Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Stitching Update

Okay so it has been a while since I have posted anything about stitching or any crafting all together.

I have been busy working on the charity square for SFPSFC that are due this month and next month here are most of the squares that I have taken pictures of.

These two squares are for a little boy who wants a Digimon and Pokémon quilt.


Greymon by Cross Stitch Anime
Sentret designed by gatchacaz




This square is for a Duckie quilt



 
 
 
 
I have also been busy with some crocheting these past months also with finishing up Christmas presents and birthday present. Then during the month of October and beginning of November I was really focusing on making beanies for the men and women who are serving overseas this holiday season. I mailded 19 hats all together for the men and women. The group that was doing the collection ended up sending 64 all together.
 
 
I was also busy crocheting other hats for family members. My brother-in-law is a huge fan of Adventure Time which is a cartoon on Cartoon Network. Jake the Dog is his favorite character from that show so I decided to make him a hat for Christmas. I got the pattern from Belle over at I'm Hooked there tons of patterns that she shares. The next picture is of my wonderful Hubby who requested a beanie made out of the camouflage yarn that my parents gifted to me this holiday season (my father has to always find a way to give one of his kids or grandkids camo so this year it was me)
 

This is an updated picture of QS Porthole of Fantasy by Jasmine Becket-Griffith. I started to stitch her on January 1st of 2013 and I am almost done with her. I am currently stitching on her during the 9 day challenge in the Cross Stitch Friends Facebook group. We started stitching on the 24th of December and we will be stitching until the 2nd of the New Year. I look forward to sharing my stitching progress.








 


Hugs and Blessing
~Donna G~
 
 

Saturday, November 30, 2013

A Wake Up Call

Well this holiday season has opened up my eyes on how much my son has changed. Lately he has been showing his un-appreciation for what he has. I know that every child goes through this stage. I just never realized how difficult it is to deal with this stage. Every time we go out to a store he expects to be getting something (and we never buy him something every time we go out) and every time there is a commercial for the newest thing he wants it. But when it comes to picking up his toys and taking care of what he already as he wants nothing to do with it. He has been working on cleaning his room for a week now (and his father has helped and along with me with parts so that it's not as overwhelming for him)  but he doesn't care that he has no floor to play on. We have threatened to throw away toys if he's not going to clean. We have even told him that Christmas will not come unless he starts showing that he can be responsible and take care of what he has. But as I type he is still playing around and not cleaning and there is not that much left to clean up.

So I have spent the last couple of days reflecting on what has been brewing in my household. And the light bulb has clicked!!!!! What am I  providing as a proper example on how my son should appreciate what he has in life???????? I do appreciate what I have but at the same time I don't and I occasionally what the newest thing that's out whether it is electronics or something for my hobbies. I complain how I can't stand the way something I have isn't working properly or how old it is getting (i.e. my laptop)...................................... When we go out shopping there are times when I will get something for me even when I stand there and tell my child how $$$ is tight and we can't get that new toy he wants. There are days when I just don't feel like cleaning and I walk away from the mess.  Even in my relationship I have been showing the un-appreciation of what I have just because it's not exactly what I envisioned a relationship to be like.

So I guess the first place I need to start is working on myself and how I act when it comes to tasks that need to be taken care of. And I need to start showing appreciation for what I have in my life and not complain how I wish I could have something that I cannot afford at the moment.  Because if I cannot change these traits in my self how can I expect my 9 year old to change?!?!?!?!?!?!?

So I am starting my New Years resolution list now and on the top is going to be learning how to appreciate what we have because unfortunately there are people out there in this world who are not fortunate enough to have what we have. I will be looking into organizations that will open up my families eyes to what is going on around us as we live in home where we have food and heat and love........ And I will be blogging about our experience and I believe posting this will help me follow through with it.


Hugs
~D~

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

The Challenges of Being a Parent

Well I have really dropped the ball on blogging these past few months!!!! The end of our summer was busy with our wedding and honeymoon (which I will post about later). On returning from our honeymoon the 2013-14 school year started a few days later for our son. And to say the least it has not been a great start to the school year.

Mr. J was passed onto the 4th grade even though he did not complete the state mandated summer school which is a requirement for children who do not pass the reading evaluations called the DRA..... We decided that we were not going to send Mr. J to summer school because all the educators at the school wanted to do was pass him on the the next grade because he excelled at math...... who cares that he is only reading at a second grade level, or the fact that he can't even spell common words, and doesn't understand the structures of a simple sentence.  So countless phone calls, emails, and notes written to the teacher still have not chipped away at the issue.  The school doesn't believe he needs to repeat because there is a possibility that he will never catch up to where he will be on grade level...... and they are not interested in giving him a chance to even try........ The principle told me that if they kept every child that was struggling behind they would have students driving themselves to school..... can you imagine how mortified I was hearing that over the phone.

So it has been determined that I am going to be one of those parents this year that the school and teachers dread dealing with. Because my only concern is my son!!!! Yes I understand that they have many students and there are other children struggling ...... but I will not allow my child to be swept under the rug and passed on because no one wants to deal with it.

I already has one meeting because there were parts of Mr. J's IEP that were not being implemented...... one's that would have prevented notes being sent home about how he's not paying attention, he can't sit still in his seat, or how he had a rough day (no other details but that). And the excuse is "OH we didn't see those when we glanced over his IEP." And shortly I will be having another meeting about his work load and the demands of it...... because no child should be spending 4+ hrs on 2 worksheets especially when the school already knows that there is a learning disability!!!!

So because of all this Mr. J is having a really rough time dealing with it all. We have constant melt downs during homework and a huge change in attitude!!!!! The kid that loved soccer now want's nothing to do with it because he doesn't think that he is good enough....... what 8yr old should be saying or even thinking that. He comes home telling me he is stupid and that he can't do anything. We are acting up in school because he is too overwhelmed and doesn't understand.  I have no idea what I can do


It breaks my heart </3

I have never told my child that he is not good enough or that he is dumb..... We encourage him to try even when it looks hard because we know he can do it. But because he is so far behind compared to his classmates to the point he is taking notice........ the confidence that was once there is now gone :(  We do our best to build that confidence but everyday it seems like what we had strengthen in his mind is beaten back down to where we picked the pieces up.


So life has been busy with Mr. J which has put a hault to everything else.... fingers crossed that this whole situation gets fixed and things start smoothing out for him.....



HUGS
XXX

~D~




Monday, July 8, 2013

Time Fly's

Well life has been passing my by way tooooo fast lately!!!!!! I cannot believe that we are in July already and I cannot imagine that I will be walking down the aisle in 40 days to marry my best friend. We just recently had our Jack and Jill to celebrate the up and coming wedding. It was a blast!!!! Although I hate being the center of attention...... it wasn't too bad. I just thought of it as trial run of how it will be the day of the wedding.
Me and my soon to be Hubby at our shower

So besides wedding stuff going on I have also been crafting my little heart away. First I worked on a couple of loveys to send off to Oklahoma for the children that were affected by the tornado that hit.
Bunny Lovey
Yellow and Blue Dino Comfort Blanket
 
Next were some cards that I had made for a swap in a group that I am apart of. The theme for the first card was coffee/tea time so I found this beautiful pot with a lovely leaf design on it. The next card's theme was the color green so I made a frog card (what else is better to do with a green theme??)

 



I love making things for charity so I joined this group that makes quilts for children who are sick and for children in orphanages. The group is called Charity Cross-Stitching for Sfpsfc & Sick Children in Need  
they are always looking for more people to help full-fill the blankets or to sponsor a quilt for a child if you don't know how to cross stitch.  The next three pictures are made for a little boy who requested a bug quilt. The fourth picture is of Toby from Thomas and friends. One of the members in the group created the chart specifically for the charity group.

Firefly designed byMaria Diaz From Cross Stitcher Issue 176


Spider Silhouette found here:   http://crossstitch.about.com/od/natureseasonalcharts/ig/Insect-Cross-Stitch-Charts/Spider-Silhouette-Pattern-.htm


Wasp Silhouette found here: http://crossstitch.about.com/od/natureseasonalcharts/ig/Insect-Cross-Stitch-Charts/Wasp-Silhouette-Pattern-Chart.htm    
Toby


 Another one of my stitching projects is a HEAD chart called QS Porthole of Fantasy by Jasmine Becket-Griffith. I am part of a SAL for this project which is why I have gotten so far in it. Right now I am finishing up page 5 and will be moving one to page 4.

QS Porthole of Fantasy by Jasmine Becket-Griffith
Well I guess that is all for today. I am off to work on my next project. Here's a sneak peak. I cannot wait for it to be put together.



Blessings
~Donna~

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

New To This......

Every time I try to start a blog it always falls through.... I am ready to share my world with everyone!!!!

So my goal is to post once a week (4 times a month) FINGERS CROSSED!!!

I still can't believe it is June already!!! My this year is passing me right by. I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I will be walking down the aisle to marry my best friend in 73 days 5 hours and 49 minutes. Yes I am counting down :) I have to so that I remember how much time I have left to get everything done.

May was a wonderful month I have finally graduated from college!!!! I received my Associated in Applied Science for Occupational Therapy Assistant. I also graduated Cum Laude which I am very proud of. Now to buckle down with studying for the boards :/



  
A proud father !!!




 Me, my grandmother, and my son

 This is me with my wonderful little family (my son,, me, and my soon to be Hubby) I would not have gotten here with out their support.

This is my parents. They were so proud as I am 
the first to graduate college in our family!



Well that is it for now.