Sew »

Darth Vader & Obi Wan Kenobi

Here are the dolls I made for Maury’s son for his birthday.  A better version of the ones I made for my kiddos.  If you’re interested in one - or want to special order a specific outfit let me know - I’m for hire.  And, of course, I make outfits for girly ones - my honey just called them “dolls for boys”!

TheAnimals »

we never claimed she was smart.

  funny, maybe.  

 smart… um, maybe not so much.

HeSays »

it’s what i do. 

when i’m bored.  when i need to sweep behind the couch.  when i need to up my baby-proofing game.  when the weather changes.

but you know you should probably take a break when your husband while trying to dress for work wanders aimlessly around.  and you say,”whatcha lookin’ for?”  to which he says,”my socks.”  and i so proudly tell him,”for once, they’re in your drawer.”  and he retorts,”so, where’s the drawer?”

Understanding »

and started watching jon & kate + 8.  many of you have asked me if i watch it.  no, not really, i’ve seen it once, kinda. 

so, i cried “uncle” and recorded it.  yep, i love it, just like y’all thought i would. 

except i can’t watch it at night like i normally watch my shows.  here’s the catch.  although my chaos is still no where near their chaos, it is eerily close.  and, in all honesty, i can’t take one more second of crying, screaming kids once mine have gone quietly to their beds.  no mas. 

so, to solve this conundrum?  watch with my kids.  that’s right, my 3 olders love it.  beg to watch it.  maybe there’s comfort in knowing there are other little people that are as mistreated as they are.  maybe there is comfort in numbers. 

then, again, maybe it’s because they get to see that mama may be crazy as a betsy bug, but, oh, look, there’s another mom as insane as mine.

case in point, my oldest just told me, “that mama said, ‘today i may very well lose my mind’ - that’s why i think she’s like you.”

TheFamily »

ok, one of the many down sides to hacking somebody’s theme and trying to learn along the way is that sometimes you make a mistake.  a really big mistake.  like losing the ability to write a post.  really.  i could change anything i wanted on my whole site, but everytime i tried to actually post something, it would lock up my entire computer.  freeze.  control, alt, delete, type of freeze.  argh.  i had gotten to the point of thinking that i might even write y’all a message in the sidebar or comment on one of my own posts so that it would show up, or maybe even change my header to have what i wanted to say in it.  good grief.  and the totally ridiculous part is that i have had this problem before and fixed it.  but to no avail this time.  fear not, i put the “fix” page in my favorites.  now, when i blow my site up again, and i will, i always do, i’ll at least know where to go to fix it.  argh. 

so, i’ve been learning code like a crazy woman.  php.  i’m learning to like it.  not love it yet, but at least tolerate it.  and i’ve learned the best way to control my content is to put it back in one blog and manage it through categories.  i know y’all are all glazing over by now, so i won’t ramble on about the details, but i’m just sayin’ that i’m still workin’ on it.  the last way is what i liked, but managing seperate blogs, and feeding a front blog, was just too much.  i think this will be much simpler.  i hope. 

“All Is Forgiven” got accepted into the art competition!!  I get to go to a fancy-schmancy opening night, just for the “artists” dinner and everything.  ah.mazing!!  i’m so excited!!  now, if i can just take first place or at least people’s choice - then we’ll really be in the money! 

still schoolin’.  still lovin’ it.  it’s become just a way of life now, and less a battle, staged, and weird.  i love that even more.

did i mention that we weaned a girl from a paci a month or so back?  so now there are no pacis in our house.  for the first time in forever.  and my baby boy is starting to repeat everything.  so sweet!

i’ve been keeping notes on posts i want to put out here.  so i’ll try to keep some flowing.

and michelle!  join the ranks of donna and all the rest of the world that i have left behind and done wrong.  i’m sorry.  and i want to connect with you.  i’ve tried googling you, calling info for your name, everything!  email me, woman!!  suzannerparker(at)gmail(dot)com

UnitStudies »

about every other month week, i have a homeschooling freak out.  what am i doing?!  i need all the newest-coolest-most-expensive curriculum.  and then i talk to seasoned friends, i pray for peace and wisdom, and He hits me with inspiration.  i’m so thankful for those times.  yesterday was one of them.

years ago i taught a homeschooling art class.  i did crafts with the little ones; art history and intro to “real” media with the older ones.  in prepping for the class, i went online and looked up art history.  made a list of the “greats” and found google images to print off of their most famous works.  i then glued them to card stock and contact papered them.  in my folder i made a timeline and divided the artists accordingly.

 so, yesterday i decided my kiddos needed exposure to the real stuff.  i pulled out my van gogh card, let them hold it and look at it, talked about where he painted some of his most famous paintings, looked at the brush strokes, talked about oil paintings, and then i went to my trusty map and drew out an eiffel tower, secretly stuck it to paris, and then looked up the eiffel tower site online (awesome kid games, by the way).   we read madeline and looked for the eiffel tower in the pictures.  discussed their names and talked with terrible awesome french accents.  madeline led to a discussion of what scars were and what an appendix was.  we talked about surgery and all things medical.  we talked about why the other little girls were sad and wanted to have their own surgeries.  we talked about being thankful and not wanting what others have or appear to have. 

and we had a great school day.  and i felt good about what i’m doing again.   

AccidentalDesign »

I finished it.  At about 1:30 last night.  I’m a little tired.  Now we wait to see if it gets accepted.  I’ll keep you posted.

Also, as you can tell, I’m still not quite satisfied with my front page.  I wanna be.  But seeing as how I host my own site and design it too, that means like everything else I try, it usually takes extensive failures to get it the way I want.  Plus, some of you have expressed confusion with my old/new site and it doesn’t work for all of you.  So, I’m back to the drawing board.  Please continue to hang in there with me. 

And keep the feedback coming.

AccidentalDesign »

My honey and I are going on a date tonight.  And it’s not to the hospital to have another baby.  We’re going all alone.  I don’t remember the last time this happened.  Little excited.

Our church is having an art exhibit and sale in the fall.  It’s an annual thing.  With a theme.  A reach out to the public kinda thing.  Last year’s was on Jonah.  This year’s is the prodigal son.  Luke 15, I think.  I’ve known about this for quite awhile, but realized last Sunday that the deadline is this coming Tuesday.  So, huh, I guess I better get started.  On the same weekend as a date night tonight, a family reunion kinda thing tomorrow, a full church day on Sunday, and an eye exam, with my mom coming on Monday. 

What I’ve got so far:

While I was working on the banner this morning, my honey said, “When’s that due?  Tuesday?  Like Tuesday at 4p?  Or Tuesday at midnight?”  Thanks for the vote of confidence, babe.  As you should know by now, I’m the queen of procrastination.  I’ll figure out a way, and I’m sure it will involve a bit of ignoring family, yelling a tad too much, and complaining on the part of everybody around me.  But what’s new, you know?

I'mPublished! »

I just stayed the course in the knowledge that I was doing what I should. But the desire of validation from daddy is unreal. The connection of our feelings toward our earthly fathers and that of our Heavenly Father is so real…

To read my full story come on over to Heart of the Matter.

Tips & Tricks »

A friend of mine recently told me how he gets gum off his children when they just happen to accidentally string it all over themselves.  Including hair.  Spray that gunk with some Pam Cooking Spray (or if you’re cheap like me, the off-brand wal-mart kind works just as well.)  It’ll just ball up and come right out in little greasy pieces.  I’m not kidding.  And, of course, we’ve had opportunity to try it out.  Ah.mazing. 

(And yes, I did say, he.  He is a single dad raising his 2 girls.  With tips on stuff like getting gum outta his children’s hair.  Ladies?)