Alex will be 5 years old in 2 months and that means the quest for the "perfect" Kindergarten has begun. Mercifully, the hubster and I have narrowed down our options to 3 schools that we will be deciding from, each with their own list of pros and cons. {I'm happy to only have to choose from the 3, though.}

If you've ever gone school hunting before, you'll know that February generally marks the month of "Open House" mayhem wherein every mother and her {significant} other fill the schools in search of the perfect fit for their family. It's overwhelming as a first timer and a teensy bit stressful...

...just a little stressful....

...and anxiety fueling...

...you get the picture.

We've already attended one open house that was more like a "family reunion" of sorts for me than it was a tour of a school. I knew so many people on the faculty and even saw people there who I went to school with {way back when} who were also looking for a school home. That night left me smiling and feeling really good about Alex going to Kindergarten in the fall.

I.Am.Irked. For Pete's sake...can someone tell me why a school would have an "open house" and ONLY have someone there to help with paperwork and NO ONE there to take you around the school or at least to the classroom and extra curricular rooms like the gym, art class, and whatnot? *Sigh* I think I've decided "No, thanks" and "I'll pass". {insert eye roll here}

Yep. It's true. The school advertised the evening as an Open House on their website...and in the paperwork they sent us home with...but they looked at us like we were crazy people when we asked if anyone could show us around the school. In fact, the woman we were talking to said the actual "open house" happens on Alex's first day of school. Huh? I was pretty put off by that and I felt like someone just slammed a door in my face. I was truly offended.


The hubster and I got to talking about it and he thought that my irritation was due to my tendency to want control in these kind of situations. Well, that accusation got me even more upset and I began to cry. "I don't want control. I just want to know that I'm giving my son to the right person."

Have any of you stay-at-home moms been where I am now? I'm having such a hard time with the fact that he'll be spending most of his day in someone else's care and I have a real need to be comfortable with who that is and what they stand for. How do I give up that time I'm used to having with him? I guess this is why some moms cry on their child's first day of school, huh?

Our third and final Open House is tonight...wish us luck!

I seem to learn something new from each child I'm blessed with. It's true that they each show me something different about myself and they make me want to be a better person.

• Alex taught me all about how boys are wired and the importance of preserving the boy in him. He also gave me a great appreciation for trucks and road construction. {It's funny how that happens.}
• Eliana has taught me the extreme importance of my example to her. That little girl watches EVERYTHING I do and tries to mimic it all. 
• And Mikayla? Well, she's the reason for this post...

Having Mikayla has shaken me awake to some things. I'm not sure exactly how it all happened, but I found myself feeling very different...not physically...personally.


The greatest of my "ah-ha" epiphanies was about my own isolation. It's terribly sad, but after I had Eliana, I began to slowly turn myself off. It was as if someone was cranking down a water line; it doesn't turn off immediately. Every part of it was subtle enough to not feel it until I was awakened to it while completely enveloped by it.

Before this time I wasn't uber outgoing, but I was friendly. I would chat it up with anyone and I loved having friends around me.


But I became comfortable in my day-to-day life. I was cozy in my quietness. And the more I stayed in that isolated spot, the more I withdrew from everyone.

I had a few attempts at stepping outside of myself enough to connect with other people. I tried to fight what I was doing to myself. I gave up every time, though. I just kept to myself and my kiddos. I believed that people were kind but were also too busy with their relationships to add me in their circle. {that's just silly}

Anyway, along came Mikayla at the end of 2011...just when most people are trying to figure out what their New Year's resolution will be for 2012. I didn't want to "resolve" to do anything. {I just had a baby...isn't that resolution enough? } But I did want to challenge myself with one single word. A word I would strive to define for myself and do/be.

After spending time in thought and prayer, a word came to me.

Engage.

What a great word. Especially for someone who had chosen to withdraw herself from people and friendships.

Engage.

So here I am in my new year, with a new look on life. I've begun to step out of my comfort zone and talk to people more, befriend people, give a warm smile to someone I don't know, or hug those who are in my life a little tighter.

I kind of suspect that I had fallen prey to postpartum depression during the time between having Eliana and Mikayla but I hate to blame any thing for what I went through. Whatever you want to call it, it was my reality and I'm SO happy to be stepping into the sunlight and surrounding myself with friends again. I don't want to diagnose my past, I just want to move forward.

You know?

If you could choose a word to challenge yourself with, what would it be?

Always a fan of classic Disney films, I was thrilled to find out Lady and the Tramp was being released on DVD & Blu-Ray. This is one of those movies I grew up with and was very fond of. In fact, I remember going to Disney World when I was 12 years old and going on a mad hunt to find a stuffed Lady and Tramp in the shops there. {Yes, I found them.}

Now that I'm a mom to 3 kiddos, though, films like Lady and the Tramp are easy and natural additions to our DVD collection. I not only want them to enjoy it the way I did years ago, but I also want to watch it with them. And let me tell you, there's nothing like seeing a classic film remastered. The picture is crystal clear.

We received the Diamond Edition of Lady and the Tramp just the other day and my little ones were so excited. I put it in for them to watch and they were asking to watch it again as soon as it was over. Things like that put a smile on my face as I know they enjoy the magic of Disney films as much as I do.


Lady and the Tramp just hit store shelves yesterday so you can buy it to enjoy with your own family!

Here is some information from the press release for ya!



And just for fun, here's a video to sing along to. :)

I know a few moms who own Bumbleride strollers and I'm sure you do too. If that's the case, you may want to know about this recall!

Here's the press release for you.

~




**I was not compensated in any way for this post. My "finds" are selected and posted by my own choosing while I receive nothing in return. This is simply something from an email that I wanted to share.(is it that hard to believe a blogger would post something without gaining anything? lol)**

What I found as I opened the box.

 This, my friends, is the Laura Ashley Innov-is NX200 from Brother and it does so much more than sew a stitch in a straight line. In fact, it's a bit overwhelming to me to be honest {in a good way}. There are so many options and step by step instructions, and accessories to make the process of sewing/quilting/embroidery go smoothly and easily. Yes, this machine has everything I could ever want or need and then some. Allow me to give you my first impression tour.






 By lifting up the top of the machine, I found where my thread would neatly hide away as I sew. Also, there's the bobbin threader. What I am smitten with is how easy it is to thread a bobbin. I simply follow the easy directions laid out for me and walk away. By pushing a button, the bobbin will begin threading and it will automatically stop when the bobbin is full. This is amazing because I had to hold my foot on the sewing machine's pedal to make this stop and go with my old machine.



 There are 460 stitches total, including quilting, embroidery, and decorative styles inside these menus and on the disc that comes with the machine. I simply touch the stitch I desire to use and I can set it's size, how often I want it repeated, and other details before I get to work with it.



 Also included is this circular attachment. This allows me to create beautiful, detailed, circular designs to embellish quilts, pillows, or even clothing.

Can you guess what my first impression is of the Laura Ashley Innov-is NX200 from Brother? In short, my answer is "WOW!". I can't even begin to tell you how this gets the creative wheels spinning in my mind and throughout this year, I'll be sharing how I use this machine and hope to get you detailed looks at its many features. {Stay Tuned for that!}

Now, here are the specifics for you as listed on Brother's website:

• 460 Included Sewing Stitches—430 built-in and 30 on CD
• Virtually Unlimited Stitches with the My Custom Stitch™ Feature
• Programmable Pivot Function
• Automatic Height Adjuster™(AHA®) Feature for uniform stitches across varying fabric heights
• Automatic Needle Threader and Simple Numbered Threading Guide
• Three Specialty Free Motion Feet Included
• Range of included accessories, including Bobbin Work Bundle, Circular Attachment and Extra-Large Quilting Extension Table
• Available at Authorized Innov-ís Dealers Only

 Find out more about the Laura Ashley Limited EditionInnov-ís NX-2000!

**Thanks to Brother for supplying the machine for review. I received no compensation for this review. In this post, I share my opinions and experience in my own words. Others may disagree or may not have the same experience.**

• Homemade Tissue Paper Pom~Poms {Tutorial is over here!}
• One, large embroidery hoop {mine is plastic and 10"}
• Hot glue gun
• Glue sticks
• Paper ribbon
• Painting tape

 


Time to grab that paper ribbon! You can use any kind ribbon you like, really. This just happened to be what I found at the thrift store and it worked just right.

Keeping the ribbon on the spool, I slowly, and tightly wrapped the ribbon around the hoop. It's really important to take your time here and keep it tight. I also put a dot of glue on with my glue gun every once in a while to keep what I had wrapped in place as I worked my way around.




 Then, gathering the 4 ribbons, I knotted them together and left long, pretty curls to hang free. I stood up with the mobile when I did this so I could be sure that I was getting them to knot at a good enough place for it to hang nicely.



Isn't it purdy?