My crochet projects

I just started crocheting the beginning of August I believe (or maybe the middle). Here are a couple of the projects I have going on.

My 6yr old's blanket and close up





My 5yr old's blanket and close up



My 3yr old's blanket and close up.



Avery's blanket (well a close up)


Michael's baby blanket (close up)


Close up of the blanket I'm making for the couch (which will actually be mine)

Menu Monday

Ok so I wrote the menu up on Saturday, but I'm just getting around to posting it.

S~Taco's
S~Porkchops, homemade mac n cheese, veggies
M~Crockpot BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, tater tots, and mac. (yeah I know no veggie)
T~Chicken Alfredo
W~Hot Dogs, baked beans and FF
Th~Roast, carrots, and potatoes
FR~Leftovers or eat out

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2) In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stir into pumpkin mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Stir in walnuts if desired. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
3) Bake for 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges begin to brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
I actually did tablespoon drop cookies not teaspoon

Having a hard time

I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with this being our last child. Hubby says he thinks this should be our last. I'm not so sure. I just go back and forth a lot. Some days when the kids are really driving me nuts or I have to do something like taking them all to an event by myself I don't want to have more. Then again like this morning I had to take the 4 little girls to a soccer game. They did great other than the 3 (almost 4)yr old having a fit twice. If I have my oldest with me it's a lot easier.

I just can't wrap my mind around this one being our last. I just don't feel it. I cry almost every time I go through the baby clothes to try to pull things out for a friend that is having a girl. I mean I know at some point and time there will be a "last baby", but I just don't feel that this little one is it. Does that make sense?

I know others think I'm nuts because I already have 5 and this is our 6th. I get the "I don't know how you do it", "Man your hands are full", "You know what causes that" and even "This one should be your last you need to give your body a rest". I just feel like maybe I should just put it in God's hands. If he doesn't want us to have more then he won't bless us with more. Right??

Rethinking Baby's Name

We have Michael James picked out. BUT, I love the name Benjamin. So now I'm going back and forth. Michael is the name of a little boy I baby sat as a teenager. He was such a sweet boy, his father's name was also Michael and I was so close to the family. Benjamin I just LOVE! Hubby didn't like it, but now says he will think about it.

I can't name him Benjamin Michael because our last name starts with an S and I don't want his intials to be BMS. I don't care much for the way Benjamin James flows.

Hubby is worried people will call him Ben (which I like), don't know why that bothers him.

Parenting

I'm in no way shape of form the best at parenting! I'll admit it, but some people's parenting really ticks me off. The things I sometimes see just amaze me!

I've seen parents let their children run wild at a wedding while they sit outside and get wasted and then load their kids up in the car to head on down the road! WHAT? Yeah I know that's what you are thinking (or at least any good parent would be thinking). Even after being stopped and asked to please let you take the kids and follow you to where ever it is your going.

Pawning your kids off on someone else to go do whatever else it is that you want to do and then wonder why your kid(s) don't want to "hang out" with you. Maybe because you've pawned them off too many times.

Here's the kicker this morning while taking my kids to school. Walking my 1st grader to class I hear a father tell his daughter "We don't have time for hugs and kisses every day, now come on and stop crying". Made me want to go hug that little girl! Who doesn't have time to hug and kiss their child/children every day?!

Do people not realize that children are a blessing, and that blessing can be taken away from you so easily! They need to thank God that they have that child to love every day. Even if you are running behind it takes 30 seconds to give your child a hug and a kiss. Hug and kiss your child every single time you can!

Now to make my morning better after hearing this father I get to my 1st graders class and her teacher hugs her and kisses her on the head...which she's done every day since the first day! Melts my heart that she loves her students so much!

Now my funny for the day! When walking my Kindergartner to class I hear "Natalie's here"! (melts my heart again). Then a little boy says to me "Have a good day at work":) I have the best job, so how could I not have a good day? Thanks little guy!

New Hobby!

Well I've gotten into a new hobby! Knitting and crocheting! My oldest daughter Bella and I have been taking a class once a week at our library. We love the class, love the teacher, and love that we are making things. I started out knitting a scarf for my 6 year old. But Bella need the size needles I was using to knit a shrug, so I gave them up. I started crocheting a blanket for my 5yr old though. Below are pictures of what I've gotten done in 4 days. Not working on it all day, maybe an hour or so each day. I had to stop though, cause I ran out of yarn!

Far away pic to show the length.



Close up