Worketh Willingly with her Hands

Cute, Fun, Easy Craft

2008-09-17T12:10:00.000+08:00

I am always on the lookout for cute easy craft projects. I found these on J Caroline Creative. I decided to make some for little gifts. They are so easy and fun. I love the colors and options.

You can't tell on the pictures but these are different sizes.

I love fabric

2008-09-01T21:52:00.001+08:00

I am sorting through my fabric and making some gift bags. It is at times like this that I realize how much I love fabric.

Momma Moments - Take 2

2008-08-26T17:42:00.003+08:00

Yesterday's event seems so simple today. It was easy. I had conditioner and even if I didn't I can buy that at the store. Today's moment -- a crayon that got in the hands of a 4 year and a special painted birthday bench. I have heard so much talk about Magic Eraser but never had one but now is when I really want one. The only problem is they don't sell them here so I guess we will try to scrubbing.

Somebody is being staked a bit closer.

Momma Moments

2008-08-26T08:38:00.003+08:00

Momma moments comes in all varieties. There are the times you know what to do and the times when you are left wondering how do I deal with this. There are times when it is just sweet and you want to kiss their beautiful heads of hair and then there are the times when they are driving you nuts and you are about to pull out your hair. Then there are times that you are left wondering -- how do you get Play-doh out of hair. My recommendation is conditioner. It worked for us yesterday after a large amount of yellow Play-doh was placed in one's head. She will remain nameless but considering I have one child and I didn't do to myself. I think you can guess.

I wonder what momma moments I will have today.

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-21T08:45:00.002+08:00

I am a little late in posting this. My parents' anniversary was last week. I had fun using my new SU hydrangea stamps that I bought on ebay with the inks that my friend brought back for me. It was my first time to use the two step stamp and I loved it. Okay, enough about the card.

My parents have been a wonderful example of marriage based on God's principles. Thank you for being that example to me and my brothers. I love you and wish I could be there to celebrate with you.

Felt Food - Cookies

2008-08-17T17:59:00.002+08:00

I finished up my felt food with some cookies -- peanut butter, thumbprint, and chocolate chunk. I did use the sewing machine to make the fork marks on the peanut butter cookies and also to sew the chocolate chunks on. I used various circle sizes and just added two layers of batting and sewed around the sides.

I think that is all from the felt kitchen for now. I want to make some gingerbread and maybe some sugar cookies for stockings but I will do those later.

Pop-Tarts - The Real Thing Homemade Style

2008-08-14T09:10:00.003+08:00

After making the felt Pop-Tarts and also watching Miss K eat the real ones, I decided that making Pop-Tarts should not be that hard. A friend and I were talking and she challenged me to make them. I poked around online and found lots of recipes but tried this one. I made a half recipe because I wasn't sure how they would taste. I also skipped the egg wash mainly because I didn't have that many eggs. I did try 2 jam but they were just spreading the jam on.

They were good and my husband said, I could make them again. My friend who challenged me and her children ate them. The children wanted to make sure that she got the recipe.

Homeschooling a Downs Syndrome Child

2008-08-07T22:26:00.005+08:00

Beginning when they are young

I want to share a bit of what I have done as I have begun the journey of homeschooling my daughter with Downs Syndrome. I am writing this from my perspective which includes who I am, who my daughter is and our family. Each of us have different circumstances and so we will need to adjust for those circumstances. Miss K was our first child, my personality is to dig in and research something, and we are living overseas.

Some know prior to birth if the baby has Downs Syndrome which will give time to adjust and prepare. We did know until Miss K was born that she had Downs Syndrome. Soon after she was born I began the task of learning and researching. Babies with Downs Syndrome edited by Karen Stray-Gundersen is a good starting place.

The first thing to address is any physical issues. Miss K needed two surgeries. At 72 hours she had surgery to correct the duodenal artesia. Then at 2 weeks of age she had heart surgery.She came home from the hospital at 26 days. Thankfully, at that time she no longer needed further surgeries, observations, medications, no feeding tubes or anything else. I know that is not the case for all Downs Syndrome children so those things could impact what can be done.

After medical, the next decision is what services are available and how are you going to utilize them if at all. For us we did not have the option of a “Birth-3” program. We did have a physical therapist that met with us when Miss K was a month old and then would give us goals and when we accomplished those goals we would go back for a follow-up visit. This particular therapist pushed Miss K. She felt that Miss K could do things and so she pushed. She did not allow me to celebrate an accomplishment for long but pushed us to the next milestone. The physical therapy was something that we did at home with her.

Another consideration is the things that she surround the child with. When I was in graduate school I read Jim Trelease’s book The Read Aloud Handbook. When we learned that Miss K had Downs Syndrome, I remembered a example of the power of read alouds from that book, a girl who was considered beyond learning but whose parents read to her everyday and she did learn and was able to tell her which were her favorite books. That inspired us and so even before Miss K was moved out of her incubator to a bassinet we were reading to her. Those days when we could not hold her, we could read to her. We surrounded her with books.

We found toys that had value at least in our eyes. One that we felt did add value was a kick and play piano that we tied to the end of her bed. It did encourage her to kick and we wanted to get and keep her moving. We hung all kinds of things from the mobile to encourage her to bat at things. We did experiment and found a few that were duds for various reasons.

So for us the first months were spend beginning to physical therapy, encouraging her towards the milestones, beginning to learn what it meant to have a child with Downs Syndrome, reading to her and loving her.

That was the beginning of our homeschool journey.

Some things are best unknown

2008-08-06T08:50:00.002+08:00

like the price of a gallon of milk. I buy milk in 946ml cartons so that is about 1/4 gallon so when you do the math or is it maths (British say maths) and then convert it works out to . . . really I shouldn't do the math. But since I already did, I might as well tell you - $9.61 for a gallon of milk.

Guess who is now going to buy more powdered milk, it is about $8 for a big can of powdered milk and that is full cream, New Zealand powdered milk.

Okay, just had to share that bit of news. What do you pay a gallon?

Felt Food - Pop-Tarts

2008-08-03T08:09:00.003+08:00

When I was looking for ideas for felt food. I found Pop-Tarts but decided not to make them as it is something that Miss K. We don't buy them because they are never in the stores, we don't buy much processed food, and they don't sell the kind I like (I don't even know if they still make the kind I like). Well, the other week I found them in the local store that I usually avoid because it is dark and crowded. They remodeled so it is not as dark but it is still crowded. Anyway, they had Pop-Tarts in the reduced cause no one knows what this foreign food is and so they are not buying it area. I bought them thinking I would give it to my friend cause I knew her kids would enjoy that taste of home but since they are home I have had them on my shelf. It was just a box on the shelf until yesterday. Someone discovered it, opened it, and enjoyed a treat. Yep, she is stuffing her mouth quick before mom sees it and cleans up the mess. I think she decided that she likes these and don't you dare think of giving them away.

I decided maybe I should make some Pop-Tart felt food. Here it is. I used beads on the top to give it the look of sprinkles.

Notes:
Off white - 5 x 3.5"
Pink icing - 2.75 x 4"

Sew the pink onto the off white with 1 layer of batting. Then sew the beads on. Sew the off white together with 2 layers of batting.

Enjoy!

Lunchtime

2008-08-02T17:35:00.004+08:00

Well, after that delicious breakfast, we do need to think about lunch. We have simple lunches around here. A favourite is a cheese quesadilla or just noodles. Usually our noodles just have butter and cheese but we got fancy and added some spaghetti sauce. Here is a close-up of the bow-tie pasta. It was so easy to make.
For a change we can have ravioli. Use the same spaghetti sauce. I might need to make more sauce. I guess I should make a big batch of sauce.
Since we are here in Asia we will also have some dumplings. Hmm, that makes me hungry for Auntie LL's wonderful dumplings made with the Beijing recipe.

Notes: (mainly so I remember what I did)

The bow tie pasta was 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" trimmed with the pinking shears before gathering together.

The ravioli were 2 inch squares, trimmed with the pinking shears and then sewed and stuffed with fiberfill.

The dumplings were circles and the stuffed with fiberfill and sewn.

The spaghetti sauce had 2 to 3 layers of batting and then was hand sewn. I added the cheese before sewing the red pieces to gether.

Breakfast Food

2008-07-26T16:52:00.001+08:00

I have recently made some food for Miss K. Bacon and eggs for breakfast. A stack of pancakes.
Now I am working on some lunch food.

Banana Pudding

2008-07-20T17:29:00.005+08:00

First of all, I have to say I have never made banana pudding before. I don't think my mother ever made it so I never made it. For some reason Banana pudding is one of my husband's favourite desserts. We have been married for almost 5 years and I have never made it. Okay, maybe because I didn't have a recipe was one reason or maybe the fact that Vanilla Wafers are not a regular item on the supermarket shelves.

Well, I inherited a box of banana pudding so I decided to try to make banana pudding.

First of all, I had to make the vanilla wafers. I found this recipe. It has mixed reviews but I decided to try it. You really do need to make small balls to get small cookies.

Next I made the pudding. Okay, it was easy cause I used pudding mix. I did read the real recipe and learn that you make it from scratch.

I don't have a nice fancy dish to serve it in so I just put it in a casserole dish. I did whip some cream for the top but didn't bake it. I did sprinkle some crumbs on top. That was a good way to use a few that broke and the crumbs in the cookie container.
I learned a few things along the way and will improve the next time. It was nice to be able to give my husband something he really likes. Miss K loved it as well. She called it cake. Here she is enjoying it. I didn't bother to take a picture of my husband enjoying it. Maybe he ate it too fast.

Gift Bags

2008-07-12T09:02:00.004+08:00

I am not sure where I originally got the idea for making fabric gift bags. I did find a website that sells them as well as a few others. I decided that the thing that makes the bags cute is the fabric. One of the reason I decided to make them is finding wrapping paper here is very difficult. The other reason is I got tired of wrapping gifts and then unwrapping and throwing the paper away.

I started by just using some fabric that I had around the house. Some of these prints are leftover fabric from my work days. The star fabric actually has "sample" stamped in big letters on the inside. I did buy ribbon to coordinate which is not a problem because I got to the notions market. Which is one of my favourite places to go. Here are some pictures. I made some Christmas bags as well. I found the "Merry Christmas" fabric on the $10 (local dollars) a meter table. That is like hitting the $1 a yard at Wal-Mart.

Here is a bag in action. She knew what to do. She untied it and dug in.
I love the gift bags and have found some more fun fabric on the $10 a meter table so I am going to make some more.

Birthday Cake

2008-07-09T16:44:00.005+08:00

Since we were in Asia this year for Miss K's birthday, we couldn't just go order a Martin's Cake so that meant momma had to make one. It is funny I used to make cakes for my niece and nephew but have not yet made a birthday cake for Miss K.

Pooh is her favourite so we decided to have a Pooh party. I baked a 9x13 white cake. Do you know that the Betty Crocker cookbook does not have a basic plain cake recipe. I guess they assume that everyone uses a mix for the basic cake. Well, the other week my mother had sent me the recipe for a One Egg cake. That is what I made when I was learning to bake so I made a double recipe.

I needed S's help in drawing the head. Here it is ready to begin cutting out Pooh's head. While he was doing that I mixed the icing.
Here is the final product. Our desire was that Miss K would know who it was. She didn't see it until the party and said "Pooh".

Shh - the quiet family

2008-06-28T20:18:00.007+08:00

I have recently grown tired of all the plastic in our life and in toys. Months ago I saw Simply Stork had a quiet family that she made. I decided to make a family for Miss K.

My first attempt was not so good. I tried to dress him up a bit and add a tie but it just made him look like Dilbert.

I then decided to email Simply Stork and she was kind enough to send me direction. Those sat in my inbox until my UFO (Unfinished Objects) project. I did them. Okay, after I took the picture I realized that momma's eyes were in the back of her head which I guess means she really is a momma. I ended up giving her hair extensions in the back and putting new eyes on the front.Here they are all wrapped up and ready to go.

Lessons about God from raising a 3 year old

2008-06-23T07:25:00.003+08:00

The other day we were sitting at the table and Miss K was asking and asking for something. Honestly, I don't remember what it was and really that is not the important part. She wanted it and she was saying, "please, please". Finally, we gave it to her. She then had a very proud look on her face that she got what she wanted, what she had asked for. Then she looked at us and said, "thank you, bye, see you" and began enjoying whatever it was that she wanted. "Bye, see you" is her way of saying, leave me alone, I don't need you anymore.

Well, we look at each other and both remarked wondering how often we do that with God. We ask and ask for what we want. God gives it to us. We quickly say, "thank you" and then tell him to leave us alone until the next time we need something.

I want to focus more on being thankful and not pushing God aside after receiving his blessing.

Just a lesson we learned from our 3 year old who is soon to be 4 years old.

Spring Table Runner

2008-06-09T09:08:00.002+08:00

One of the things that I have been doing is working to use some of the fabric scraps that I have. Some of them are very small but some are bigger. I decided that for our table I like table runners. Our table gets used for so many things that a table runner adds some colour but does not cover everything.

I made the binding from strips of fabric so it also has a patchwork look. I had some bigger pieces of fabric and so I was able to make some napkins to match this.
I just have to show you the back. I was quite pleased with the quilting. I enjoyed quilting it which is something new. I have always enjoyed the piecing but am learning to enjoy the quilting. I also enjoy the finished piece.Now I am ready to quilt Miss K's quilt that I pieced in the last weeks before she was born. Maybe I should quilt it in the last weeks before she turns four. I need white quilting thread and then I can begin.

Three Bags

2008-06-08T20:45:00.003+08:00

One of the things on my UFO list was to make some bags for Miss K and siblings. I wanted something for when we go out to take treats, books, and other little fun things. So here they are using up fabric that I had except for the meter and half that I had to buy of navy canvas. Some of this is old stroller fabric which I have had in my fabric box for years.

I started with 2 11" x 11" pieces for the body. Made the bottom by pulling (might be a more technical term) 1 1/2" inches to make the bottom. I made a 7"x7" pocket but should measure again because it might have been reduced to 6"x6". The handles are 4" wide and then folded and folded to be 1". They are 14" long. The velcro closure strap is some of the handle strap just put there.

I wrote that out for me so the next time I made one of these bags. I will remember the sizes. Now I can get rid of the little post-it note that I had all that written on.`

Christmas Stockings

2008-06-08T18:49:00.002+08:00

I needed to make some more Christmas stockings. That was a project the past few weeks. We now have 5 with different quilt type patterns at the top. They were easy to make and are roomy for all kinds of stocking treats. I am slowly getting ready for Christmas.

Packing and Unpacking

2008-05-27T09:36:00.002+08:00

One of the challenges of living overseas is the packing and unpacking. Not just the moving but also every trip home. I am still mourning the loss of those 20 pounds when the airline baggage limit went from 70 to 50 pounds. Do you realize that means with 3 of us and 6 bags that I lost 120 pounds of things I can bring back? Now the weight limit is 50 pounds and so as I am packing I am putting the luggage on the scale. As I am packing, I am taking things out of boxes -- the toothpaste box has lots of filler space--and then I am filling in the space in boxes with other things. That is great especially for little things.

The one thing you need to do is remember what you put in those boxes and also unpack those boxes when you return.

Today I opened a box of cream and discovered 2 boxes of Calms Forte--we have thought we had more than the 1 box we were using--and some birthday brads for scrapbooking. That was not from our March trip either. That would have been last July. Maybe I should go look through some more boxes in my medicine drawer.

Bow Tie Quilt

2008-05-25T19:35:00.006+08:00

This lap quilt, movie night quilt was started November 2005 when my mom came to visit. We peiced using various solid scraps that I had. We started to quilt it and I had grand plans of quilting just a bit every evening and it would quickly get done.

I am currently in the mode of finishing projects and this was one of those projects that has been hanging around here and needed to be finished. I am thrilled to have it finished.

It is hand quilted. It is not going to win any prizes but it will keep us warm.

We are fine

2008-05-13T06:56:00.001+08:00

Yes, there was an earthquake in the area. I will admit that we did not feel it. I do know what earthquakes feel like. After the 9-21, from a few years ago I know.

Thanks for asking and being concerned.

Baby Shower Gifts

2008-05-10T17:24:00.002+08:00

Years ago I made a pattern for a bib. I found one that I liked that was a nice size and traced that pattern. Since then I have been making bibs for baby gifts. They are easy to mail and just a little something to say congratulations! I have fun digging through my fabric boxes and finding fabric. The mom's group was having a triple shower and so I decided to make bibs. Of course, in the middle of sewing my machine needed to be repaired but a friend loaned me her machine so I was able to finish them.

This is a pink stripe with teacups. I got the pink stripe from a bathroom that I hemmed and it was cute and I just couldn't throw it away. I added the teacup fabric because it needed to be pieced.Then I made brup clothes and boy bibs for the ones having boys.
I opted for a simple gift tag and skipped the envelope because I am conserving envelopes. I am having so much fun with the onesie stamp. I stamped on printed paper, embossed, and cut it out and put it on the gift tag.

Three simple gifts. Well, we (my friend and I) divided up the diapers from the diaper cake and a few other things we had gotten and included the bibs and burp clothes and we had a gift or in this case three gifts.

Board Book to Scrapbook

2008-05-08T20:24:00.002+08:00

I was inspired by someone on Craftster forum talking about making scrapbooks from board books. I decided to try it. Miss K had a book that had a little music button but the battery died but instead of just dying and no longer plays it died making a noise that is enough to drive a momma nuts so I pulled it off the book and decided to try and make a scrapbook.

The first thing you need to do is sand the pages a bit so the glue will stick.Then comes the point of gluing paper onto the book. I used some 8x8 paper that I had. I did learn that you need to leave some room so the pages will turn.
I then decorated the book. I used various pictures of the grandchildren from Easter including a picture of the momma with a baby bump.
Mom received it and loved it. She said she is going to look for bargain board books. This could be addicting.

A Hip Handbag

2008-05-08T20:14:00.002+08:00

For Christmas I received a book called Hip Handbags. In there was a pattern for a bag made from silk and using chopsticks for handles. I had bought some silk last year when we were deep in China. I then bought chopsticks in the market in the capital city and I was ready to make the bag.

Working with silk was the difficult part. I did finish it and am happy with it. It was not lined and I am wondering if I would make it a lined bag if that would make working with silk easier. It was hard turning down the hem at the top.

It worked -- Cream of Tartar

2008-05-07T10:12:00.002+08:00

Miss K received a magic book for Easter. The one where you use a special marker and the pictures appear. I decided that would be great to talk with us on Sundays except that the marker if it gets on clothing leaves a mark. I looked on the website and they said to use a rust remover that you can buy in the supermarket. That might work if you lived in America and had various kinds and brands of stain removers. I looked in a few supermarkets. There were various things from the UK, Japan and Australia but nothing that said removes rust. I tried baking soda because that will remove rust from some surfaces. That did nothing.

Someone on a forum suggested cream of tartar and sun. I had to wait a few days for the sun but I tried it and guess what -- it took the spots out. I am thrilled. That is a household hint to remember.

Only 3 days

2008-05-07T10:08:00.003+08:00

not 10 for the lipstick to get 10 minutes south on the train. I received a call yesterday.

I actually know where my Club Clinique VIP card is. If I spend $5000 (US$650) I get a free gift. It amazes me how much money is spent on make-up and such here. There is no way I will spend that much money on Clinique in a million years not because I don't like Clinique but because I just don't spend that much money on make-up.

My favourite colour of lipstick

2008-05-04T07:17:00.003+08:00

I am probably like most people and have a favourite colour of lipstick. I have worn this colour for years. It goes with everything I wear. I guess that is why it is my favourite colour -- Clinique Chocolate Raspberry. I found it here in Asia years ago and learned that it was a colour that they only sold in Asia. No problem, I have just bought it all these years while here and always had a stash.

A few weeks ago I ran out and also discovered that I did not have any in my stash. I stopped by the Clinique display in the mall. They still had it on the display so I was in luck until I learned they were out of stock but the good news they would be back in stock in a few weeks. I bought something to wear but kept wishing for Chocolate Raspberry.

Yesterday was a few weeks later and we were in that mall so I decided see if it is in stock. I walked in and looked and they didn't have it on the display. I asked. She looked, no, they didn't have it. I had just dropped off my sewing machine for the 2nd repair in the past 3 months and I was not happy because of course, I had sewing I needed to do. That was my mood.

I told her "but a few weeks ago you told me it would be in stock." She got tired of dealing with me because I was stretching her English. She turned me over to someone else who told me I could check the other stores. "Okay," I asked, "where are they?" She then offered to call the other stores. New Town Plaza had it. Yeah, I told her I would take 2 one to use now and one for my stash.

Driving to and parking at New Town Plaza is easy. We had just done it the night before. She said they could send it over to Festival Walk. We are in and out of that mall a few times a week. "Please, send it over here." I signed my name on the hold information and then asked one more question, "when will it be here?" Her answer -- about 10 days.

I was actually nice and didn't say anything. I was close to getting my favourite lipstick and I didn't want to jeopardize that.

10 days -- New Town Plaza is 2 stops away on the train. Less than 10 minutes. I can get an airmail package from the USA in less than 10 days. A container ships from Hong Kong to LA in 11 days and my 2 sticks of lipstick will take 10 days to go south 10 minutes on the train. Some things I will never understand.

Stocking up my card box

2008-05-03T08:08:00.002+08:00

I needed to stock up my card box with some birthday cards. I got the inspiration for this card from Julie. I was told by a friend to always decorate the card so I did it by just punching a square and now I have a fun summery birthday card.

These are so simple but I think so cute. I love the green and pink ribbon. I love using ribbon that I find. The "Happy Birthday" paper I have had for too long and so it is time to use it.
Now I am ready for some birthdays. It is nice having them in my box so when I am busy and forget which often seems to happen I have a card ready.

What is a foreigner to do? - Warning this is a vent!

2008-05-02T08:05:00.003+08:00

The other day I was in the supermarket and noticed various healthy foods -- rice milk, organic foods and other things had little signs that said something like "this product might not be sold after 29 May because of nutrional labeling". When I got to the checkout I picked up a leaflet and read it.

It has left me scratching my head to the stupidity of the government. Oh, I wasn't supposed to say that was I because I am to respect government. Well, you might do the same when you hear what is happening. The current unique mandatory nutrition labelling scheme (everything here is a scheme of some sort but that is a British term) is currently being review by the Legislative Council. There is a exemption for products that sell less than 30,000 units per year. Unfortunately, the exemption will not apply to small volume products that make nutrition claims, such as those that are labelled "transfat-free" (there goes Crisco), "contains omega-3", "25% less fat" (that doesn't bother me because we eat full fat), "low sodium", and "cholesterol-free" to name but a few. That means that healthier products, organic products, and products favoured by ethnic minorities (that would be me -- I never thought of myself as an ethnic minority) may disappear from sale because it will not be economically viable to nutrient test and re-label these products. All of these products already have extensive nutrition labelling that complies with the labelling laws of the country of origin.

That was long and some of it was copied from the leaflet.

So what this means -- I can't buy healthy foods but can continue to buy junk food. I can't buy the baked potato crisps (can you tell those are from the UK), I can't buy organic Wheatabix which is a staple breakfast cereal here. Yikes - yesterday Libbey pumpkin was included on the display of things leaving or possibly leaving. Not sure why.

So the frustration what can I do? I could try stockpiling but really with only 700 sq feet how much of that can I do. There is a petition and I asked if foreigners can sign and I did sign it.

So the challenge is what to do as a foreigner and I don't have the answer.

It's beginning to look like

2008-05-01T07:59:00.002+08:00

Christmas gift tags. I know it is only April well, now May but I decided after last year's rush in wrapping gifts and needing to quick find or make name tags that I was going to start early this year. I just cut some small pieces of paper and then used my various Christmas stamps - snowflakes on kraft paper, candy cane, Christmas balls, mittens, stars, and holly. I have one "to/from" stamp that I have had for years but it worked. They are finished and put away with the wrapping paper.

Next I am going to make some more stockings but I do have a few other projects that will need to be done before that.

The Blues - Variatations on a Theme

2008-04-23T07:11:00.003+08:00

I saw something similar to this on someone's blog. Sorry, I can't remember and if it was your blog, thank you for the idea.

The other year at a yard sale someone was selling some scrapbook supplies. They had tried and decided it wasn't for them. I reaped the benefits. I had the paper sitting in my cabinet and decided I really need to use it. I have been trying to do more of that - using things I have. I pulled out one piece of each of the blue patterns and decided to just cut and see what I could make.

Here is a simple Happy Birthday card. My corner punch died as I was doing this. It was sad but our hero came to the rescue and was able to buy one at the stationary store when he went out to workout.A bit square. I stamped Happy birthday inside and I have a nice birthday card.
This one looks like a circus.
This is my favourite creation and I love it so I decided to make a few more to have on hand. Doesn't it just look like a baby boy. The onsie stamp is a recent purchase and I love it. I embossed it and then it was easy to cut it out.
There are the variations on The Blues.

Why I make cards.

2008-04-19T22:13:00.002+08:00

Here are just two reasons why I make cards. The selection that we find here is enough reason to start making your own.

Here is a foldout house. It has Chinese writing and a cake with candles so it must be a birthday card.This is my favourite reason to make cards. The little man with his mouth wide open riding an elephant and picking apples. Yes, that looks like a birthday card -- right. The sign in the elephant's mouth might say "happy birthday".

Just for one day

2008-04-19T14:52:00.002+08:00

can I be a mom on a normal child? All I am asking for is one day, 24 hours.

I love my daughter but some days the extra chromosome is more than I can handle.

If she would take a nap, I could see how quiet and peaceful she really is and that would make the carton of eggs that she grabbed, the whining, the stubborn will all go away.

Maybe it is time

2008-04-19T08:16:00.003+08:00

to start potty training in a real way. I found Miss K putting baby on the potty. The funny thing is to get Miss K to go we make some sounds and she was making those sounds for baby. I did find the incentive -- M&M's. Now we just need to work on this. I really don't know if she has the incentive of "big girl pants" or a desire to get out of diapers. I have a desire to get her out of diapers.

Shopping for Spring Clothing

2008-04-19T08:05:00.003+08:00

This actually happened a few weeks ago. We went to our little town on a Monday morning to run some errands. I took Miss K and headed to the health and beauty store while my dear husband went to get some other things. I was walking down the street and spied a large group of woman gathered around a table digging through clothing. I spied a Talbot's label and that drew me into the mix. There I was a white woman among all the Asian women, digging and trying to see what I could find. Here are some of the fun things I found. I also found a dress for me that if I lose 5 pounds will fit. It matches Miss K's pants that are on the top right. It has a Hanna Anderson label.

You just never know what you will find on the streets. My husband called me wondering where I was because I wasn't in the store where we were going to meet. I told him where I was and he said I must have blended in because he walked past the mob and he didn't notice me.

Moving

2008-04-18T08:49:00.002+08:00

I am moving my photos to share to a new blog, http://botaitaiclicks.blogspot.com/ That can also be accessed through my profile. I decided that my blog was going to get too cluttered. I like things nice and neat even though it is not always that way. So if you are looking for my photos look here.

Quick Wipes

2008-04-18T08:14:00.002+08:00

Our box of wipes was getting low and I decided it was time to just make some. I had actually bought flannel when we were home but found this flannel in my fabric box. Don't ask what else I can find in that box. Anyway, I just cut 8 inch squares. I love my rotary cutter and then just zigzaged them and I have 5 wipes.

I wash diapers so why not wash wipes as well.

I took the Challenge

2008-04-18T07:56:00.002+08:00

Well, I guess it really was a tutorial on doodling and not a challenge. Daring Carmakers gave this tutorial. Here is my starting place.

I like doodling on paper and so I thought it would be fun. The samples they had a change in look. I think I didn't have bright enough paper. I also know that there are some parts of life that I like to be nice and neat and I think my cards is one of those areas. Here is the end product.

It works as a card but I am not rushing out to make more until I have some more circle punches and some bold paper.

Project Looking Through - Take 1

2008-04-17T21:54:00.004+08:00

Going to the Great Wall was one of the highlights in my life. It was a beautiful day with a blue sky, the trees were green and would you believe there were no other people there. I have so many pictures from that day. This one seemed to fit the theme of Project Looking Through. Tomorrow I will head out and see what I can find in my village that will also show this theme.

Mother's Day Cards

2008-04-17T21:45:00.003+08:00

I love spring, the flowers, the warmth (well, we went right to summer last week), the newness of life. Mother's Day cards are just so much fun to do. Pretty paper, a cute stamp, some ribbon and a nice card.

I tried something new. I sewed this pocket. I cute the paper in 4.25" strip and then folded and cut a small part off one side. The stamping was simple but I did emboss it so it has a nice look. (I found my heat it when I was home and brought it back. I have a 110V converter so I use it with that). I did use pop dots to make it stick out a bit.

I had a yard of the yellow ribbon but used most of it so it might be time for a trip to the fabric area.

Happy Birthday Penguins

2008-04-14T19:38:00.004+08:00

These are all ready to celebrate. This time it is Jacob's 7th birthday. Were did the years go? I remember baking his first birthday cake.

Project Yellow - Take 3

2008-04-14T18:33:00.006+08:00

Here is my last Project Yellow. I dug this one from my photo collection. It was actually taken during Chinese New Year which seems more like a time for the colour red but the yellow mums were blooming.

Project Yellow - Take 2

2008-04-13T18:06:00.004+08:00

I tried to think of what yellow things I might have in my collection of photos and found these. Egg tarts part of a dim sum meal. Egg tarts are popular here especially the ones from Macau. It is something that I do enjoy but not something we buy often.

Project Yellow - Take 1

2008-04-13T17:54:00.005+08:00

Anna's picture blog has been an inspiration to me. I have been challenged to take pictures and see things around me in new ways. She is having Project Yellow. As I read about it, the first yellow thing I saw was the big Pyrex mixing bowl. It is part of a set and were given to us as a wedding gift. I love them. I love the colours. I love the many uses.

The picture is not that great but it shows that loved yellow mixing bowl.

Talk like I Blog

2008-04-13T17:52:00.002+08:00

Do I talk like I blog? That is this week's question.

I think I would have to answer and say, "yes". I am straight to the point and don't like to mess around. Small talk is not something I really like but I am learning.

There is the answer to the question. I think I will leave it at that.

Wheat Thins

2008-04-12T15:34:00.003+08:00

I made Wheat Thins the other day. I wanted to make them since that is a cracker that we like but cannot always find here. Of course, the day I make them I find them in the supermarket. I found the recipe in the More-with-Less cookbook and decided to try them. It was easy and things that I have on hand. They taste like Wheat Thins. My dough was a bit sticky so next time I will add a bit more flour so it is not as sticky and roll a bit thinner.

2 c whole wheat flour
2T wheat germ
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
2T brown sugar
2 T dry milk solids

Cut in with pastry blender:
6T butter

Combine separately and stir in
1/2 c water
1 T molasses

Knead a little until smooth. Grease two cookie sheets and sprinkle each with cornmeal. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of dough directly onto cookie sheet with floured rolling pin, rolling dime-thin. Sprinkle lightly with paprika, garlic, onion, or seasoned salt. Run rolling pin over once more. Prick with fork. Cut in squares or triangles. Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

More-with-less p. 310

I did it.

2008-04-09T11:30:00.004+08:00

My friend told me about a sign that she saw at a craft show. It said, "I know you can but will you?" Good point.

I received a card at Christmas that was a pull-out tag. It was not a homemade card but I decided that I could make it and look I did!

This is my first attempt. I learned some lessons -- cut and measure carefully. When I was home I bought Glue Lines which made it easy to attach the pocket. This was just a "let's try it and see what happens". I did write a short note and send it to a friend.

This is my 2nd one and it was so much easier becuase I was careful in measuring and cutting. This one I stamped the tag and had a cute birthday card.
So "yes, I can and I did it." Oh, so many fun things that can be done with this concept.

Calendar to note cards

2008-04-08T06:05:00.004+08:00

I love paper - note cards, pads of paper, notebooks, scrapbook paper, scrap paper. Years ago this was a Laura Ashley calendar. I remember buying it at a little Laura Ashley store on the island where I lived but that was back in my single days. I have kept the paper enjoying the pictures. Now I am using it as note cards but just had to take a picture to remember this.
I love the colours and the collections of things used but now it is time to use it. Time to write a letter.

10 Simple Pleasures

2008-04-07T22:40:00.003+08:00

Someone on a message board was complaining no I mean encouraging us to update our blogs. She must have been looking for updates here and didn't find any. Well, another dear friend gave a suggestion for a topic, 10 Simple Pleasures.

1. A sleeping baby/toddler - there is nothing like a sleeping baby/toddler. They are so sweet and peaceful. Mine is sleeping now.

2. Clean sheets that have been hung on the line and have that fresh outdoor smell. I might live in the city but I have am able to enjoy that. Then again having a dryer here is a big deal. I do have one but only use it when I need to.

3. A new box of crayons - I love the smell and the colours, the sharp points. I just need a new colouring book to go with it.

4. Dark chocolate - Wilbur Buds are my favourite -- just the right size to pop in your mouth for pure delight.

5. A vanilla latte - I am still drooling about the delicious one I had a few weeks ago. I don't know what they did different but it was oh so good.

6. Warm chocolate chip cookies - I like to make them with Toll House chocolate chips. I just brought back 2 bags of chips with me.

7. A letter in the mail from a friend - I love getting mail in my mailbox. I even enjoy writing letters back.

8. A foot massage - aghh, my feet are ready for another one. I found my coupons so I am ready to go -- just need some time.

9. Autumn leaves and the colours - it is a pleasure and one I enjoy but have not seen it for years.

10. A hug and a kiss from my wonderful husband which says so much to me.

Another doll quilt

2008-04-07T22:35:00.004+08:00

This was so easy to piece. I just made long strips and then cut them into squares and then put it together. I did the quilting on my machine and it is okay. I think I need to learn a bit more about how to quilt on my machine. My niece, Baby K, turns 1 in July. I actually finished it and gave it to her while we were home.

Sewing with scraps

2008-03-04T17:05:00.003+08:00

I have plenty of scraps and lots of fat quarters. I think I bought those once when I was thinking I would make lots of quilts or I thought they were pretty fabrics. Now is the time to use what the fabric that I have around.

A little friend was having a birthday and I decided that a doll quilt would be the pretty gift. This was so easy to make. I just sewed the stripes and then cut to the square and the pieced it. I did machine quilt it.

I have another one peiced for my neice's first birthday. Now I need to quilt it. I am going home in 2 weeks (thanks to frequent flyer tickets). I want to take it with me so I don't have to mail it so I better get busy.

Pearls for Valentine's Day

2008-02-17T10:35:00.002+08:00

My husband gave me pearls for Valentine's Day. He knows that I love pearls especially the Godiva chocoiste with mint. Chocolate and mint is a good combination. Chocolate and peanut butter is a good combination as well but for some reason that combination is not seen overseas must be a very American thing. These pearls are savored just one or two at a time.
I did get him a gift. Something that he has been wanting -- a small Mag Light. His birthday is the same day. We decided that next year we are going to celebrate Valentine's Day at breakfast and his birthday at dinner that way we can celebrate both.

Correcting my Problems

2008-02-08T15:39:00.001+08:00

I broke the first rule and the most important rule of buying clothing on the street. I didn't check the seams, zippers, buttons, snaps, etc. Rather what happened is I saw a pair of Osh Kosh overalls in Miss K's size and I grabbed then.

Later I discovered that the snaps didn't work. That is probably why there were on the street for sale. I tried to fix it by sewing snaps in there but the snaps didn't hold. They became a pair of overalls that she couldn't wear.

I decided to try something. I cut the legs off just above the snaps.And then I made a nice full, a bit too full, of a ruffle out of some fabric that I had. It was actually a fat quarter. I made a jumper for her. I feel better that I was able to make something that she will wear and something that she actually needs.
Ignore the head it always seems to be tilted in pictures. She doesn't go around with her head titled but does that just for pictures. Oh, ignore the tights as well. I wasn't going to take those off when she tried it on.

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-07T14:30:00.001+08:00

I enjoy making cards, most of them are very basic compared to many of the things that I see but I have fun being creative and it does save money. I decided that I wanted to include pictures just so I remember the cards and maybe over time I will see trends or improvements in my card making.

Well, the card that you see here is not mine but Miss K's. She did "sign" her name inside.

Pray, pray

2008-02-06T17:05:00.000+08:00

Miss K's pronunciation is not that clear - that is background information. The setting was her highchair and the leftover blueberries from breakfast while the noodles were cooking. I do usually pray with her before her meal so she is used to that. She was saying something which I could not understand but she kept repeating it then she grabbed my hand and held it just like we do at pray time. I got the message -- she wanted to pray for her blueberries.

Later, I served her the noodles and again we prayed for the noodles.

I keep telling myself that I am not always sure what is getting in her head because of her delay in verbal skills we know what all is in there but lunchtime was a reminder of what is going in and what she understands.

I am encouraged to keep putting information in her and know that someday it will come out.

Quote for the day

2008-02-06T16:59:00.000+08:00

"Cleaning the house while the kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk while it's snowing." Phyllis Diller

I did clean today.

Quote for the day

2008-01-31T18:51:00.000+08:00

"Stockpile Beautiful Memories"

That was what was written on the bookmark that I bought for a friend. In a way it is a funny saying but in another way it is a good reminder. It reminds me to enjoy the beautiful memories. I am realizing how many beautiful memories I do forget and so I need to work to remember them. I used to be very good at journaling but that was before I was married. I think it is time to pull out the journal and again write in it. I will tell you that reading those is fun. There are also parts that I think I was crazy and parts that I don't want anyone to read because they might think I really am crazy.

What beautiful memories have I created this week? A memory of bundling to stay warm as the temperatures dropped to what I think is record lows. Memories of Miss K asking for "school". Memories of laughing with a friend as we created our diaper cake. I have the memory of realizing that even though I have one child and am in the middle of adoption paperwork, infertility still hurts. I am going to work on stockpiling beautiful memories.

Diaper Cake

2008-01-30T20:14:00.001+08:00

My friend had the idea of making a diaper cake for a baby shower. She said she had done it before about 8 years ago but that is more experience than I have in making one.

The diapers here have a bit more printing so it was not totally white. My friend had the job of getting the diapers and things to put on the cake while I went to buy the ribbon. Ribbon for the cake, ribbon for me, ribbon for me but this is about my ribbon but the cake.

We started rolling and putting the diapers in the rubber band and were feeling pretty good about how things looked. It was nice and tight on the bottom layer. Then all of a sudden the rubber band broke and diapers went flying all over the table. We got smart and used three rubber bands this time so if one broke we had two as backup.

It was simple and looked nice. We didn't make it too difficult because one of us was going to have to carry it on the bus and the train and a taxi.

The top was rolled socks that look like roses.

I looked at them online and just about fell over with the prices that they are charging -- $75 to $159. Ours didn't cost that much -- I just gave her $120 but that was not US$.

We decided this is our signature gift. We have diapers left over for the next shower and I think we will have plenty of opportunities to practice this as this seems to be the year of babies in mom's group.

Cognitive Evaluation

2008-01-21T10:46:00.000+08:00

We had a heart check-up and then a PT evaluation last week. The PT wanted to do a cognitive evaluation as well. We were able to fit that into our schedule.

Her developmental age is 2 years 3 months. She is weak on logic, concepts, memory and thinking is weak.

1. Teach "same" and "different". Compare objects - Is it the same? Which one is different?

2. Match correct color and shape at the same time, not just one. Give her a lot of choices to choose from. Blue triangles, red circles, etc.

3. Let her match a lot of different shapes in a row; don't just do one and then quit.

4. Arrange something with blocks; let her copy the exact same construct with her blocks. This will teach spatial reasoning.

5. Memorize different combinations of numbers, for memory practice. Don't just say one number at a time. Like telephone numbers: "57134", say it.

6. Put several objects in front of her. Remove one and hide it. Aske her, "which one did I take away?" This will help her memory. Needs practice to pay attention to what is happening.

7. Show her a flashcard with one object. Then show her a flash card with a lot of objects, including the one she just saw. Ask her to find it.

8. Show her two objects that have logical relationship (i.e. hate and head, show and shock, etc.) Ask her to match them.

9. Draw lines between matching pictures.

10. Draw lines to trace a pathway through a a maze on paper. Help the dog to find the bone, etc.

11. Show different size drawings. Which is big? Which is small? Which is long? Which is short?

12. Don't always make the right answer the last one you ask. "Are you a girl or a boy? "

13. Give her several objects. Say, "give me one." or "give me two."

14. Teach concept in front of, behind, in back of, etc.

15. Don't just teach body parts, teach function. What do you hear with? What do you eat with?

K has some 4 year old skills, but still lacks 3 year old skills.

Wow! That is encourage and gives me a long list of things to work on. Any ideas on ways to teach these things.

We worked on same and different today. The work sheets out of a workbook where not getting. I pulled out the Memory cards and tried to work with those. We also tried to play a simple Memory with 4 cards -- "where is the ice cream?".

Please give me any and every idea that you might have.

Ready, set, sew

2008-01-09T16:28:00.000+08:00

Miss K loves to sit at the sewing machine. I think it is the buttons that she enjoys. Maybe someday she will learn to sew. I remember learning to sew straight lines with notebook paper. My first skirt was a wrap-around skirt. Do you think they will come back in style by the time she is ready to learn to sew?

Paper and photos

2008-01-09T16:24:00.001+08:00

two of my favourite things. I had fun this year using some of my photos and creating some notecards for gifts. These were special for my mom and grandmother. The flowers were all from my parent's yard.

I also just sat down with my computer and picked som Asia pictures and gave those to a friend here.

Another Bag

2008-01-09T16:15:00.000+08:00

Here is another bag that I made for a friend's daughter's birthday. I enjoy making this pattern which is a good thing because I am going to make a bunch of them for a bazaar on campus.

Christmas for the office

2007-12-26T08:03:00.000+08:00

We wanted to do something for the office staff where S spends part of his time each week. I needed things that were not too sweet and also would be something that S could easily carry to the office since he would have to carry it on the public transportation.

I made banana bread and pumpkin muffins. My banana bread is an old family recipe except I cut the sugar in half. That is such a good way to use up the old bananas that get thrown in the freezer. The pumpkin is from a can but when I open the can I put it in 1/2 cup containers and freeze it so I can make muffins or whatever.

I made some cute easy little cards for S to give to various staff.

It was a hit at the office. In fact, I was asked to give a price list for baked goods for staff meetings and other functions.

Gift Bags

2007-12-17T17:10:00.001+08:00

Last week was the Mom's group Christmas tea. This event is the only time that we have a craft or activity for the mom's. I guess someone thought I was creative and so I was asked to come up with an idea.

I thought about a few things and even tried to make the folded star ball ornament but decided that was too labour intensive and had too much instructions. I asked for some suggestions on a forum and someone suggested gift bags.

I put a few samples together and then took supplies and everyone was very creative. It was fun to see what they put together.

I think it was a fun time and it did fulfill the desire for something easy, without lots of instructions, could be done in 30 minutes or so and something that everyone could use.

Now I have three gift bags. I need to find some gifts to put in the bags.

A new Giveaway

2007-12-04T22:05:00.000+08:00

A fun giveaway. Oh, my does this look great.

My latest bag

2007-12-02T18:12:00.001+08:00

If you know me, you know I love bags. I found these directions but just like I do with my cooking and changing recipes. I did that with the bag as well. Maybe the size given in the instructions works if you are putting the bag in your car but I don't do that and it was too long for me. Also I didn't have double sided fusible fleece so I used some quilting batting that I had and made my handles a different way.

I have not yet tried to make the little pouch that the bag can be stored in but want to try that.

Here is one of the bags that I made and I do think it is cute. Don't tell but the next time I am going to make the handles a bit further apart.

Ornament Exchange

2007-12-02T07:33:00.001+08:00

Years ago I enjoyed being part of an ornament exchange. You would make the the same ornament for everyone in the group and then exchange. One of the forums had an exchange and I decided to join in the fun.

Well, the first thing in an ornament exchange is to figure out what to make. I wanted my ornament to reflect me. Plus it had to be something simple cause that is me and had to use things that I had because I was not spending a day to run to the craft store. Ribbon is easy to buy and I did purchase a yard of that.

I had some Chinese silk that I bought and decided to try something with that. You would not believe how difficult it is to find a free pattern online but I finally found one.

Here are my first attempts. I tried with the red fabric first. It is not as stiff as the teal. I didn't like the way they looked. I think some of those were with a modified try to make myself pattern. I thought maybe it was the thin fabric so I tried the stiff teal fabric. They look like field hockey sticks and not stockings.

I showed them to a friend for her opinion and she decided that the red were cute and I think they have a bit more of a Christmas spirit. So I opened the Christmas stocking factory in our house. I did not use any child labour in the production or assembly of these stockings. These do not contain lead but then again I didn't get them tested.

Here is the finished product. Of course, every stocking needs to be stuffed and so I stuffed these plus it makes them look a bit fuller.
I mailed them off and can't wait to see what I get.

Week in Review 11/30

2007-12-02T07:22:00.001+08:00

This week's Memory Verse is F:

"For the wages of sin is death."

The book that we are using has short passages for 3 year olds and so we are doing that and then later we will go through and add the rest of the verse.

Colours - I got tired of the 4 colours (3 primary colours plus green) so I added orange. We made orange water and then spent some time matching orange things. She can't say orange but she can read it and put the orange things on that card.

Reading - We have been working with sight words but being able to read individual words is not reading so we made some sentences. Okay, my ESL teacher background comes out -- "Put the subject down, here is the verb, now the object." K drinks milk. and then we change the object K drinks water or we change the subject Daddy drinks milk. We don't bother with momma drinks milk because that is not true. When we started reading drinks K couldn't say the word but now she has something that sounds like drinks. This encourages me to keep going and to teach her new words.

Concepts - we have been working on big and small as well as circle - still need some work but that is okay.

Letters - we are continuing to review these since that is what we are to be doing in the lesson plans.

Montessori learning - I really like the practical life and sensory learning of Montessori. I have collected and made some things over the past few years. My favourite book is a very easy one to read Teaching Montessori in the Home The Preschool Years. We decided to add a few of those activities into our week. This week we worked on pouring rice. We still need to practice a bit more. It is a good activity because it requires careful movement in the pouring - we are learning to pour and not dump.

I don't think I have any pictures from this week. I will have to make sure that next week I get some pictures to include.

Not missing much

2007-11-25T17:49:00.000+08:00

Yesterday daddy found Miss K's big ball and said "next time we will have to take this ball to the playground." Miss K replied, "way, way" and ran to get her Crocs which is what she usually wears to the playground.

She seems to have a radar that tells her if there is a playground within 50 feet. Yesterday walking through a park she said "way, way" and today following our weekly fellowship she saw the playground.

She knows that Maxim's sells Cheese breadsticks. Okay, she has not figured that there is more than one Maxim's in town. We won't tell her that. As we walk past the one that she does know she will whine which is she is not delayed in, and I will give her a $10 coin and she will pay for the breadsticks and then carry them to the train.

Week in Review - 11/23

2007-11-25T17:39:00.000+08:00

The struggle of this week was our schedule. We didn't get as many days of school. I can't say it was because of the holiday since we don't celebrate Thanksgiving here.

Our verse was E - "Even a child is know by his doings."

Letters - I am having to adapt the learning because K can't quite do the worksheets and she knows most of her letters. I think we tested her the other day and the only ones she doesn't know are V, J, and L. I think her favourite letter is M.

Math - she is now counting 1 to 5. She can also tell you that she is three. We worked on circles.

We are still reviewing our words and beginning to make sentences -- K drinks milk. K drinks water. Daddy drinks milk. She can read mouth and face.

This week I pulled out some shape puzzle pieces and she spent some time working on this. She did this with just a bit of help from me.

I know her face is dirty. She had been painting with the watercolours and is not a neat artist.

I did find a sticker workbook and we are going to try that as it does not require writing. The first two she was able to do.

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T07:36:00.001+08:00

Here are some simple and pretty Happy Thanksgiving cards I made to send greetings to those far and away.I used some of the ribbon from the garment district. I love shopping for ribbon there especially now that I have organized it and know what I have.

The Trees from Dr. Suess

2007-11-21T21:14:00.001+08:00

These tress just looked like they came from a Dr. Suess book. Maybe it was there that he got his inspiration. We saw these this past summer when we were in the USA. I think talking about books and reading reminded me of them.

Books and more books

2007-11-17T10:17:00.000+08:00

Kelly at Where There's a Will just hosted Get Caught Reading featuring DS children reading.

I had to pick just two pictures which was very hard.

As you can see books are a big part of Miss K's life. She loves them and so do we. We have shelves and shelves of books.

Week in Reveiw - Week 4

2007-11-17T09:59:00.000+08:00

The memory verse for this week was "D" Draw nigh to God and he will draw night to you.

We introduced the word "yellow" this week. K knows the colour but now we are working on reading the word and matching to that colour.

We continued to review body parts words, family, and colours.

I am having to rethink how I do the next lessons. This week we began to introduce the letters and take a day to learn the letter. K knows most of her letters so I might just skip ahead.

We are working on counting and I think she can repeat 1 to 5.

We worked on same and different. We match the cards from a memory game and also match the pieces from animal dominoes.

I am learning to take where she is and also the things that she enjoys and see if I can include it into our learning. She loves Pooh. I wanted to test following directions and drawing circles. So I put Pooh, Roo, Tigger, and Eeyore stickers on a paper and then she listened as I told her to circle each one. She did it.
We also worked on learning circles this week. This is a sheet that I put together for her. This summer when we were home I bought some 3M laminating pouches which do not require heat. I made a few different worksheets copying them on cardstock and then using the laminating pouch. She uses the washable crayons and we just wipe them off and practice again.
Speech this week included big and small, the colour blue, matching colours to words, snack time, and playing outside.

That was our week. Oh, we are working on the calendar just putting a sticker on each day. Even though it might not seem that she understands I am sure quite a bit she is understanding and it will come out someday.

Who is on your "god shelf"?

2007-11-12T15:08:00.000+08:00

Most homes or businesses will have a "god shelf" a place where they have an idol or maybe an offering to the god. It is common to see these all around the city. Most of the gods are not beautiful rather they are scary. The other day I was walking home from the supermarket and found these two "gods" along the street sitting with incense. Hmm, I actually recognize those gods. I pondered as I walked home and began to wonder if they were the god of materialism and pleasure. I wonder if those are gods on my "god shelf". Am I looking for pleasure and placing that up high as something I worship and desire. I think instead of pleasure I should be willing to make sacrifices so that God's name will be proclaimed. Maybe it is the god of materialism, the long wish list, the things I dream of having. There is nothing wrong with things but am I content with what God has given me.

I have been pondering who is on my "god shelf". I pray that the God that is there is the true and living God, the creator of heaven and earth. My heart's desire is also that those living here will come to know that God and put away the other gods.

Lunch to Go

2007-11-12T11:54:00.000+08:00

Our Sundays are packed and time for lunch just doesn't exist unless you consider grabbing something at McD's lunch. K doesn't quite handle a sandwich so I took a lesson from the Japanese and tried to create a little Bento type lunch for her. It is also nice because she can hold the box and sit in the stroller and eat it.

Birthday Flowers

2007-11-12T11:47:00.000+08:00

I forgot to show you the flowers that my loving husband gave me for my birthday. I love bouquets with lots of colour. These were in a small okay for Asia small heart shape box. Most of the bouquets seem to be big and not made to put in a vase. I love being able to take a picture. That lasts longer than the flowers.

Well Stocked

2007-11-10T10:02:00.001+08:00

Mom, this picture is just for you. You taught me how to fill a freezer and a refrigerator as well. My freezer is small compared to American sizes but I can fit quite a bit in there. Coffee, ice cream, pumpkin in 1/2 cup containers for muffins, bixed berries, homemade breakfast sausage, homemade tortillas that someone gave me, bananas for smoothies, bread or muffins, spices which you can't see cause they are on the door so the bugs don't get into them, all kinds of dried beans, chicken, beef, spinach which I can buy all the time at the store and I love keeping it one hand, pizza dough and many other things. Maybe it is time to clean out the freezer.

Week in Review 11/9

2007-11-09T22:01:00.000+08:00

This week we finished the 3rd week which is also the first unit.

Our verse for this week was C Children obey your parents in the Lord. We did some obedience training as well.

Reading - we are reviewing the words and adding some body parts. She almost has some of those words. She can't say the part except for elbow which is very cute but we have things that we do so we know that she is reading the word -- touch your nose, stick your tongue out (I know I might regret that later), etc. She also can read milk but it sounds more like belk we will even do the mmm sound and out comes belk.

Math - we started the calendar. Okay, I don't think she gets much out of that but we put a sticker on the day. Knowing her something is sticking in there. We also did top and bottom which we need to review and some sorting.

We have some coloured blocks with letters, numbers, pictures on them. I decided to use those for sorting colours -- wrong idea she was too busy telling me the various letter sounds.

Letters and letters sounds is her favourite thing.

On Fridays she has speech at a friend's house. Today we put leaves on a tree, feathers on a turkey, and did a few other activities. We are working to get her to make choices.

On Thursdays we go to Little Gym which gives her some PT and works on gross motor skills. She is climbing more since we started that. She will walk the balance beam if you hold her hand. She is beginning to try to hold the bar.

Next week we are going to do a bit of a review and begin the unit on letter sounds.

That was our week.

Defining Moment

2007-11-09T20:43:00.000+08:00

It is interesting to hear how other people define you. I am part of a wonderful forum and recently we were defining each other. So here is how I was defined.

so giving.
a great mama
has a wonderful sense of humor, and is so thoughtful
is so thoughtful!
good sense of humor
understatedly hilarious

I find it funny that humor and hilarious are mentioned. I don't think of myself as that funny but I guess others do.

K3 Week in Review - 11/2

2007-11-02T16:16:00.000+08:00

I have a new goal and that is to post a review of our school week each week. You might find it interesting but it helps me to remember and organize what we did.

I have dabbled in preschool with Miss K for some time. After she learned to read her name on her own and has learned quite a number of letter sounds, I decided it was time to get serious. I also realized that if we were in the States and if I wanted to utilize the system there that she would be going to school. Yikes, I don't want her to get behind (that is said in jest because I don't think she is behind, she is on K's schedule).

BJU Press has a pilot K4 and K5 program that has been written for Special Needs Kids. I decided to get the K4 and start it.

Week 1 was basic -- her name, daddy, momma, introduce red and blue. She knows her colours so we moved that to reading red and blue and matching items to the word instead of to a cup/bowl of that colour. Our memory verse for the week was "A". I am using a very old like the age of my brothers old copy of Bible Memory Associations A,B,C's memory book.

Things to review/learn - left and right. Just something that we will come back to later.

Week 2 we continued to review those items as well as added green just because we were getting bored of just bed and blue. We also spent time learning about "Me" -- senses and my body. We looked at pictures, listened to music, felt things, smelled things, and sang "Oh, Be Careful" a number of times.

At the end of this week she can read -- her name, momma (except at times I am still Boo-boo-boo which is what she calls me she can say momma but that is what you say when you need help or are stuck), daddy, red, blue, and eyes.

Here she is matching the colours. The weather changed from last week to this week. Doesn't this dress just make her look like she should be going to school.

Things we need to review or learn -- ankle and wrist -- she knows all the other body parts but those were on the list. I am not sweating that. I just have to add that she can say "elbow" and it very cute to hear her say it.

These are our smelling bottles. I love old film cases. They are so good for so many things.

New Number

2007-10-28T19:08:00.000+08:00

I have a new number today. Hmm, should I tell you what that number is? Maybe, I need to think about that.

Today is my birthday. I can't say that I am doing any special to celebrate today. We went to church this morning and then had our ESL class. I did spend some time yesterday with a friend, we went for a foot massage and then lunch. My husband gave me flowers. I have a picture but Blogger is not co-operating.

I do think that each day is a blessing from the Lord and that each year is a milestone of the Lord's faithfulness. I have so many things to be thankful for this year.

I also have a great aunt that is celebrating her 97th birthday today. I am 55 years younger. There you can do the math. My great aunt served many years in Central America. A few years ago she had a stroke and how is in a wheelchair but she spends her days writing letters on the typewriter, praying, and even making a baby dress for a friend's baby. I am her special birthday girl because I was born on her birthday. She has been a wonderful example to me of someone who has lived life in Joy. Happy Birthday to you.

I am looking forward to the Lord's blessings and gifts of this coming year.

Flexibility, bending, adjusting

2007-10-28T19:00:00.000+08:00

I was talking with a good friend the other week about the need to be flexible when living overseas. I know flexibility is needed no matter where you live but it is highly necessary for survival when living overseas.

I think of flexibility as the ability to adjust and change plans, meals, without complaining.

I am a planner. My husband has learned that and knew when he married me. I like to get up in the morning and know the plan for the day. I like to know what we will be doing next year. I don't like surprises. I like to plans my meals for the week and follow that plan. That doesn't always work because you go to the store looking for manadrin oranges after all aren't they grown here but nope, not today. I could actually give you a long list of things that I go to the store looking for and they are out but that is not the point of this. The point is learning to be flexible. Sometimes for meals that does require some thinking and even creative cooking.

Plans change, meals change, travel holds people up, stores are out of stock, and a number of other things all give opportunities to practice flexibility.

This is something that I am still working on especially the without complaining part.

A Community

2007-10-28T18:51:00.000+08:00

It was not a community that I had planned to join but one that happened. It has been an encouraging, supportive, informative, and great community. It is the parents are relatives of Down Syndrome children. I think back to the many people through these years that have been there.
My friend had a dear friend with a DS son.
Our teammate who became Aunt B has a nephew 10 years younger than she with DS.
My sister-in-law has a nephew with DS.
One of K's first babysitter had an uncle with DS.

Then through the years that has been a connection. Parents that have opened and shared their experiences, what they have learned, listen to your fears and concerns, and understand. The other week Miss K and I met with a family visiting here with a DS son about 10 months younger than K. For those of us living overseas it is a blessing to meet someone who is in the same situation that we are.

I have also had some online community as well. Even before K came home from the hospital, I had joined a Yahoo Homeschooling DS children group. They welcomed me knowing that it would be some time until I would formally start homeschooling. I have learned so much from them. One of those friends even sent me the K4 curriculum that has been developed for special needs children.

It wasn't the community I planned to join but I am very thankful for the support and friendship that I have found in this community.

My Latest DIY

2007-10-19T21:12:00.000+08:00

Here in Asia DIY is the big there. It is one of those English phrases that I don't hear in the English speaking world but hear here. Do it yourself which is a big thing here. People are beginning to do it yourself. Instead of calling an electrician to change the light bulb you do it yourself. Yes, that was something you called an electrician. Okay, I have DIY that for a long time or I ask my husband to do it.

Well, my latest project was making instant stove top stuffing. You know like they sell in the red box in the grocery store except here they don't sell it in the grocery store so it is a DIY project. I made cranberry chicken in the crock pot and we decided that stuffing would taste good. I dug around and found a recipe I had gotten from a magazine. I think it was Taste of Home. Anyway, it was very easy. You make a seasoning mix -- I had all the ingredients on hand for that. Okay, I used up my celery flakes and I don't think they sell those here so I might have to make my own for the next time. It said to cube the bread but I was afraid to do enough for 4 batches which is how much the seasoning mix makes. I feared I would have moldy cubes. I did enough for 1 batch. I cubed it and put it on a tray to dry.

I came home from Little Gym, boiled water, added some butter and the seasoning and then mixed the bread cubes, put the lid on after 5 minutes fluffed it with a fork. It was so easy and tasted good. No preservatives. The bread was homemade and I mixed the seasoning myself.

What other meals can I make and have stuffing as a side dish?

Here is the recipe:

Instant Stuffing Mix

½ cups plus 1 tablespoon dried celery flakes

3 tablespoons dried minced onion

3 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning

¾ teaspoons rubbed sage

10-1/2 cups dried bread cubes (about 24 slices) or unseasoned croutons

Additional Ingredients

1 cup water

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a small resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients; mix well. Place the bread cubes in a large resealable plastic bag; add the small seasoning bag. Store in a cool dry place for up to 1 year.

Yield 3 batches.

To prepare stuffing: In a large saucepan, combine water, butter and 1/3 cup seasoning mix. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add 3-1/2 cups bread cubes; stir just to moisten. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Yield 2-4 servings per batch.

My latest find

2007-10-09T15:38:00.001+08:00

Yesterday my friend and I went to a tourist shopping area. We wandered and bought a few things but my favourite find of the day was this colourful scarf. Hey, D, does that look like it could be in Shanghai Tang? It reminded me of the things we have seen there but knew we could not afford. It is colourful, bright, beautiful and so silky. Just had to share this.

Making Memories

2007-09-25T14:30:00.001+08:00

Last week Bo went traveled to where we used to live. He need to pick-up some papers. I wanted to send some Miss K pictures to our dear friend there. I am really enjoying doing small books and so I decided to make a small scrapbook for her. It was one big long piece of paper. One side was pictures from the past year. and the other side were pictures from the first 2 years of her life.

I enjoyed making it and I know Auntie LL is enjoying having it in her office to show various friends that visit her.

What's Happening

2007-09-25T14:07:00.000+08:00

I know I have not posted much recently. I have been busy with various things around the house. I will try to catch up on a few things that I have done.

I did make another batch of ketchup last night. This time I made a double recipe and put a bit less vinegar in it and also less sugar.

I made some pear butter last week in the crockpot. I found cheap pears at the grocery store. They were cheap because they were bruised. It was so easy to make them in the crockpot. I bought some more pears and peaches because I realized that is cheaper than buying Smucker's Simply Fruit.

I made hummus the other week. That is so easy with the food processor. We use that for dip with our veggies.

One of our favorite fun meals is quesadillas. My recipe includes a cooked potato grated as well as cheese. I did make my own tortillas. They were good and a bit better than the store ones. I don't yet have the feel for rolling them out. I guess I need more practice.
I love the salsa that I made to go with them. It is yummy but only lasts about 24 hours and it doesn't taste as good.
I also made a pizza for Miss K. I found the idea on this website http://www.toddlertoddler.com/archivedactivities.htm and bartered for some felt. I had bought some felt while we were home but didn't buy white. So I bartered necklaces from the Jade Market for felt. It is easy to go to the Jade Market and difficult to go to Spotlight where I know they will have felt.

What's Cooking - Sept 24

2007-09-25T14:00:00.001+08:00

I am cooking and even more do planning what I am cooking.

Monday - leftovers for Miss K and I as S had a meeting
Tuesday - Orange Chicken Leg Quarters - it is a new Crockpot recipe.
Wednesday - dinner out -- it is our anniversary and I am not cooking
Thursday - Beef 'n peppers another crockpot recipe
Friday - leftovers for Miss K and I as S has language class

One of the things that I bought this summer was the Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook. I was also recently blessed with a 220 to 110 power converter for my kitchen so I can use the crockpot in the kitchen and not the office. Except today it is in the office because I need an adapter for the plug.

For more great ideas check out http://orgjunkie.blogspot.com/

Get out the fork

2007-09-07T21:11:00.000+08:00

I made English muffins. We need the fork to split them so we can get all the nooks and crannies. I have been thinking about making them but just never got around to it until today when I decided that Sunday we are going to have English muffin pizzas for dinner and so that meant I had to make English muffins. I can buy them -- 4 in a pack and they are expensive or I can travel an hour and buy a pack of Thomas' English muffins that have been frozen and pay even more.

This was easy. I made the dough in my bread machine. The recipe came from the More with Less cookbook.I used a glass to cut them out because I didn't really have anything big enough.
The recipe said to fry for 8 minutes on a side but it took less than that. Maybe it was my super hot ready to stir-fry burner.
Yes, they look like real English muffins and taste like them as well.

Wordless Wendesday

2007-09-06T08:55:00.001+08:00

The girls were having fun that afternoon. Miss K is going to grow up hearing, Oh, K, your hair.

Red, White & Blue Ribbon

2007-08-27T13:44:00.000+08:00

I had some ribbon that I bought at the fabric market area. I decided to try to make a hairbow for Miss K. I had found a wonderful website giving all directions for all kinds of bows. I kinda followed the directions and kinda did what I wanted to do. I found the perfect size barretts for her thin hair and didn't have wire except for my beading wire so I grabbed some quilting thread and used that to stitch it up a bit where you can't see.

I think it looks cute and it does stay in her hair. She loved it and didn't want to take it out at bedtime but did and then wanted me to wear it.

Finished

2007-08-27T13:19:00.001+08:00

I always enjoy when I get a project finished. I made a quilt for Miss K's baby. Since our napkins, towels or whatever she could find have been used as blankets I decided it was time to make a quilt for her. This is truly a patchwork quilt. I had started years ago when a fun activity was to go through my mom's scrap box making a patchwork quilt. Well, that quilt never was finished and actually since I started that I learned quite a bit about quilting like you need straight lines and seams and the pieces should be uniform. I decided to cut that quilt apart and make K's baby's quilt.I did most of the quilting while we were traveling in the States. I finished the binding last week. Hopefully baby will like it.

Offering of Service

2007-08-24T13:46:00.000+08:00

Have you ever had tears in your eyes during church? I did the other Sunday. It wasn't the during the singing or even the sermon but rather the announcements. The announcement was not a sad one rather one giving an opportunity to get involved and serve. It was an announcement of needing teachers to help teach ESL class for students studying here. In addition to teaching ESL we will be opening the Bible and sharing with them about God. For many it is probably the first time that they have heard this. That is the reason that we live here. That was on my mind this morning and also the fact that I really need to work on the ESL lessons. K and I walked well, I walked and she rode in the stroller to the grocery store, and I pondered Sunday, the upcoming class and a few other things.

I noticed that today must be something special, a day of offerings to the gods.

Notice the fruit, buns, and incense. Look at what they are giving. Jesus didn't ask for our bread rather he said, "I am the bread of life."
At first I thought it was just some garbage that someone left but I noticed the open water bottle. I think this god might be vegetarian. In the bag were bean sprouts and tofu. Jesus said, "I am the living water."

For me it was another comparison of the living God and the one made with hands. God does ask for us to give him something, our lives. We are to serve him. My husband and I are here so that we can do that tell people about Jesus who is the bread of life and the living water.

This summer I read an excellent book, Faith of Our Fathers God in Ancient China. It was written by a Chinese and actually published first in Chinese and then translated into English. I read the English version. It gave me a basic understanding of Chinese history and a deep understanding of Shang-di and his role in the history of China. It was Shang-di that the ancient Chinese worshipped. So now my prayer is that the people will return to worshiping Shang-di.

Well, I better begin my service and start working on those ESL lessons.

Fun and more fun

2007-08-24T13:10:00.001+08:00

I like things nice and neat. I colour in the lines. I have a 3 year old who enjoys having fun and often that fun involves something dirty. I am learning that it is good for her to do those things. I try to tell myself that it is therapy. I can convince my husband to buy just about anything if I say "it is for therapy." Now if I could just get the Circut for therapy I would be happy. I will ponder that one but I need to get back to the topic of having fun 3 year old style.

She had fun finger painting. That was a mess. I didn't have any nice washable finger paints. I can't find them in the stores here. I found a recipe online and tried that. I think we still have finger paint on the highchair. She had fun.

We tried the cooked spaghetti art. I think it must work better on construction paper than on some of my scrapbook paper. We picked up noodles off the floor for a few days as they fell off the picture.
If any notices, she does have other clothing. I think that outfit had gotten stained and so we wear that all the time around the house.

I am trying to put aside myself and do thinks that I know my daughter will enjoy and hey, it is therapy. I did stock up on art supplies when we were home. We now have washable finger paint. We tried it this morning and it was great.

Little things that change your world

2007-08-19T15:37:00.001+08:00

When we moved in we went to Ikea and bought a dish drainer. It was the best one we could find. It had to be assembled and I remember working to screw it all together. Well, it didn't take long for me to decide that I didn't like it. It didn't have a drain tray so water just collected under it. I lost a few mugs on it as they tumbled off and my tile floor is not allowing of things dropping and remaining the same.

I began to dream of a nice small dish drainer that had a tray to hold water and sides and even some place to put the silverware. It sounds simple and so easy to get but did you know that Amazon does not ship those internationally. We did find a tray that helped but not completely. A dish drainer was on the top of my shopping list when we went home.

That new dish drainer changed my life. For a day or two I enjoyed washing dishes. I loved having the water collect in the tray, having a place to put the silverware and have sides all the way around it. After a few days the wonder wore off and now I am back to washing dishes because they are dirty and we need clean dishes or because I need to cook and need to find my counter space.

Leftovers for Breakfast

2007-08-19T15:30:00.001+08:00

If you are thinking about pizza, forget it. My husband will not eat cold pizza. He will not eat it for lunch or for breakfast. I will and have on various occasions. But I am referring to something else. We love fajitas. It is a favorite meal around our house. It always seems that we have onions and peppers leftover. I used to put them in the refrigerator thinking I am sure I will come up with something to throw these in but usually a few weeks later I would discover them and would throw them in the trash. Then I found a brilliant way to use the leftovers. Breakfast Burritos the next morning so the peppers and onions stay in the refrigerator less than 24 hours.

I reheat the peppers and onions (this time we had some mushrooms thrown in there) in my frying pan. Then put them in a bowl with a plate on top to keep them warm. I scramble some eggs.

Pull out some cheese and chopped tomatoes and put it all together. Here is it ready to be wrapped and eaten.

So tell me what fun things do you do with leftovers. Do you have some leftovers that you have found a creative way to use.

Come Walk with me

2007-08-15T21:29:00.001+08:00

I am part of a Biggest Loser contest online. Just two more weeks in this round to get those pounds off. You can join me on a walk. It stopped raining long enough for this walk.

Here we are leaving the village. You can see the trash cans on the right. Often, I will pause to throw the trash as I leave the village. We are going to turn right and head up the road. Grass and trees and no cars. I live in the middle of nowhere.
We keep walking. Here is the little drink stand/restaurant. I have never eaten there but I recently saw some foreigners there. That is where I met my friend when we walk together. She is not yet back from her summer vacation so I am walking alone.
I have to pause for the little "green go man. Actually I have to push the button so it will change. As I wait, I walk in place or do the side step.
Now we are on the other side of the road. You can see the nursery. I don't know what they grow but at New Year they have lots of orange trees.
There are the mountains. It is still a bit cloudy.There goes a double decker bus. We ride that bus often from the train station to our village.
We keep walking. We are walking fast so we can get this walk done before it starts to rain.There is some new houses that they are building. Most of the village house are 3 levels with an apartment on each level and about 700 sq feet.
We are getting close to where we are going to turn around. The road starts to go uphill and it is about time to get home. The walk back is much of the same. There is a mini bus or light bus. Those seat 16 people and everyone has to be seated so if you want to be sure to get a seat ride the mini bus.
We are going to go down a side road to another village. I want to take a picture of the banana trees that I found.
There is the banana tree.
Here is heading down to the village. This village is about a 10 minute walk from the road. Which means a walk to the bus. Heading back up the road towards our village.

Now we are entering our village.We are going to wind our way back to our house. I think I once stood in our apartment and counted about 10 houses that I could see.
Here is our door. We live on the 1st floor. Let me open the door and you can come on up. Yes, I said up. Here the 1st floor is what we might think of as the 2nd floor because you have Ground then 1st and 2nd.
That was a good walk. It was about a 30 minute walk. Now you probably need a towel and big glass of water.