphs, encourage them in their failures.

Just being there is important.

It matters.

More interesting was the perspective of others.

When I'd express how my kids missed me and I them, the prominent response I heard was, "Well, it's good you can be home with them, buuuuut it's really important that you get time away for yourself.  This is good for YOU.  You NEED this time away."

Most everyone I came in contact with espoused this opinion.

I was shocked.  Dumbfounded.  Saddened.  Mystified.

Maybe I'm just a mutant in my thoughts and feelings, but... I enjoy being home with my children.

I revel in watching them grow, mature, learn, even fail, and try again.

Sure, time for myself is important and necessary for prime health, but.... I can honestly say a 'job' or 'career' outside of the home isn't necessarily the way to accomplish that.

My CAREER is that of WIFE and MOM.

Those who choose to work outside the home - to have a different career - need time away from their job as well, right?  It's no different for moms who have made 'being home' their career of choice.

Most people don't get a second job in order to 'get time away' from their first job.  That's crazy talk, am I right?  No, most people take a day off; go shopping; go to the spa; go golfing; play tennis; take a day trip; stay home and watch Netflix; take a vacation; whatever it is that they find relaxing.

Why should it be different for me?  For stay-at-home moms?  My 'job' is wife and mom to my wonderful crew.  When I need a break, I do any number of the items mentioned above or some days.... I just take a nap and that's enough 'time away' to do wonders.

I'm a homeschooling mom to 6 wonderful children (well, 5 now as the oldest is off on his own in college) and wife to Techno.  My job is to teach these children - not only academics, but life skills; as well as tending to our home - via household chores, cooking, etc; and being a good wife to Techno.

If I do my job well, our children will become excellent members of society.  They will be movers and shakers in their own rights.  My husband will thrive in his chosen field.  Our home will be inviting, warm, and welcoming.

Just as a woman who values her corporate job and the successes she has there, I relish in my chosen field and appreciate the fruits of my labor when I see these smiling faces.

The reason I chose this career as MOM!  Why I LOVE my job so much.

I take my job description seriously.

I LOVE this career I've chosen.

I wish others valued it as well.

At the very least I desire that others wouldn't diminish this choice as something 'less' or not as fulfilling of a career as some other occupation done outside of these 4 walls I call home.

Bunny Woes

Cappuccino - Trinity's chocolate mini-rex rabbit, suddenly displayed some alarming symptoms.

In under a week she had dropped significant weight and overnight had become quite lethargic.

Still eating and drinking, I wasn't sure what could be wrong.

How could she be losing all this weight and be eating all her food daily?

A text to my 'expert' rabbit friends and it was obvious a trip to the vet was in order.

Once the vet saw her, she determined it was most likely a very mild respiratory infection along with dehydration and not enough nourishment.

What?  How can THAT be?  She eats all. her. food. daily.

We feed 16% protein pellets and usually hay.

However, we had run out of good hay and what we did have had gotten wet and I didn't want to risk giving it to the rabbits for fear of mold growth.

Apparently, hay should be the majority of all our buns' diet.

Some rabbits just don't tolerate and gain as they should on pellets alone.  'Cappy' appears to be such a rabbit.

So.... many dollars later -- like triple the cost of said rabbit -- she is home; getting oral antibiotics twice a day via a syringe directly into the back cheeks of her little mouth;  a whole slew of hay; along with her pellets; and of course fresh water; and she is doing SO.  MUCH.  BETTER!

Since she is inside - separated from the other rabbits - to avoid spreading any infections, the other two girls wanted to bring their bunnies in for me to 'check'.

Mocha is doing well.  Her fur is growing back nicely and she is gaining weight well.

Wrinkles looks great.  He's curious, a good size, and his fur is so soft and supple.  However, upon flipping him to check his nose and teeth, one of the girls noted the fur on one of his back paws was worn off and he had a small red sore.

This happens sometimes when rabbits live in wire cages.  Boo!
We will be making small wooden 'pads' for our new rabbits to sit on in their cages.

Sore Hocks.

Geesh -- when it rains it pours, I guess.

Fortunately, the girls made first aid kits for both our rabbits and our chickens this past year for 4H fair.

They have both been quite handy.

We washed the foot with warm soapy water to remove germs; rinsed the soap off; applied antibiotic ointment; then a coat of aquaphor to protect the area.

Adding antibiotic ointment to Wrinkles poor sore hock.
(forgive the blurry pic, Trinity was in charge of the phone.)

We added extra hay into his cage for him to 'rest' on until I can cut out some boards for him to sit on in his cage.

THIS is why it's so important to 'examine' your rabbits regularly to be sure all is well.

We caught both of these instances early.  Quickly.

In so doing, we were able to treat them before either ailment became life threatening.

Having our mini-mountain-menagerie is definitely a learning experience that keeps us on our toes.

Individual Zone Cleaning

After we moved to the mountains, some of our 'cleaning schedules' began to break down.

I'm not sure why.

The smaller space?

Our schedule slowly becoming busier?

The kids' school work getting more intense?

My bought of depression after the girls' diagnosis and my mom's death?

I'm sure they all contributed.

But... whatever the reason, we got into a rut.  The house would slowly deteriorate throughout the week.

Resulting in Saturday being an 'all-day-cleaning-day'.

This wasn't a HORRIBLE thing, but it did mean by mid to end of week, the house looked awful and come the weekend ALL we did was clean.

Not to mention the chaos if for some reason we were 'busy' with some other task on the weekend.  Then?  The house would become a veritable pit before the next weekend hit.  Sigh.

It also meant the house really only felt and looked tidy and peaceful for a day or two -- MAX.  At least on the days we DID get to the cleaning.

That in and of itself was deflating to me personally.

To counter this, I came up with assigning 'areas' to each child to work on daily -- 15-30 minutes a day.  (Originally I figured 15 min a day twice a day, but it's turning out to be more like 20-30 once a day due to their school work and other 'chore' schedules.)

This approach actually appears to be working quite well.  (Most of the time, anyway.)

We plan to rotate areas every several weeks.

Allowing each person to get 'good' at their particular zone, but also preventing any one person from having the 'lion's share' of the work.  I originally thought of rotating weekly, but decided this could allow one person to 'slack' on their zone resulting in the next person being responsible for 'picking up that slack' and being bogged down.

Let's face it.... cleaning the school room is no where near as demanding as cleaning the kitchen etc.
Plus, next year the older kids go off to college.  The girls need to know how to do ALL of the chores so it's not a shock to the system once they take them over in just a mere 11 months or so.

Now, this may sound 'extreme'.

ONE person is responsible for the kitchen?

It's not quite THAT bad.

The breakfast dishes and cleaning of the island/table/counters are the girls responsibility while the older two walk the dogs.  They even have a chart on the refrigerator that divides out who does what, when.  Lunch is on the big kids.  Dinner once again falls to the girls while the older two again walk the dogs for the evening.  Not to mention I do some of the dishes as I cook and meander through the kitchen throughout the day.

Then, once a day, the individual who has the 'kitchen' chore is responsible for a more thorough clean. Putting everything on the counters away; wiping down the counters; wiping off the fronts of the cabinets (although this one still gets forgotten often - maybe MOST of the time, actually); sweeping the floors; emptying trash etc.

The living room gets straightened - everything off the floor and put away; swept; dusted at least once mid-week so it doesn't build up too much - again, I'm finding this one gets 'forgotten' more often than not, but.....  (We live in a VERY dusty location so it can look not dusted mere hours after completing said dusting.)

Same with other areas of the house - the dining room gets swept, straightened, table cleaned, and the pantry 'picked up' daily.  The bathroom counters gets wiped, toilet swished, floors swept -- daily.

Each 'zone' in the house gets a little 'spruce up' throughout the day.

Since all the chores are being done regularly, the house stays looking 'presentable' and the 'all-house-clean' on Sat doesn't take near as long.  Plus, if we happen to have a week where Sat is already full, (which happens often as we get further into the school and 4H year) the house doesn't look as though a tornado went through -- or at least it looks like a category 1 or 2 rather than a 5.  :-/

I think it's been a win-win for everyone.

The kids are learning to do things bit by bit; picking up; putting away instead of simply stepping over the 'mess' on the floor; being more purposeful; etc.  Plus, their Saturdays are not completely eaten up cleaning the house.

More free time in the long run.

The house may not be perfect - my post about messes in the kitchen made that obvious - but... once a day, the house usually looks 'decent'.

(Although, busy schedules still tend to wreak havoc on the best laid plans -- when we have appointments out of the house; big projects due in school; other chore projects that eat up more time than expected; this system still 'breaks down'.  However, it's better than it was so it's a gold medal in my book.  Plus, habits are being formed that'll last a lifetime which is the greatest incentive of all -- that's the hope anyway.)

I don't twitch nearly as often.

My blood pressure doesn't rise, pounding in my veins as I walk through the house.

I've come to accept our house will always look 'lived in' because, well, that's exactly what we do.  We live and love in our little house.  That results in constant messes, constant dishes, constant books and papers on surfaces.

However, I've also come to expect that we can keep some modicum of order in our everyday chaos.

The zone daily cleaning is helping us accomplish that order.

At least on a minor scale.

It may not be 'Martha Stewart or Pinterest Worthy' but.... it's homey; it's safe; it's ours.

Our little 'controlled mess'.

Selling Rabbits

As promised, I placed several ads trying to sell some of our rabbits from our last 2 litters.  In addition, I decided we'd sell a Sr doe and a Sr buck as well.  I want to bring in new bloodlines and with the addition of the mini-rex rabbits, our rabbitry appeared to be growing by leaps and bounds with not much space to expand.

With that in mind, I listed Shortstop - our original buck and Midnight, daughter of Shortstop and Trixiebelle from our first ever successful litter.

Shortstop - our first buck.  Our main herd sire to date.

Midnight - Shortstop and Trixiebelle's daughter.   (She's experiencing a little fur molting at the moment.)

Initially we had very little interest.


Well, legitimate interest, that is.

We did have one lady who offered to buy all of the rabbits -- 12 rabbits -- all purebred, pedigreed, Silver Fox rabbits -- 2 of which were proven -- for......

Wait for it.....

........$85.

Yeah, I have more than that in feed alone for a couple months.  The Sr doe and buck are 1.5 and 2.5 years old respectively.  That's a lot more in feed.  Plus hay, cages, feeders, waterers, time, and love.

Not happening.

We'd sooner put them in our freezer than sell them at that price.

Shoot, I'd even PAY that much to have them processed before I'd just 'give them away' like that.

I had all but given up hope on selling any, when I got an e-mail asking if we still had any breeding pairs left.

After exchanging many e-mails, it looks as though we may be selling 4 of our rabbits.  Shortstop - our original buck - and his daughter, Midnight, whom we bred to him for fair this past year.  As well as 2 of the Juniors - a buck and a doe.

The Jr. Doe.
She's looking quite nice in color and shape.

The Jr. Buck
He's got some good silvering and his
shape is also looking pretty good.

I was excited, but as I realized what it meant, I also became a little sad.

Shortstop and midnight would no longer be 'ours'.

Shortstop - he's a sweet little guy.  He's been a good
herd sire.  He gets the job done and produces great kits.

Funny how we grow attached to these little critters, isn't it?

Midnight - Selah is sad to see her go as she is our 'sweetest'
adult silver fox.  But... I like the kits her mom produces
better, so... the decision had to be made.

Right after getting all that arranged, another e-mail came in expressing interest in our Silver Fox rabbits.  Unfortunately this woman has some of the bloodline that our rabbits come from in her rabbitry and is looking for new so she passed.





However, through this contact, I may have found a new buck to add to our group.  YIPPEE!!!

Interesting how things pan out sometimes.

We'll still have some rabbits to process, but not such a daunting number at once plus we'll recoup some of the funds we've put into our little rabbit ranch and be able to further expand our breeding crop.

Not to mention... it seems as though the 4 we are selling will be the 'keepers' for this new rabbitry -- making it a little less sad to see our Shortstop move on to new pastures.

The little Jr. doe.  She's pretty sweet as well. Great silvering.

The Jr. buck.  He was quite curious when we got him out for
his picture.  Also has some nice silvering.  Shortstop
really brought that to the table in our rabbitry.

Bald Bunny

As I mentioned before, we just purchased 3 mini-rex rabbits to add to our little brood of hippity-hoppity friends.

The other day the girls brought the smallest of the rabbits in to show me the fur on her head was 'thinning'.

It looked as though she may have been 'rubbing' it on something causing it to be scraped off.  Yet, we've not seen her do this and it happened literally overnight.

I was perplexed.

All I could say was 'we'll watch her and see what happens.'

There was no trauma other than losing some hair on her little head.

The next day, as I was dressing and brushing my teeth in the bathroom I could hear the girls outside in the rabbit hutch.  (It's literally located outside our bathroom/bedroom wall in the back of the house.)

Gasping, "OH NO!!!"  Followed by some garbled, indistinguishable words, then, "We need to tell mommy."

Upon hearing all this, I anticipated the appearance of at least ONE little girl.  I assumed if it were something tremendously serious there would be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

None of that happened.

Instead, as I walked out of our master bath and into the bedroom, there entered into our room 3 little girls, one holding little Mocha.

That bald spot on her head was now quite large.

Humph!

The girls suggested that her cage mate -- you know, the cage I refashioned into 2 cages by adding a divider in the middle making 2 separate cages -- was possibly getting 'jabs in' from the other cage.

As I examined the rabbits bald spot I didn't see scratches or bite marks so I assumed that was the least likely culprit.

I still ascertained that she was probably 'rubbing her head' on her metal food dish or something.

Yet, considering myself a 'novice rabbit owner' (even after 2 years) I sent a quick message with pictures to 2 'experts' in the rabbit arena.

Immediately one responded asking if her cage was 'joining' another rabbit's cage where they could possibly 'reach' one another.

Why yes it does. Why do you ask?  LOL!

Apparently a more dominate rabbit will 'pull fur' off of the submissive rabbit JUST. LIKE. THIS!

Sigh.

The girls were 100% correct in their assessment of the situation.

Who'd a thunk it, right?

Temporarily we have moved little Mocha into one of the carrier cages and I'll be purchasing some metal, white plastic, or a board to put up as a barrier between the cages in the very near future.

The things you learn.

Seems running a mini-mountain-menagerie is all about trial and error.  At least we keep on learning.

Roller Coaster Numbers

Lately, the girls numbers have been running a tad higher than we'd like to see.  A bit more sporadic jumps into 'Wo, that's high!' numbers.

Of course, we are talking about type 1 diabetes here.... it's not like there's really a TRUE predictable pattern - at least not as we've found with growing little girls.

We've been playing with their basal rates trying to combat the highs.  Just as we think we've gotten a handle on things, their numbers will plummet out from under us and we'll have a night of extreme lows.

ARG!!

That's the worst - you bump up insulin to try to keep those high numbers at bay.  To thwart off 'future damage' to one's internal organs... yet, that very same tactic can backfire and bring numbers plunging to scary lows that are hard to bring back up to safe levels.

Just when you think you are doing the best you can to keep your child healthy, you suddenly find that very plan of action is bringing your loved one seriously close to seizures or death.

It's mind boggling.

Mind numbing.

Grief throbbing.

We've heard horror stories of others using insulin pump therapy - which simply means using an insulin pump to distribute insulin rather than a syringe - going into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) from pump failure and extreme high blood glucose numbers.

DKA occurs when the body isn't getting the insulin it needs.  This results in 

glucose remaining in the blood rather than entering the cells that need it for energy.

When too much sugar builds up, the blood can become acidic, making the individual

very sick.  If not treated; if insulin is not given; the body will begin to shut down. 

Coma, brain damage, and eventually death will occur if not remedied.

We are vigilante in watching for such a scenario.  

However, things in diabetes world can take a drastic turn rather quickly.

Overnight, Trinity's numbers just. wouldn't. come. down.

A correction before bed.  One before Techno and I turned in for the night a few hours later.  Yet another in the middle of the night when Techno was up dealing with a rather bad low with Selah and himself.  Then yet another at breakfast.

Each time, her BG would start trending down, fooling us that all was moving in the right direction.  Only to discover a couple hours later it was right back up - higher than the time before.

Maddening.

In general the girls have been running higher at night and once they get their 'food boluses' along with their basal rate, things tend to 'settle in' a bit more come morning. 

That was what we banked on as we headed out for church.

In the middle of Sunday school Trinity feels her Dexcom vibrate and looks at her screen.  HIGH!  That means the interstitial fluid that the sensor reads was showing a level of 400 or higher as that is the highest this particular piece of equipment can detect.  

Scrubbing her fingertip with an alcohol swab and a finger prick later, her blood glucose meter glared a staggering 592.

I don't know that we've seen quite that high a number since early diagnosis.

We both drew the same conclusion that her pump site was probably failing.  She still took a correction with the plan to change said pump site as soon as class was finished.

As I was changing her pump site in the nursery, chatting with her and two other moms also in the room, I commented that her site had possibly failed and we needed to change her inset as her levels were so high at 592.  One mom asked, "Is that pretty high?"  The other, who has a brother with T1 as well responded, "Yeah, that's close to comatose high."

She wasn't wrong.

By the time the church service was over - about an hour and half after the high reading and the change of pump site - her numbers were down significantly.  

Still higher than we'd like to see, but not so alarmingly high.

The pump site must have been working at least a little b/c that insulin we gave during Sunday school was doing it's job -- even if only half heartedly.

My heart still thumps and lunges to the pit of my stomach when I see such high numbers but it no longer turns me into a puddle of mush.  

I take a deep breath; assess the situation; gauge the girls physical status; make decisions; and take action.

It's a day in, day out thing.

On the outside - our girls look like healthy,  happy little people playing, growing, even thriving.  For the most part, that's very true.

However, it's a constant battle to keep this beast of a disease at bay.

This event was such a reminder of that.

It doesn't take much; it doesn't take long; a good day can turn south in a short span of time.

I'm grateful for the technology we have and the life saving insulin to keep them laughing, giggling, and being the precious little gems that they are.

Snow in the Mountains

Living in Wyoming, it's not unheard of to get snow in the fall months.  Shoot, it's not unheard of to get snow in ANY month, but.. when it happens early it's still jolting.

On Sept 24, 2017 (and again on Oct. 9, 2017) just such a scenario played out.

We'd had a rather warm September - at least for Wyoming standards.

A couple days early in Sept felt warmer than most summer days we'd had this year.  Which is odd to say the least.

So... when the temps began dropping and the threat of snow became eminent.... it was sorta sad.

Yet, living in Wyoming, this early fall snow is quite typical and shouldn't bring much surprise.

Fortunately, the extended weather forecast is showing warmer temps returning.  

When I shared a pic of our snow on social media my aunt commented that maybe we'd get an Indian Summer in the coming days.

She's right -- we may.

(I sure hope we do!)

But Indian Summer in Wyoming is temperatures in the 50's-60's not the 80's and 90's like most areas experience.

However, I'll root for our form of Indian Summer as we have plenty of 'before winter hits' chores yet to complete.

Chores like:  processing around 11 rabbits; moving the remaining 9 or so rabbits into the garage; winterizing the craft camper and office; putting tarps around the chicken run; adding on to Titus' dog shelter; not to mention pulling out the winter clothes, coats, and boots.

But... time keeps marching on..... so whenever winter decides to fully hit.... we'll just take it in stride.

Wouldn't be the first time we've completed some of those 'get ready for winter' chores in the blowing snow.

I'm guessing it won't be the last either.

Bathroom Organization

After our little fire mishap, I emptied the hot water heater closet and stacked all it's contents into the main area of the bathroom with plans to deal with everything soon.

Well, a day turned into two; turned into a week; turned into a couple weeks.

How did THAT happen?  Wasn't that fire just yesterday?  LOL!

I decided to tackle the beast that is 'THE KIDS' BATHROOM'!

I found a plastic 7 drawer storage system to put into the closet.

Filtering out what to put in there and what not to took the most time.

I tossed, reassigned, organized, cleaned the entire closet and it's contents.

Bins for cold medicines; pain and fever reducer; tummy troubles; hot/cold treatment; first aid; lotions; travel toiletries; peroxide (as we buy it by the gallons due to the potential skunk sprays our dogs often suffer).

Then I tackled the under sink areas.  I'm never sure why these areas get so disastrous; there's really not that much stuff in these cupboards.

The biggest mess was the kids toothbrush drawer.

As I pulled out the drawer I was struck by the shear number of toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and floss containers housed in this tiny, unassuming drawer.  Granted w/6 kids, there's bound to be a lot of toothbrushes, but I swear there may have been close to 20 odd toothbrushes in this space.  Travel type; battery operated; little kid ones; regular ones; unopened ones.

I called the kids to 'claim' their most recent toothbrush that they received from the dentist just days before and began tossing the rest.  If they were open or not an obvious 'travel' toothbrush -- they were pitched.

Then the toothpastes -- I kid you not, there had to have been 5-6 full sized toothpaste tubes in various states of use.  All open; none 'empty'.  That doesn't even begin to cover the myriad of travel tubes that were in this small drawer.  I took all but 2 tubes - one adult; one kid variety - and put them in the closet in one of the drawers with the 'extra' toothpaste that's not been open to date.

Phew!  I guess we need to revisit the idea of not opening a 'new' package of something before the old one is gone.

Similar to the toothbrush drawer, I noted the ledge of the bathtub was riddled with bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and face wash.  Granted, the littles use a little bit different soaps than Bethany and Elijah chooses not to use the flowery scents the girls like.... but.... still.....

Once again, the entire ledge was COVERED in bottles.  Most, if not all, still 1/4 - 1/2 full and another of it's kind already opened and more full.

Sigh.

Still, I was thrilled to have that task complete and now know there's another 'teachable' moment upon which to capitalize .

Gotta find the positive, right?

The Tooth Fairy

At our house, the 'tooth fairy' brings a dollar for each lost tooth.

However, due to our kids being somewhat light sleepers and the fact we've used bunk beds for most of their young lives, they leave their little lost teeth in the bathroom in a sandwich baggy or a special  'tooth box' that some have picked up from the dentist's office..  (One wouldn't want their tooth to get lost or their dollar to get wet -- both of which happened prior to the 'bag protocol' being instituted.)

Despite this arrangement, the adult 'tooth fairies' in our house tend to be forgetful.

Days can go by and still -- the tiny tooth sits on the sink, lonely in it's see through pouch, awaiting pick-up.

Morning after morning, with anticipation, the lost tooth owner will run to the bathroom only to discover..... Their.  Tooth.  Is.  Still.  There.

Sigh.

The excuses as to why the 'tooth fairy' has not arrived are varied:  More than the average amount of children lost teeth that day so she couldn't make it to our house; we live out in the middle of no where and she got lost or too tired to complete the trip in one day; the weather is bad; the wind was so strong; and on and on.

The knowing smirks on their precious faces are sweet.

I'm glad for their patient hearts and fun spirits.

Lately, the 'adult fairies' have been saved by the 'teen fairies' in our home -  more often than not.

On more than one occasion the 'teen fairies' happen to be up later than the adult variety and notice the tooth is still sitting on the sink.  They will go ahead and dip into their own stash of 'tooth dollars' and leave a single bill for the slumbering sister who lost the tooth and is waiting on the exchange.

Such wonderful 'fairies in training' we have in our home.

Other times, as these same 'teen fairies' are getting ready for bed, they bolt out and remind the 'adult fairies' that the 'tooth fairy' has yet to come.

This allows an 'adult fairy' to dig into the tooth fund and pull out a dollar to replace the lost tooth - usually sending it via 'teen fairy courier'.

Phew, saved yet again.

The next morning, the tooth is gone...  a dollar in it's place.... the smiles are big.

I just love we have such a 'community of tooth fairies' to be sure this job is not forgotten.

Well, at least not forgotten for too long or completely.

Lived-in Home

I have to admit, I'm often - well always really - torn between having a pristine, clean, Martha Stewart, Pinterest worthy house and being content with the home I have with finger prints, toys strewn about, mismatched decor, and chipped paint and cabinets.

You know, the lived in, loved in kinda house with a little dirt and sticky crumbs mixed in for good measure.

As I went to pour my second cup of coffee the other morning, I was struck by the pink rings on the counter where someone made their 'flavored water' and dribbled the 'flavoring' over the edge of their cup; the finger prints on the microwave from sticky fingers opening up the door to heat their breakfast; the smears of peanut butter or whatever other 'food' item had spilled down the front of the cabinet when they prepared their snack; the overflowing garbage can as I went to toss the napkin I just used to clean up said peanut butter mess; I sighed.

The kitchen had been completely clean just the evening before.

How, oh how was it THIS messy THAT fast?

In that moment it struck me -- this juxtaposition I'm in.

This stage of life isn't going to last much longer.

Bethany and Elijah will be moving off to college next year.

The littles aren't really all that 'little' anymore.  Shoot just now Trinity cooked up a snack for herself and her two sisters on the stove.  Yeah, not little anymore.  (Although, said snack did ADD to the mess I mentioned above, I'm certain.)

As I drank my second cup of coffee, I pondered... What's REALLY  important to me?

I know that a messy, cluttered house causes me stress.  I can literally feel my blood pressure rise and my attitude turn sour when the house is in 'disaster mode'.  Yet, as I glanced around at the finger prints and smeared food, I was struck with how soon all these minor annoyances will be gone.  Those reminders that our house is filled with little hands, little feet, children who are learning to make their own meals, clean up after themselves (or not as the case may sometimes be based on the state of our kitchen.)

It made me smile.  Slowly with a little tick, but... a smile none-the-less.  ;-)

Sure, I still yearn for the house to be 'presentable'; nice even.  I'd love to have the budget to turn our home into a home and gardens model, but... we don't and it's not.

We live here.

ALL. THE. TIME!

Literally.

It's not like we get up each morning and leave the house. The kids do school here; I am home all day teaching them; Techno works from here; the dogs and cat are here all day; we go in and out feeding chickens and rabbits; we LIVE and WORK and PLAY in our house.

All day, everyday.

That results in a lot more mess than the average family.

For now, I'm not fretting -- much --  over the smudges on the stainless steel fridge; the fingerprints on the microwave; the smears of peanut butter on the cabinet fronts; the crumbs on the island; the shoes in the entryway; the toys on the floor; the books on the desks.

Because.... soon enough.... I'll miss all those things.

All this mess.

I'll long for the days when the house was filled to the brim being lived in by all our precious children.

Not to mention, the mess?  It does get cleaned up at the end of the day -- one way or another -- sometimes really well, sometimes just a pass through.

Yet, soon -- too soon -- there will be no bustle of children mucking around in the kitchen making messes.  There will be no school books and papers strewn all over the schoolroom/entryway.  The toys will be gone.  The large basket of shoes will only hold 2 pair instead of the MILLIONS it overflows to the floor now.  The basket of laundry will sit mostly empty throughout the week instead of toppling over with clothes daily.

This stage of life is fleeting.  Quicker than I'd like to admit.

I'm glad I can say, that at least for today, I'm choosing to be content with the lived in home we have and not agonize over having a picture perfect house.