I had a wonderful day today. I travelled to Whitwell, a small town outside Dunlap. They have an arts and crafts fair every year at Ketner's Mill. It is a real working mill on the Sequatchie River.
I just love everything about it, the sights and the smells, and all the talents that people have. The leaves are really starting to change color about this time of year. I love to look at nature and this little spot is at the foot of the mountains and the view is breathtaking! The air was so crisp and clean this morning. There is something about an early Saturday morning that I love, especially in fall.
I also love the food at events like this one! I love food in general, but being able to eat food that you don't usually get is special to me. I guess that is why I like the fair food so much. It only comes round once a year, any more than that and it would just be an everyday thing. I got a glass of fresh squeezed lemonade and fried mushrooms, on a stick! They were really good. Also, there are so many samples of things to try. I got a jar of orange blossom honey. I tried it first and it was really good. I wanted honey with a comb in it but I got this instead because it was so yummy. There was also a bakery type place set up that had these wonderful sourdough cream cheese muffins. I got one but I am already wishing that I had bought more! I also got other various food related items such as a huge bag of beautiful pecans that I am going to split with my mother in law, Joy. I always make Trad pecan pies for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it was a good buy. I got a pack of mulling spices for cider which I am going to try out at our harvest party if it doesn't rain! And I got some barbecue sauce. I really enjoy getting everyday items and seeing how someone has put their talent into it.
I saw a few people spinning. I particularly enjoyed watching one woman spinning alpaca wool. Things like that are really becoming a lost art. I would love to learn to do things like that if I only had the time! There were beautiful
pieces of pottery also. I am always amazed at how talented people are! There was also alot of beautiful jewelry pieces and handcrafted items.
I bought Abby a corduroy dress because I love corduroy and it was a beautiful brown and teal floral print. The dress itself was made very well and I really liked the way it was cut. I also bought her a onesie and a two piece outfit for next year that was tie-dyed. She didn't have anything tie-dyed! That's my excuse! :)
I went with my MIL Joy and my SIL April and her daughter, Kaylee. Kaylee and Abby were both troopers. They did so good. Abby did get hot and I had to change her into a cooler outfit. Grandma put her to sleep and she took a nap for a while. Kaylee didn't really seem to feel good, or April didn't think so, but she was better behaved than she has ever been on an outing. We stayed about 3 hours and saw everything. I had a wonderful time and hope we do it again next year!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
In search of ideas...
I have a couple things going that I would like some fresh ideas for...First, Braden's school is having "Book Character Day." This replaces Halloween for those that do not celebrate it. He is supposed to go as a character from a book. Easy enough?? Not so. Braden will not tolerate anything on his head or anything that is out of place on him. (I couldn't send him dressed as something that had a tail, etc.) I need some ideas of a character that I could dress him as. I guess it would just have to be the clothing that is the costume and nothing else. He wouldn't carry or hold something as part of his costume either. I am stumped. I want him to have a good costume. If anyone has any ideas I would LOVE to hear them!!
Next, my family and I are having a "harvest party" this year. We are doing it instead of a halloween party so we will not exclude our friends that don't celebrate halloween. We are going to have a bonfire and roast hotdogs and do smores. We are also doing a hayride and bobbing for apples. I am going to let the smaller children paint on little pumpkins also. Does anyone else have any good ideas for games or activities that would be appropriate?? There is going to be a wide age range of people attending and I would like to have enough activities to keep everyone busy. I want this to be a really nice party. Send me your ideas please!!
Next, my family and I are having a "harvest party" this year. We are doing it instead of a halloween party so we will not exclude our friends that don't celebrate halloween. We are going to have a bonfire and roast hotdogs and do smores. We are also doing a hayride and bobbing for apples. I am going to let the smaller children paint on little pumpkins also. Does anyone else have any good ideas for games or activities that would be appropriate?? There is going to be a wide age range of people attending and I would like to have enough activities to keep everyone busy. I want this to be a really nice party. Send me your ideas please!!
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Weathered doors...
The house I live in now was the house I lived in when I was born. Besides here,there is only one other place I have ever called home. My mother had this house built. She and my dad then added on to it later. It holds almost all of my memories from my childhood. There is a great deal of emotional attachment connected to it.
The front doors to the house are two huge wooden panels. Inside there are two chains on the door. I always keep the chains on when we are there (and of course when we aren't.) Lately, each time I chain or unchain the door I see the little nicks that the chain has taken out of the door over the last 36 years. I think about what was going on in the house at the time the nicks were placed. I think of how old my mother was when the first nick was made. I imagine happy times, like when I was first brought home from the hospital, and sad times like when my granny died. I also think about the last time she let the chain go and the nick it might have made. Even though I don't know which little mark it is, I know it is there.
There is so much history in those two doors. Trad would like to replace them, but I don't want to.. There is nothing wrong with them other than they are weathered and worn. They are very sentimental to me.
I like to think about the history of things, what was going on in the world when this or that was built, or who did what or when. I guess that is why I think about the doors so much. Maybe my daughter will do the same thing with those doors one day. Wondering what I was thinking or doing when those little nicks were made.
The front doors to the house are two huge wooden panels. Inside there are two chains on the door. I always keep the chains on when we are there (and of course when we aren't.) Lately, each time I chain or unchain the door I see the little nicks that the chain has taken out of the door over the last 36 years. I think about what was going on in the house at the time the nicks were placed. I think of how old my mother was when the first nick was made. I imagine happy times, like when I was first brought home from the hospital, and sad times like when my granny died. I also think about the last time she let the chain go and the nick it might have made. Even though I don't know which little mark it is, I know it is there.
There is so much history in those two doors. Trad would like to replace them, but I don't want to.. There is nothing wrong with them other than they are weathered and worn. They are very sentimental to me.
I like to think about the history of things, what was going on in the world when this or that was built, or who did what or when. I guess that is why I think about the doors so much. Maybe my daughter will do the same thing with those doors one day. Wondering what I was thinking or doing when those little nicks were made.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Sleep, I'd rather sleep...
Both of my boys have sleeping problems. It seems alot of autistic children do. They go through spells where they sleep really good, then not. Over time Braden seems to have had the most trouble, but Logan's problems are more severe.
Braden has been waking up every night the past week or so. He comes into our room, not wanting anything. I think he just wants to make sure we are still there. We usually get him a drink and put him right back to bed. He goes right to sleep. It hasn't always been that way though. He is getting better. However, he has been waking up really early in the mornings. Around 6 am, which is super-early for him. He has always liked to sleep late. That compounded with him cutting out his naps most days makes him not grumpy, but really annoying!
Logan has always been strange about his sleeping habits. He will only sleep in his bed and does not like to sleep with anyone at all. From the time he was born, if he was sleeping and got woke up he would not go back to sleep. It didn't matter if he had been asleep for 5 hours or 5 minutes. He still has the same habits. He woke up this morning at 1am, ready to go. He was so tired but couldn't even settle down long enough to go back to sleep. Finally at 4am he gave in. I got to go back to bed.
Five minutes later is when Braden made his nightly appearance. After a cup of water and some reassurance that we were not going anywhere, he went back to bed.
Logan was awake for the day a few minutes before six. Because he was so tired from missing so much sleep, he actually took a nap (yay!) although I wasn't home to enjoy the peace and quiet.
I am expecting tonight to be a repeat since they seem to get into a habit of doing things quickly. Hopefully I am wrong and will be able to get a little sleep tonight. It's funny that my 3 month old is the only person in our house that seems to ever sleep through the night!!
Braden has been waking up every night the past week or so. He comes into our room, not wanting anything. I think he just wants to make sure we are still there. We usually get him a drink and put him right back to bed. He goes right to sleep. It hasn't always been that way though. He is getting better. However, he has been waking up really early in the mornings. Around 6 am, which is super-early for him. He has always liked to sleep late. That compounded with him cutting out his naps most days makes him not grumpy, but really annoying!
Logan has always been strange about his sleeping habits. He will only sleep in his bed and does not like to sleep with anyone at all. From the time he was born, if he was sleeping and got woke up he would not go back to sleep. It didn't matter if he had been asleep for 5 hours or 5 minutes. He still has the same habits. He woke up this morning at 1am, ready to go. He was so tired but couldn't even settle down long enough to go back to sleep. Finally at 4am he gave in. I got to go back to bed.
Five minutes later is when Braden made his nightly appearance. After a cup of water and some reassurance that we were not going anywhere, he went back to bed.
Logan was awake for the day a few minutes before six. Because he was so tired from missing so much sleep, he actually took a nap (yay!) although I wasn't home to enjoy the peace and quiet.
I am expecting tonight to be a repeat since they seem to get into a habit of doing things quickly. Hopefully I am wrong and will be able to get a little sleep tonight. It's funny that my 3 month old is the only person in our house that seems to ever sleep through the night!!
Pumpkin Woes...
Yesterday Braden had a fieldtrip to the Pumpkin Patch. He went last year and had a wonderful time even though it was freezing! I went with him again this year thinking that it would be fun for him. I was so wrong! The first thing that we did when we arrived was go on the hayride down to the pumpkin patch. He loved that. The thing he didn't love was getting off the hayride. He cried the whole time we were "pumpkin shopping." Of course when we got back on the hayride he did fine again. That stopped when we got back off to do everything else.
He did really good at lunch. We sat at the picnic tables and he ate his chicken nuggets and cheetos and drank his juice. He even stole my bag of chips! We went and bought a pack of m&m's because he loves chocolate.
After lunch we headed to the first "hay play" area. You have to crawl through to get in the area. He didn't really want to but when he saw his friends doing it he thought he would give it a try. That lasted about 5 seconds. He was no more in than he came right back out. He wanted me to get all the hay off him because he didn't like it.
He did however like the pond with the fountain. All he wanted to do there was get close enough to stick his hand in the water and put it in his mouth. Luckily, we couldn't get that close. The water is really yucky too.
When I finally realized that he was not having any fun, I decided it was time for us to leave. I hated making him go home early, but he was the only one in his class that wasn't having a good time. Turns out he was really tired and fell asleep about after a minute in the car.
We made up for him leaving early though. We took him outside twice and let him play forever. I feel like we never take him anywhere and that he is missing out on things. On the other hand, he is happy as a lark to just stay home and be outside. Sometimes I really don't know what to do. I want to take him to the zoo or a water park or wherever. I just don't know how tramatic certain things are going to be for him.
He is getting better with alot of things though. He is being able to handle certain situations that he couldn't handle in the past. Maybe we will try the pumpkin patch again next year.
He did really good at lunch. We sat at the picnic tables and he ate his chicken nuggets and cheetos and drank his juice. He even stole my bag of chips! We went and bought a pack of m&m's because he loves chocolate.
After lunch we headed to the first "hay play" area. You have to crawl through to get in the area. He didn't really want to but when he saw his friends doing it he thought he would give it a try. That lasted about 5 seconds. He was no more in than he came right back out. He wanted me to get all the hay off him because he didn't like it.
He did however like the pond with the fountain. All he wanted to do there was get close enough to stick his hand in the water and put it in his mouth. Luckily, we couldn't get that close. The water is really yucky too.
When I finally realized that he was not having any fun, I decided it was time for us to leave. I hated making him go home early, but he was the only one in his class that wasn't having a good time. Turns out he was really tired and fell asleep about after a minute in the car.
We made up for him leaving early though. We took him outside twice and let him play forever. I feel like we never take him anywhere and that he is missing out on things. On the other hand, he is happy as a lark to just stay home and be outside. Sometimes I really don't know what to do. I want to take him to the zoo or a water park or wherever. I just don't know how tramatic certain things are going to be for him.
He is getting better with alot of things though. He is being able to handle certain situations that he couldn't handle in the past. Maybe we will try the pumpkin patch again next year.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Girly girl
I love having a little girl in the house! Today I painted Abby's toenails. Yes, I know, she is only 3 months old but I couldn't resist! It is so precious. I will take it off when she starts putting her toes in her mouth but not before! :)
I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to be given a girl. I guess she saw the opportunity for her turn on earth and took it. Just in the nick of time too. She has blessed our lives in ways she will never know.
Already we are having so much fun together. I want us to have a wonderful relationship always. She is making me want to get all my ducks in a row. I want to be the best example I can be for her. I hope that I can make her understand the special bond we have as mother and daughter.
I feel that the time we have is so important and so precious. I didn't think that I would lose my own mother as soon as I did. It is a shame because we only really became friends after I had Braden. She was always saying, "When you have children you will understand." She was so right! I wasted so many years of the time we had together not even liking her. It is shameful to say the least, but it is true.
So now I am completely determined to have a good relationship with Abby.
I was resigned to the fact that I wasn't going to be given a girl. I guess she saw the opportunity for her turn on earth and took it. Just in the nick of time too. She has blessed our lives in ways she will never know.
Already we are having so much fun together. I want us to have a wonderful relationship always. She is making me want to get all my ducks in a row. I want to be the best example I can be for her. I hope that I can make her understand the special bond we have as mother and daughter.
I feel that the time we have is so important and so precious. I didn't think that I would lose my own mother as soon as I did. It is a shame because we only really became friends after I had Braden. She was always saying, "When you have children you will understand." She was so right! I wasted so many years of the time we had together not even liking her. It is shameful to say the least, but it is true.
So now I am completely determined to have a good relationship with Abby.
Monday, October 1, 2007
A brand new venture
I have been a myspace user for well over a year now. I have just recently began visiting blogs here. This seems to be a more "grown up" version of myspace. I will hopefully get the hang of this soon and get things the way I want them. It seems to be hard for me to want to start something new. I am very opposed to change, but once it happens I am ok. More to follow soon, but slowly.
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