Redefining Perfect

And thinking I should join NaBloPoMo for force my way through this block I’m having!  Anyone else up for it?  But, in the mean time I’ve gotten a few things done around here – and others are in the middle of being done….

I redid a lamp and an end table…and so proud of what I did!!  I’m determined to bring some color into my beige room, and using my mom’s quilt as inspiration for the colors.

The table before:
The lamp before:

And both after…..
(that’s the top of the table w/ distressing…)

So happy with my results.  I’m waiting until after I’m done with all of this madness:
(that is just a whisper, a teeny-tiny note of all the crafts I have half-done and done for Christmas this year)

Before I finish with the new pillows (w/ the same fabric as the lamp as well as other fabric).

Tomorrow is Samhain/Halloween (which I have done nothing for *eep*) and then after that…November!  The days are passing faster than I care to think about – but we’re all still here!  Here’s to hoping November is far better with my posting – just need to force my way through this block!

Riley has never been one for communication. She didn’t speak her first word until she was almost 2. Years of Speech Therapy have yielded a capability to say words and even full sentences.  But actual communication?  It’s a struggle and you’re never sure that she’s even actually being truthful – or just agreeing to get the conversation over.

When it is time to have a serious conversation with her, it’s like she instinctively gets the ‘confrontation’ vibe (even if not in trouble) and she shuts down.  I wonder sometimes if we don’t need to resort to a complex series of clicks, whistles, and hand gestures to communicate with her. 

The other night we had to have one of those.  We wanted to talk about something – but to actually get her real input on it.  We attempted a few formulas and eventually got a semblance of a conversation – consisting mostly of nods and yes’s or no’s from the Riley-girl – but a conversation.

We started by making sure she felt ’safe’…sitting by Daddy w/ Mommy across the room – and sissy in bed. Daddy talking to her without looking directly at her.  Occasionally I would ask a question in a different way. 

A few words later, several head nods later…the conversation was over with Mommy having joined them on the couch and a snuggle session in full force.  We were soon tackled by a little tornado of a monkey and all was righ twith the world again.

Have I mentioned how jealous I get going to blogs and seeing 2 & 3 year olds having true conversations and clever comments posted?  Brandon was like that 10 years ago…now my girls are almost 4&5 and I still don’t have it with them…although Angel is getting closer than Riley (but Angel is pure goof-ball *G*). 

But with baby-steps…eventually I’ll be having conversations with my daughter so brilliant that it will be ME not able to keep up…and I’ll be mystified that it was ever such a struggle to converse.  At least, that is the dream.

Watch that last step it’s a doozy!

I had no intentions of ending up disappearing for this long.  I have at least a dozen half-baked and sometimes half started posts in my head and on my dashboard waiting to be written.  I have no good explanation except…”oh hai, I have blog?”  Yeah – I could just never hit publish or wrap my head around actually completng a post.

On a good note – real life has been absolutely packed with stuff.  Our October calendar was packed full of activites of which we’ve only done about 1/2…because we also had some illness creep through and things like cruddy weather getting in the way.

Instead of blogging I’ve been driving my wonderful husband Archie nuts with the crafting supplies now absolutely overflowing out of their previously neat and tidy corner.  I’m making presents and decorations for the upcoming Yule/Christmas season! 

I have made several of the decorations. Two adorable little pettiskirts, and overskirts.  I’ve got the materials nearly completed for two twirly skirts for which I’m making my own pattern and hoping to let them both be free and overskirts for the pettiskirts.  I’ve also started other gifts, but I can’t say what they are on this public area

Brandon has been going forward in school like wildfire.  He has been doing his afterschool program and loving it.  His grades are (mostly) holding on great and we went to his first band concert this year!  I actually got to go on a Field Trip with him this year – to the zoo!  It was great finally meeting some other parents in his grade and getting to the zoo. I’m getting ready to go in a few weeks to the formation of the new parents group that’s forming along the lines of a PTO…I’ve been painfully aware over the past few years that I’ve never been involved enough in these things – so I’m trying to be now.

Today I finally got the girls to the new homeschool group.  Riley got stung by a bee, but it didn’t hold her back.  They had a blast and I had a nice time socializing with the moms….and being able to come home and tell Archie about the large group of (successfully) homeschooled kids from the girls age up to 17!  I think I can learn a lot from these women and look forward to going again next week!

I’ve also been really busy doing some behind the scenes stuff online…I have a lot more work to do in that area, but hopefully I won’t forget this place again!!  Or any of you!  I feel like I’ve gone to no blogs at all lately…and it’s time to rectify that right now!!