Getting the bug...

Unfortunately for my husband ,I'm getting the decorating bug again. (I can hear you groaning from here Bri. Just cover your eyes if you don't want to know.) I have Paint ADD and can't stick with a paint color for more than a few months. I thought it would be easy to choose paint colors but it's HARD. So I'm really thinking it through this time and will be getting samples to try out before buying the whole stinkin' gallon.

I also want to slipcover a chair we found at Goodwill and rearrange the living room. I would like to finish decorating my bedroom and I'm so close. I want to find some vintage mirrors for one wall. I found the perfect ones at Pottery Barn but they are waaaaaay to expensive. If anyone knows of a cheap alternative, I would be grateful.

The hallway is boring and small so I want to punch it up with an Art Deco flavor. I'll probably stencil some type of art deco pattern and I would love to get a mirrored desk since it is kind of dark in there. Again, this one is way to expensive.

The school room needs a new paint job as well as the ceiling molding put back up. Graedon decided that the walls needed some pencil art so the whole room is looking shabby.

So lots that I want to do but I don't have any money. The hospital bills came in from Molly's birth and Ava's bungled trip to the e.r. We now owe $4000. That's after insurance. I "cheerfully" sent off $100 to them yesterday. I'm very generous. It's going to take awhile to pay them off.

Oh and we need a new hot water heater, washer and dryer. Oh and the old van just went in for $600 repairs (paid for with cash from our new emergency fund). And the half the girls and the boy need some new fall shoes because they insist on outgrowing their perfectly fine ones.

Aaaahhhhh! I'm looking around the house for anything to sell ;) The girls are starting to feel anxious and holding their posessions closer to them. I know their hiding places though.

Brian did remind me that God has always given us enough money to pay our bills and I shouldn't be anxious. It's hard not to be but he's right. (Yes I did just say you were right Bri, it's even in print). So we'll see how fast we can tackle those bills. Hopefully by Christmas or the girls will only get oranges ;)

Good golly Miss Molly

Don't you just love sleeping baby lips. They are all relaxed and so soft and kissable.

Well Molly has proven to be a very good baby. She's almost 9 weeks now and sleeps 5-7 hours at night. In a row people. We have never had a baby do that. Of course she grunts and tries to get out gas in the early morning hours. She flings her little fists right in my face and I'll start to mindlessly pat her tummy. Sometimes I think about moving her to her crib but I really do love having her there right beside me at night. Makes nursing so easy.

Molly smiles at all of us and I even got her to laugh (witnessed by Maddie and Ava). She gave her first non-immediate family smile to a very nice lady who owns a garden store nearby. She's also making those adorable and very serious coos. She loves to watch Grae and Ellie talk to her. She'll watch them play until her eyes just won't stay open anymore.

She's getting on a schedule (hooray!) and will take a really long 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. It's even the same time as her brother so I am free to do laundry, sweeping, mopping, sewing, computer work. Why am I never free to read a magazine or nap?

It's amazing to think how depressed I was when I found out I was pregnant with her. We really were undecided if we wanted another baby but God said we did ;) Then He gave us an easy baby. THANK YOU.

Now off to take care of our not so easy toddler who only wants to scream and listen to pirate music.

Help a gal earn some money.

I listed on eBay two outfits I made with my very own hands.

Here's one:

































And the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270157591358&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

And the baby gown:




















Link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=270155823588&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=017

Going greener...

We're making the switch to cloth diapers and I'm so excited. We did cloth for 3 months when Lauren was born but then stopped. Now in an effort to not clog our landfills with more of our diapers and to save money, Molly will be cloth diapered. I spent two days researching and asking questions and am convinced it is the right way to go.

I already do 2-3 loads of laundry a day so 1 or 2 more won't be any big deal. Our clothesline came and I've been using it everyday to hang clothes. Hanging clothes on the line is one of my favorite times of day. It's surprisingly relaxing. I can't wait to see our electric bill this month.

We've come under our grocery budget so far this month and I'm really excited about that. I've been cooking meals everyday and getting creative with what we have here.

We've been able to put an extra $250 toward our van payment so far and the month is not over. I love the challenge of not spending money and looking for ways to earn or save it. I need to pull out the fall clothes to sell on eBay. I have about $300 worth of stuff laying around that I need to list.

I really hate being in debt to the bank for our van. Hopefully by this time next year we can say we've paid it off. We owe a little over $13,000 for it. Ouch - that hurts to type it but there it is. We paid $20,000 for it and have had it a little over 8 months. I don't regret its purchase. We only had one van at the time and we couldn't all fit in it after Molly came. So we just need to be free from the payments as soon as possible. How can anyone be happy with their purchases knowing they don't have the money to pay for them? Credit is dangerous. So many people that we consider "well off" and have lots of new stuff are actually so far in debt that they can't get out. That's sad.

Well Molly is awake and telling me she needs to be fed RIGHT NOW. So no more debt talk for now. Aren't you glad, lol...

Love Thursday

Yee-haw

Ava and her wagon....
The robber...

Grouchy

Everyone in my house is grouchy today. Ava doesn't like math so she's taking a looooong time doing her test. Maddie actually broke down in tears twice, one in math and another because Lauren beat her to the shower. Ellie slammed Graedon's fingers in the closet door this morning and they have been alternately fighting and playing. Ellie just screamed because Grae just took a cracker from her plate.

Molly is sleeping. Yesterday she was awake practically the whole day, which didn't make for a very happy momma. I felt so defeated by this. How quickly we go from feeling happy and content to feeling sorry for ourselves. How quickly we forget to thank God for everything He brings.

So today I declare comfort day. We will finish up our Friday chores and veg out in front of a movie or make cookies or do some sewing. Oh and eat lots of licorice that I bought. Thank you God for making sugar.