An Expensive Lesson

Most of us learn that mom's have eyes in the back of their heads at an early age. As children we can usually not quite figure out how moms know so much. As we get older our moms get incredibly stupid, but that's another story.

Anyway, my cutie pie, newly turned 10 year old son decided to get curious Wed. and check out sites he isn't allowed to check out. Guess what? Mom found out because all kinds of "System Security" stuff started appearing all over the computer, the computer that we just got connected to the Internet the day before. We questioned the kids to see who had been on the computer and a very guilty and scared little boy admitted to it. Slowly over about a 10 minute time period my cutie pie confessed to pulling up sites he shouldn't have been on. We talked to him and I said I would fix it but next time he would be grounded from the computer if he went on sites he knew he wasn't allowed to go on. We reminded him that mom has ways of finding out where they've been on the computer.

Quite confident in my computer knowledge I thought something bad had entered the computer so I ran a virus scan and was going to get rid of whatever it was. Wow! Was I ever wrong! The problem just kept getting worse. The "System Security" turned out to be a virus that my cutie pie authorized to enter our computer by simply clicking "YES" to a pop up and by telling our real security system that it was okay for it to enter. To make a long story short, we lost all connection to the Internet and my virus scanner couldn't pick up the virus. It cost us $9.75 to talk to a person from McAfee to get the number to priority technical support. It cost us another $89.95 to talk to and turn complete control of our computer over to a very nice lady from McAfee who fixed our computer in about a 1/2 hours time. I can't believe how expensive it was to fix the computer and with money that we didn't have! There is no way I could have fixed it myself though and so we paid the price.


Lessons Learned:

1. Inform kids NOT to push yes to anything on the computer without asking mom first.


2. Check into parental controls for the computer.


3. and the hardest lesson for me is to NOT think my baby is as Innocent as I thought he was. I'm not ready for prepuberity to start. I've gone through it with 4 boys and 1 girl already and I AM NOT READY FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN, not yet anyway!!!!


4. and the lesson for the kids is to NEVER, EVER forget that mom does have eyes in the back of her head and you will get caught at what you do. Maybe not right away, but eventually, you will get caught!

Lets Play Catch Up and Yes, I'm a Stella Stalker!

I have spent the last 2 hours visiting blogs and having the best time being back in blog land! I knew I missed all of you, but honestly, I didn't realize how much. I have cried from touching posts and laughed from funny ones this morning! Thanks to all of you for making my day wonderful! I can't wait to visit more of you today.

Over the last few weeks we are partially moved in to our new house. The weather has SUCKED! It is not cooperating at all. I absolutely love the house though. I never realized how depressing the old place was until we got out. Each room was on a different level and there was only one window in each room. It just didn't flow and there wasn't enough natural light. The new house has so many windows and the main part of the house is all on one level and all the bedrooms are on the second floor. It is bright in here and so cheery and not all cluttered.

I have been having the best time being in the kitchen. I hated the kitchen in the old place and avoided it at all costs. Here I can see into the living room and be a part of what everyone else is doing while I'm in the kitchen. The dishwasher is a nice addition too!! Oh, how I've missed having a dishwasher!! Anyway, the kids and I have been cooking and enjoying our time in the kitchen.

My craft room is amazing! I can go and sew and I have room to spread my things out and all of my supplies are easily accessible. It is truly a room sent from heaven!

The kids have been enjoying the house too. They have been running circles around the walls that separate the living room, dining room and kitchen. I know it's not the safest thing for them to be doing, but hearing them laugh and chase each around is so much fun! Since we are only a few blocks from Earls main job and right next door to his second job we are getting to see him a lot more. He can pop in and say hi and see what we are doing. Also my daughter, Alexis, is living with her boyfriend and his dad and they are only about 2 blocks away. It is so nice!!!

The plow guy for the Church next door made a big hill for the kids to go sledding on.

We had some of our stuff in a storage unit and I found so many treasures. When we first moved into public housing they told us to throw out any boxes that I hadn't opened in the last year. I'm so glad I didn't listened to them. I have had so much fun rediscovering lost treasures. The one I am most happy about and that I really thought I had lost is this wooden book that my Great Grandmother had given me. My Grandpa had made it for her out of wood and plexi glass as a thing to hold her embroidery thread. He was so smart, he came up with this idea before they were even out in the stores.

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Years. The first night sleeping over at the new house was Christmas Eve. It was sparse on furnishings but fun anyway. The kids have enjoyed being home and just having time together. We are having the older kids over on Saturday to have Christmas with them. I just didn't have time to get everything done before Christmas.

My little Rock Stars!

Lexie turned 18 on the 27th of December. She is such a wonderful young woman and a I love having her as my daughter!! Ezie turned 10 on Monday. He is growing up to be such a cutie pie! Lexie and Jake brought cupcakes over to celebrate and all the kids had fun with that!



Jace was diagnosed the week before Christmas as having Pervasive Developmental Disorder which is in the autistic spectrum. It really bothered me at first, but I and Jace's therapist think the dx was made mostly from Jace's past history. I'm just glad that I went with my gut feeling 15 months ago and had him tested for speech. He is excelling in most areas and has made so much progress. Even with the dx the Dr. doesn't want to see him back because Jace is making so many accomplishments that he thinks he'll be fine. Whew!!

This morning while visiting blogs I went to my friend Lindsay-ann's blog. Lindsay-ann lives in England and she made this wonderful little doll named Stella. Stella will be visiting different people around the world over the next year. On each visit Stella will get a new addition to her appearance and a nice vacation with the family she is visiting. To check out her adventures so far just click on the Linday-ann's, Lorrie's, April's or Daphine's name and you can see how much fun Stella is having. So far lucky Stella has visited England, North Carolina, Georgia and Texas. Where we her adventures take her next?? I don't know, but I'm having a blast reading about her and think that Lindsay-ann and Lorrie had a wonderful idea in creating Stella!!! I must admit I have become a Stella Stalker!

Okay, I have to go spend some time with the kids and get some housework done.

It's great to be back!!!


Sherry

Breaking News!

Chookeyblue SSS

This is what Kate sent me for the Chookeyblue SSS. The fabric is absolutely gorgeous and the coasters are so cute that Kate made. She also sent me a pinchushion that reminded her of her childhood and some yummy candies and scrapbook stuff. Thanks Kate for a wonderful swap!

This is what I sent to my partner Tatania who lives in Australia. I made some fabric garland, owl notecards, yo-yo pins,

tissue holder, owl trivets, a tissue holder and some fabric.

Then I wrapped everything up in some reusable fabric Christmas bags that I made.

Thanks Kate for a wonderful swap!

I'm just checking in real quick I'll still don't have internet service at the new house. I hope everyone had a great holiday!!!

Christmas Wishes and Thank yous!

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and to thank Kate for the wonderful package she sent me all the way from Australia for the Chookeyblue Secret Santa Swap. I'll post pictures tomorrow. I have the computer at one house and the camera at the other. Goofy me! I'll be checking my email and blogging in between moving stuff. They won't turn my internet service or phone on at the new house until 1/6???? I can't believe it is going to take them so long, but Oh Well, such is life!

Have a wonderful and blessed day!!

Christmas Angels

This Christmas has been so "different" to say the least. We don't even have a tree up yet (it's going up tonight!!) Moving, only having one car (and it's a pickup) swaps, and babysitting have all been very time consuming and we are so far behind on everything. Anyway, even though this Christmas is not as I had planned I know it is going to be wonderful and magical for the kids.



I wanted to share a story about a year that I missed Christmas, but I did have Christmas Angels. Eighteen years ago I was pregnant with my daughter Lexie. All four of my other pregnancies had gone fine but with Lexie about 3 weeks before Christmas I developed toxemia. I was put on strict bed rest. How is a mom with 4 kids suppose to be on bed rest right before Christmas. It was hard and after a week my boys found me in bed having seizures. They called their dad and 911 and then went and caught the bus for school. They were such little troopers. I was admitted to the hospital and wasn't allowed any stimulation. No lights, baths, limited visitors, etc.... I was on Mag Sulfate, which is a very strong med to keep your blood pressure down. It wasn't the best timing!



Anyway, my sweet sisters, Cathy, Robyn and Stacey went over and put up our Christmas tree and decorated it with the boys. My Mom and Dad took my kids for Christmas break and kept them at their house. Mom, Dad and my brothers and sisters all made sure the boys were taken care of so I didn't have to worry about them. My mom was a nurse at the hospital so besides taking care of my boys she also would go to work and always stop in and take care of me. One evening she even came in with some kind of dry powder shampoo stuff and "washed" my hair for me so I wouldn't feel so gross. My sister, Cathy, brought me a little Christmas tree with little decorations and put it on my bedside table at the hospital. I collect music boxes and my mom brought me a globe music box with the Nativity scene in it and put it by the tree and then there was a light that shined right over the tree and music box. It was so beautiful and so nice to look over at and have a little Christmas of my own.



On Dec. 27 they finally decided they'd better take the baby because I was deteriorating so fast. So I was put under general anesthesia and woke up to find out that I finally had my beautiful baby girl. Lexie only weighed 3lbs. 6 ozs. and so she was in ICU for a couple of weeks.


After I got out of the hospital my brother, Mike, organized a nightly dinner drop off for us. For well over a week someone would drop a wonderful dinner off at our house. It was so nice to not have to worry about dinner every night while I was recovering, taking care of the boys and trying to make daily trips up to see Lexie.



I don't know if my family realized how much that meant to me, but I will never forget their kindness towards me and my boys. I truly have a wonderful family and they are all angels to me!

Our First Big Snow this Winter

Friday we had our first big snow.

It was only 12 degrees yesterday, but that didn't stop the kids from getting out there and playing and sledding.

Jace had the best time!

Mallory and Jace

Ezie and Jace on the hill across the street

My grandson Anthony, enjoyed the snow on Friday when his mommy had a snow day from school. He wanted to eat the snow.

After playing outside in the 12 degree weather for an hour or so the kids finally came in.
Mallory was crying because her little feet were so cold
and Jace was crying because they had to come in.
We are suppose to get another 6-10 inches today and have white outs from the wind.
Moving has not been happening much with this weather!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sugar Cookie Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Every Couple of Days Seems Like Christmas With All of the Swaps!

I received this wonderful swap package the other day but I was waiting until my partner received hers before I posted it. This swap was A Very Vintage Christmas Swap hosted by Heidi and my partner was Kim. Kim sent me 2 Little Golden books (I collect them), 2 glass Santa ornaments, a jar filled with beautiful ornaments, a Christmasy scarf, and some gorgoues and special lace that she had inherited from her recently deceased Grandma. I am going to use the lace on something special. I love everything you sent Kim!! Thanks for a wonderful swap!
Here's what I sent to Kim. I made matching aprons for her and her little girl and a matching bib for the baby. I made her son an apron out of cowboyish fabric. Kim wanted an apron and something that would involve her kids. I hope she likes pink!

The next swap is Priscila’s Vintage Christmas Stocking Swap and my partner was Ellen. Ellen sent me this wonderful package. This is package before Mallory got to it.

and then this is the opened package. A wonderful stocking, chocolates, ribbon candy, hot chocolate and coffee's, a hanging Santa, a yo-yo lollipop, a little bag that Ellen made filled with tags, a pincushion she made, and then

finally this beautiful little girl that has a planter in the back. She is so pretty!!!! Thanks so much Ellen! Everything is so perfect and I really love it all!! Thank you so much!

This is what I sent to Ellen. She collects tea cups so I sent her a stocking, a tea cup, a vintage hankie and doily, a tissure cover, a couple of yo-yo pins, some ribbon, an ornament, candies, notecards and aprons for her 2 little girls.

Please go check out both Kim and Ellens blogs and Etsy Shops!! They both have beautiful families and wonderful things in their shops. Kim makes baby carriers that are so nice for busy moms and she also has some of the cutest pillowcase dresses for girls. Ellen makes the most amazing pincushions that you have ever seen!

I also received my package from the Monique from the Netherlands for the Snowflake and Sparkles Swap hosted by Holly, but I'm waiting for her to receive my package before I post.

And the Swaps Are Coming In!

I participated in the Polka Dot & Ric Rac Swap hosted by Sharon - Red Geranium Cottage . I received the most beautiful quilted "Welcome" wall hanging from Nan. She also sent a couple of Moda Packs of bright fabric squares that will be fun to make something up with and a cute little notepad. I can't wait to hang the wall hanging up in the new house! It's so bright and cheery! Thanks so much Nan! You did such a wonderful job!

My partner from the swap was Dawn who lives in Australia. I'm not sure if she's rec'd my package yet because she's been having computer problems, but I hope she has. I made her an apron that the beautiful Mallory is modeling for me.

and then some notecards and a polka dot yo-yo pin and a ric rac pin and a tissue holder. The ric rac pin was fun to make. I found the directions on Knick Knacks and Ric Rac. It's a really cute blog!

Then Melissa was my swap partner for Jennifer's Vintage Pink Christmas Swap. Melissa made a cute stocking out of a vintage dress and sent some yummy peppermint bark and some other candies ("Yes!" said the kids), some candles, scrapbook stuff, a CD, Christmas coasters, a necklace with my initial on it, a vintage candy cane pin, a nutcracker ornament and some cards. I probably forgot something there was so many neat little things tucked in. Thanks so much Melissa! I love everything you sent and it was nice to get you for a swap partner!

I sent Melissa a pink start ornament that I got from Funky Shique on of my favorite Etsy Shops and I found some vintage Putz houses on Ebay since Melissa is starting to collect them. Then I made her a couple of yo-yo pins, cards and a tissue holder, a vintage pink doily and added an ornament and some candies.

Then my feet were freezing last week so after making and ripping apart a couple of different slippers I finally found a pattern that I liked. I made a pair for me and for Jace. Jace wanted nothing to do with them though so Anthony took gladly took them. Thanks Anthony! Ezie and Mallory have already picked out colors for 2 pairs each for me to make for them. They did turn out to be comfy and not to constraining on my feet,

because after all,

I am a barefoot kind of a girl,

but darn it my tootsies wouldn't stay warm.

Now they will though!

Cherishing a Pregnancy

My daughter-in-law Jenn is pregnant with her and my son Chad's first baby. Chad, Jr. is due Jan 20. All through her pregnancy Jenn has been having pictures taken of her showing her developing belly. I love the way she is cherishing her pregnancy! Here are some of the recent photos taken last week. Oh, it helps that Jenn works at a photography studio!

This is my favorite picture!

and Chad, Jr. looks like he is getting plump and ready to be born next month.

I can't wait to meet my little grandson!

Some Pics of Our New House

As many of you know I have been talking about the possibility of us moving. Well, we finally are!! Earl lost his job a little over 8 years ago, 2 weeks before Mallory was born. We were so broke and were pretty much forced to move to public housing. The apartment we moved into wasn't so bad, but the neighborhood was a cultural shock to me. The police were on our street several times a week and the adult neighbors were constantly fighting.

Two and 1/2 years ago we moved up a street and into a 4 bedroom which is a lot nicer but still it is public housing and still it is in a terrible neighborhood. We can here our neighbors cussing their kids out through our walls and it just hasn't been our idea of a decent place to live. Also every room is on a different floor which has been really hard with little ones!!

Earl's second job is at a church and they have a house they rent to the maintenance person. I couldn't believe the house when Earl finally got to take me to look at it last week. We started moving in the next day.

It's a real house, with a real yard

and we're really going to live in it!!!!

The front porch is enclosed so the little ones can play on it when the weathers nice and then there is a little entry way before you walk into the living room.

This is one corner of the living room

Look, the walls actually have color on them.

I haven't lived in a house with color on the walls in probably 13 years.

LOVE IT!!

This is looking into the dining room from the living room

(yes, a real dining room!!!)

This is just a little indentation between the dining room and the kitchen that we are using for a computer room. We can fit a bookshelf on one wall and the computer desk on the other. There is a 1/2 bathroom across from this room.

This is one side of the kitchen. I think I am going to do a little bit of painting in it to make everything match a little better.
This is the other side of the kitchen looking down into the dining room.

On the other side of the kitchen is the laundry room which has a door that leads to a full storage basement and another door that leads to the back porch.


and then the best room in the whole house

a craft room just for me!!!

It has these built in cabinets and this beautiful door that also leads to the back porch. It also has 2 beautiful windows to let the sunshine in and room for my sewing table, ironing board and some more cabinets for storage.

It is a dream come true!!

For the last 8 years the computer, baby toys and all my craft stuff have been in the living room. Now they will all be spread out over 4 rooms.

We can have a living room that will not be cluttered!!

This is our room

This is Mallory's room and then there are 2 more bedrooms.

All 4 bedrooms are upstairs along with a full bathroom.

There is also a nice full attic off one of the bedrooms for more storage.

Check this out! I love that most of the doors in the house have glass doorknobs.

They are so beautiful!!!!!

We have a huge front yard for my flowers, a side yard and a small backyard that Earl can plant his garden in. There is also a 2 car garage that Earl shares with the church. The backyard is also connected to the church parking lot so the kids can ride their bikes there when church isn't in service and a big playground from the church run nursery school that the kids can play on when the school isn't in session.

I'm sorry if it seems like I'm bragging

BUT

considering where we have lived for the last 8 years

this house is like a piece of heaven!!!

Check Out A Very Mary's Blog for a Great Giveaway!!

The Lovely and Generous Mary Ann

from A Very Mary Design is having a giveaway on her blog

until Dec.12.

Make sure you go and enter!!!

Christmas Swaps, Oh What Fun they Are!!

I have been so busy doing Christmas Swaps and most of them are in the mail on there way to my swap partners.

Yay!!!

Check out the this banner from Chooyblue's blog for her Secret Santa Swap.

It is an amazing swap with 156 people from 19 different countries.

Isn't that so cool???

We don't know who our partners are in this swap......ssshhh.....it's a secret. We also aren't allowed to open our packages until Christmas day. I think it will be so much fun. I'm also in the Pink Christmas Swap and it is being run the same way. I can't wait to get a tree up in our new house and put some presents for me underneath it!!

My package was mailed out to another country on 12/1/08.

I hope it makes it to it's destination safe and in time for Christmas morning!

This swap package is on it's way to my blogger friend Melissa.

It is full of some pinky vintage goodness!! This stocking and swap package is off to another wonderful blogger Ellen.

I can't wait to get to know her better! and this Stocking Swap is going out tomorrow or as soon as I get Jill's address. Sorry Jill, I'm a scatter brain and I can't find your address anywhere.

I will have more packages going out by Friday and then on to Christmas for my family and moving into my wonderful new house!!

Have a fantastic day!!

Sherry