Only Dorks Allowed

My name is Tina and I am a dork.

Not just a little dorkiness mixed in with normalness.

No.

I am 100% dork.

Don't believe me?

Here is proof.

Today, I had packages to drop off at the post office for customers who bought stuff from my Etsy shops. I usually have my eldest son Grant mail my packages at HyVee on his way to whatever he is on his way to do. This time though I had a few packages going to various US destinations as well as a package going to New Zealand (cool). The international package needs a customs slip etc... so that requires a trip to the actual post office so I needed to do that one myself. No problem. I hurried the eight younger kids through their school and we all bundled up for our walk to the post office. I do not know how to drive.

No dorkiness yet...

Ok, maybe the no driving thing is a little dorky.

But just wait.

We are in front of the post office ready to go in when Grant, who was driving around town with his friend Eddie, saw us. Smaller towns are pretty neat. Grant and I chat for a bit. They leave and the other kids and I go into the post office to mail my packages.

~Dork warning~

As the post office guy was taking care of my stuff I was still thinking of my conversation with Grant. I always enjoy talking with Grant. Another say 35ish male postal worker stepped to the counter to help the customer in back of me.

Guess what I did as the postal worker stepped up to the counter as I was looking directly into his eyes and smiling?

I winked at him!!

DORK!!!!

Yes, this 40+ year old mom of 15 creepily winked at a younger man.

Now to my defense, as I was winking at this guy I was still very much thinking about my conversation with Grant. Yes, I wink at my kids. That is not creepy. It is like a thumbs up...like an 'I am proud of you' wink. 'I am glad I am your mom' wink.

Winking at the male postal worker. That is not cool. That is creepy.

 My son Josh, who witnessed the whole thing, said that the postal worker was just staring at me. Josh said that at the time he was wondering if the man liked me or something because he had this odd half smile look on his face as he stared at me.

No Josh, he did not like me. It was a 'did that old creepy woman REALLY just wink at me' stare.

Double DORK!!!

I am SO embarrassed!

Ok, that is not the end of my dorkiness.

As long as we are out and about the nine of us walk to the Daily Grind coffee shop for a drink to warm us up.

Here we are enjoying our drinks.





I appropriately got the old dorky lady cup.



Anyway, we unintentionally invaded the space of another patron who was working on her laptop at the next table.

How can she not hear our conversations?

I would totally listen in on another table's conversation.

Be warned.

I will listen.

I am nosey.

Sit by me at your own risk.

Anyway, Grant and Eddie find us at the coffee shop to chat. Grant was telling me about these cool medieval swords he and Eddie saw at the Mall of America when they were there this morning. Grant was wanting to save up for one to hang on his wall. Although he was serious about that, Grant and Eddie were purposely being louder so the woman sitting by us would hear. Shock value. Now me with all my dorkiness, listened and laughed at their crazy medieval sword stories. The woman kept glancing over at us. I bet it sounded to the lady that I was agreeing to the whole medieval sword thing which I was not...just enjoying our time.

And then throughout our time at the coffee shop Joel and Lily would say "Mom. guess what?" I would say each time "What?" and they would respond "chicken butt!" To which we would laugh. For the sake of the woman sitting next to us whose space we invaded I should have at least told them to stop. and really should not have laughed to encourage them more...

My name is Tina and I am a dork.

Not just a little dorkiness mixed in with normalness.

No.

I am 100% dork.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

This and That

Jeff proudly wore his I met a Farmer today sticker.



This evening's topic that Jeff shared with some of our kids was on prayer. He thought it would be fun to go over with the kids a few things that he took away from church on Sunday.

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

The Bible Study in action





I had the kids each make a prayer clip to hang by their beds so they could hang verses, notes, and prayers to help them in devoting themselves to prayer.





Before Jeff got home from work the kids made cupcakes for our Bible study treat.



Now who received their Dig magazine in the mail today?

Raise your hand!

I did!! I did!!

I read it from cover to cover every time we get it. I know it is the kids' magazine but...



Did you know that Armageddon is an actual real place in Israel?

Very cool.

Now if I was in a more time flexible season in my life I would SO be there in 2014 to help with excavating.



Two beauties showed up at my bedroom door a little bit ago wanting their picture taken.

How could I say no?!



Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Today is Tuesday

"You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.”

~Winnie the Pooh~

Schooling was a little challenging today.

First, I was having a hard time staying awake thanks to my two hour You Tube 'Is Micheal Jackson really dead?' late night investigation last night. I thought you would like to know that I did conclude after watching all the You Tube 'evidence' provided that Micheal Jackson did not fake his death but is indeed dead. Sorry to you mysterious blond lady who has Micheal Jackson's ears as well as you unidentified old dancing man who seems to show up at as many Micheal Jackson events as possible. I am not being sarcastic. I am a big MJ fan. I am as I type this listening to Micheal singing Rockin' Robin on my Micheal Jackson Pandora station...hey now why is a Glee Cast song playing!!! Thumb that one down!! Ah yes,this is better Leave Me Alone. Anyway, I was a tad tired today.

Second, I think there were many kids who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Third, my homeschooling jr/sr high kids seemed to get done with all of their school work way faster that I was ready for. That led to a lot of loudness while I was still teaching the other kids. Arg. I was getting very stressed with all the noise.

Fourth, most everyone seemed to need me at the most inconvenient times for various squabble issues, schedule decisions, permission requests, or just as general verbal punching blame bag.

That all made it a frustrating school day.

Anyway

I kept my camera by my side not to capture the gray clouds of my day but the silver linings of my day.

There were a few...

Listening to Joel read.



Don't tell Lily but I colored one of her workbook pages.

It was an appropriate choice.

I am near to the craziness but would like to be far away..



I know you are probably so over the quilts I made but I had a few minutes this evening to put the binding on this one. This quilt is declared finished!



I also am gearing up for my next projects.

Love the Russian Babushka Dolls fabric.

And remember spray starch is a quilters friend.



Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

The Last One

I finished quilting my last quilt this evening.

Lily checking over my work...



I wanted to do something a little different with this quilt so I though it would look fun zigzagged instead of machine straight quilted 'in the ditch'.



I zigzagged over the seams with dark pink thread and again with purple thread.

It kind of reminds me of crayon scribbles. Kind-of neat.

It looks pretty from the back.



And a random thing...I bought this photo at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds Antique show many moons ago. For some reason this picture really intrigues me. Too bad there is not a way to find out who this couple is and what their life story was. I have been looking at it off and on today. No reason. My mind was just wandering.



~SIGH~

And why did I spend the last two hours of precious sleep time watching YouTube videos that 'prove' Micheal Jackson faked his death and is in fact still alive...?

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Sunday Random-ness

Everyone was pretty tired today but for being tired the big kids all found lots to do through out the day.

Joel and Lily were not feeling well today so I let them sleep late. They were pretty upset with me that I 'made' them miss church.

I saw a recipe on Smitten Kitchen's blog that I have been wanting to try.

Italian Stuffed Cabbage

Mine did not turn out as pretty as hers but it tasted very good.



I finished quilting this quilt today



and my cute baby doll one



I have one more quilt to quilt but I think I am going to do something kind of fun and different with it. My fun different thing does not require my quilting sewing machine just my regular sewing machine so back into your storage place you go my quilting Brother.

Here is the stack of the four quilts I quilted this weekend.

Good progress.

They are just waiting for their bindings now.



P.S. Why has Alice Cooper's song Poison been running through my head all weekend? Not my veins...ha ha...um...funny if you know the song...

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Quiet Day

Today, Jeff and ten of our kids are up in the Cities with the rest of the Heavenword Handler performance team providing the half time entertainment in two halftime shows at the MCAA boy’s tourney at Maranatha High School.

It leaves me with a small crowd to manage.

I decided with all the quiet I have I would start machine quilting some quilts.

Up right now...



I quilted this one earlier.



Three more waiting.



My goal is to get to these tomorrow so I can get my quilting machine put away before Monday.

I will see. A few of the kids are not feeling very well...

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

What A Guy!!!

Jeff brought me home a few surprises after work this evening.

Very pretty flowers!



and four fat quarters from a quilt shop called Quilter's Haven in Rosemount.

Beautiful!!

You did a wonderful job picking them out, Jeff and I know just the quilt I will make with them.

It will be very pretty.



Thank you VERY much Jeff!!!!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

R.A.N.D.O.M.

For you have been called to live in freedom-not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

I have been thinking of this verse the last few days.

I understand that I have been set free from the bonds of sin in my life because of Jesus death on the cross.

I understand that...I do...or so I thought...

Lately, I have been really struggling with a BIG case of

the bad attitudes

the glass half empty outlook

the I have a right to fuss and stamp my feet syndrome

and that gives me the right to (endlessly) crab at everyone doesn't it?

Well, I thought so...

until the Lord very kindly reminded me of the above verse.

A light bulb turned on.

God even set me free from my negative drama I like to carry around.

Like other sins, it follows me around (one could even say my drama precedes me...) like a loud voice but God has set me free from it ruling my days.

It can be hard because in some odd, crazy way it can be kind of satisfying to let my negative emotions all hang out. Even to throw out some wounding verbal wow-powing zingers at others.

But God says that I am set free from needing to carry that all around and in letting it go I am free to serve and love my family without wading through so much emotional muck.

I am still a wee babe in the infant room with my walk with Christ.

I am slow in the learning but Lord I hear. Lord, please do not stop teaching me.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A few pictures of the day?

Josh bought this post-Valentine gift for me.



Lily helping me make a cake.



Alan was taking some pictures for his Facebook but haha he never knew it would also be a Mom's blog picture!



Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Sewing Action

I put the border on my baby doll quilt.

It is looking so nice!



I had some extra squares so I decided to put them to good use and make another quilt top.

I have five rows done so far.



I have five more rows to piece together.



It is a very simple quilt but very pretty!



I am hoping to finish these quilts up this weekend.

Not sure if I will but that is my goal.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Happy Birthday, Joshua!!!

A

BIG

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY

Josh!!!





I love you so very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Bonus Night!!

Friday was a bonus night!

It was parents night at the girls basketball game.

Although I missed Joyce's actual JV game (sorry Joyce!!) she still brought me a beautiful rose.

Ah. That was SO sweet!!!

Lily thought it was like a princess being handed a rose.



AND...

guess who was the evening half time show during the girls varsity basketball game!?

Waseca's very own Heavenword Handlers!!!

I was able to get a few seconds of the end of the Handler's performance on camera.



See.

That is a bonus night!!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

What Brain Matter? It is all Fluff Between These Ears.

I had not done a good job keeping track of what day today was.

First I thought it was Friday so I had the kids doing the 'Friday' tasks in their chore areas today. Friday is one of our floor mopping in all hard surfaced rooms day as well as the toilet,sink,and shower in the bathrooms days. Monday is the other floor mopping/big bathroom cleaning day. No one pointed out my mistake until after the chores were done and even then I did not believe them.

But it is Thursday.

Second, I forgot it was Valentine's Day! Joel was so excited and made his little Valentine's mailbox expecting it to filled with treats from mom. I am sure I broke his little Valentine heart when he asked when we are going to do our Valentine's Day fun and I impatiently said not today.

~Sigh~

I tried to redeem the day when I noticed my mistake.

I did not have Valentine treats but told him we would do that part this weekend.

I whipped up some pizza dough and we made our Valentine homemade pizzas.

I am glad that Hulu had a Charlie Brown Valentine show available to stream.

I thought of a quick Valentine's dessert. Chocolate ice cream with strawberries and bananas. Sounds Valentine-ish doesn't it?

Now I can relax. The day is almost over.

I used to be so good at remembering things and being organized.

I guess not anymore.

Yum. I think this is Ekie's pizza waiting to be cooked.



Double Yum!!! This is my BIG bowl.



Although Valentine's Day slipped my mind, others remembered!

My Valentine's Day loot.



I am pretty sure you all had this day all under control.

I hope it was a fun day!!

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Doesn't Every Mom...

feed their children warmed berry pie filling and toast for breakfast?



Here is something I have been thinking about the last few days...

Life can get very intense here.

You figure there are 17 of us interacting with each other every day and that makes for a lot of relationship combinations going on. If I was better at math I could figure it out but I would say hundreds and hundreds of combos. Maybe even thousands?

There is not a day that goes by that there is not at least one major conflict. Honestly, there is usually more than just one or two at one time. The conflict participants and situations vary but the conflict is just as unsettling.

When I feel things heating up between sibling I start to feel real queasy. Sometimes the conflicts work themselves out but a lot of the time I need to step in at one point or another. My fight or flight reaction sets in. My insides feel like running away but I tend instead to charge forward while blowing my battle horn.

Most of the time I need to make fast spot calls based on what info I can quickly glean from the he said/she said talk. In a large family like ours, I do not usually have the luxury of patiently listening to the two sides and going off to pray asking God privately for wisdom then going back to said children with my official well informed mom judgement. I wish I did but life here moves at record speed. There are days that half or more of the kids are set to their beds for one thing or another.

And even worse than the conflict is the after math of me being on one or numerous children's 'hate lists' for the day. The kids might not know, but my knees buckle very fast it is only the Lord and my stubbornness that hold me up in conflict.

Blah. I feel like I miss the mark most of the time. Have you ever sat down and thought of the craziness that God calls us parents to parent and teach and make judgment calls while here we are with our own set of sins that so easily trip us up. I think it is pretty crazy,anyway. If my kids grow up to be the way I hope, it will be despite me not because of my great parenting skills. I am SO glad God is faithful.

Anyway, I read this set of verses the other day and it gave me some focus.


...the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul...Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt.

1 Samuel 18: 1,3-4

Isn't it good?

How it ties in to my conflict ramble is that this is a desperate cry from deep in my heart. I want God to develop in me such a deep soul binding love for my family that I will do whatever God needs me to do so God can fulfill his purpose in my family's lives. Just like Johnathan did for David in stepping aside so God can fulfill His plan for David, I want God to strip me of all that is not Christ like for the sake of my family. Of course, that is a lifetime process but God can teach me how to deal better in conflict, how to parent wisely despite my emotional flesh. He can give me courage to face the numerous 'hate lists' my name reaches #1 on. God can give me joy and peace when life here gets crazy (in a not so good crazy way).

Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,”so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Heb 12:12-13


So there is what has been on my mind these last few days.


Now back to the fluff of my blog post...

My newest project.

I just have to put an outside border on.



I am thinking of using this pink polka-dot fabric for the border.



Here is a stuffed doll to match. Well, I still have to actually stuff it.



Just in case you are curious, here is the book...



that I used for the doll pattern and that inspired the quilt.





Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy

Tuesday What Did You Bring?

Well...just normal-ness, I guess.

Thanks for asking.

Ha ha.

My mind isn't flowing cleaver-ness except in making up words that really do not exist.

I gave Josh, Anya, Naomi, and Ekie had a multiplication fact test today and for a job well done I thought they would enjoy making a special treat.



Melted chocolate, smooshed up pretzels, peanut butter, and mini marshmallows combined in any ratio will never fail.



See, told you so.




Always love the colorful paper route complaint slips. The pretty cheerful colors almost make me forget they are complaints. It is kind of like Marry Poppins when she sings:

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
The medicine go down-wown
The medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way




Three buds

Zach H. Alan and Josiah



This was my day.

Warmly, A Dragonfrye Mommy