My new TOY

I was talking with a home-schooling friend about how I wanted to save my money up for a Cricut machine. I loved the idea of being able to cut out lots of shapes and make cool gifts for people.

I have a great scroll saw that I love to make things with, nativities, pinewood derby cars, and especially Name Puzzles for my girls' friends' birthdays (who doesn't love to have their name in solid form?) Miranda has loved her puzzle, and has played with it a lot. It's helped her learn her letters, and it's been a lot of fun.



So, I was super excited about getting a Cricut, but I always hesitated because of the cost of cartridges. After spending $250 on the machine (cuz I wanted to be able to cut tiny letters (1/4 inch) out), you then have to purchase all the different font types, shapes, etc. Not very economical, and really difficult to for storage purposes.

As I was talking with my friend, she said, "Oh! You should look at the Silhouette". She explained that it does what the Cricut can do, but it doesn't require cartridges, but uses a computer. It uses any TrueType font already on your computer (and there are hundreds of free ones available for download from the internet), you can purchase shapes online (about $1 each), or even draw your own stuff. It even allows you to print something first on your printer and then cut it out! Or replace the blade with a pen and us it as a plotter. Way Cool!

So, I did my homework and found some sites that compared the machines. I read blogs, looked at ideas, and saved my pennies. Thanks to some wonderful family that sent me birthday money (Moms and Grandmothers), I got my new toy! It works just as promised: huge learning curve, but amazing versatility and awesome abilities...

With some time and effort, I was able to design my own four-inch tall paper box that folds together (one glue strip required) and even added this melded cut-out design on the outside:


Ooooh, the possibilities! It cuts fabric, vinyl, paper, cardstock. It can't cut anything wider than 8.5", but it can cut longer banners! I'm having soooo much fun with this baby! I even designed a decal for our shirts for the members of our church who want to match while we run the Sunburst Race in two weeks (I'll post this later). I've got ideas for my "family reunion" this summer. Paper dolls, boxes, gifts, freezer-paper stenciling... ahhh endless possibilities! I just wish I had a more creative mind to think up better uses!

Oh yeah. About the running. Yup, uh huh, this person who hates running has signed up for a 10K. And, I'm really doing it. I've been running 4-5 miles, and although I feel drained, I can do it. So, I am pretty sure I'll make it through the 10K. But, I'm not going to worry about time, just about finishing the race.

Battles

I'm in a state of constant deliberation:

Should I take a nap? or clean?
Should I prepare for my lesson? or take a nap?
Should I take a nap? or attempt to organize the (messy and chaotic) craft room?
Should I start dinner? or take a nap?
Should I take a nap? or get together a picnic lunch to the zoo?
Should I let my kids watch a movie? and take a nap?

My brain is not adjusted to my body's needs and my head's wants. My tendency is to stay up late; work on projects, read, sew, socialize, maybe watch a tv show. My body does just fine waking up at 5am, and getting to Seminary to teach from 6-6:45. I do just fine when I get home and help get the girls ready for school. But around 10am I start to drag, and the only thing I can think of is, "Can I take a nap? when can I take a nap?" Don't even ask me about the 2pm time slot. I am pretty sure my brain is afunctional and I'm running on autopilot.

The teaching part is going rather well, I think. Maybe my students think differently. I don't know if we have the same goals in mind. I'm hoping we do! The subject material is just now starting to get good (we're done with the "Intorduction"; no more "this is the book," and "this is where the book came from" and "this is what we're going to teach you about this book"; finally we're going to start actually discussing what we'll read in the book!)

I have so many things I want to do (sew, read, play). I have many other things I need to do (make meals, laundry, attempt to keep a picked-up house). And oh-so-much-more that I really should do (organize that craft room, really clean my house, visit teach, etc).

I'm struggling to find balance. Balance time with my children (quality time, too), keeping my house kept up, making sure there are socks and underwear in everybody's drawer (including my own!), getting enough of the right groceries, catching up on my friends' lives through blogs, sewing, reading (I'm working on Count of Monte Cristo; at the rate I'm going it really is going to take me a year to read! 3-5 pages a night of a 1500 page book...)

I'm not sure what to do. Definitely try to get to bed earlier. Maybe try to read faster? Fold laundry faster? Get rid of all the toys so I don't have to clean them up?

My sister gave me this great keychain that had a little rock with a word carved in it. I've gone through periods of knowing where the little rock is, using it, and losing it. Right now I have no idea where that little rock is. Want to know what the word inscribed on it?

Spelling Woes

I hate spelling. I have already admitted that I read things and pronounce them wrong (chasm, macabre, etc.) I'm not much better at spelling.

I am surprised many of you, dear readers, have not commented on my spelling problem. Or, maybe you thought I was just trying to be clever/cute?

At any rate, while reading a book the other day, (Autobiography of an Execution by Dow, and I can't say that I recommend the book, but we're reading it for book group), I read the word. And I re-read the word. It looked funny to me. I then realized that it was because on my blog it was written "Symantics" and in the book it was "semantics". Oops.

So, I have corrected my error.


I still hate spelling. Isn't that what spell check is for? Especially since the new browsers actually check your spelling online when you're typing- that catches a lot of things. Still, the order of words, or spelling homophones (words that sound the same but have different meaning, e.g. they're and their, or thyme and time).

I hated spelling as a child. What was the point? If I could read it, why did I need to spell it?
I hate spelling even more now that I have to work on it every day with my 1st-grader. UGH! I didn't like having spelling tests when I was in school. I hate it even more having to be the parent making my child practice for the dumb things! OK, not dumb. But, I don't think my daughter is learning from them. She still spells words on her spelling test by phonics. Yup, she had words like "their" on her spelling test and she spells it "thar" or something like that. Darn sharp short term memory. Great for immediate tests, stinks for the long haul. I think she is her mother's daughter...

Contagion

As if having at least one member of my immediate family sick with something for the last three months wasn't enough, my computer contracted a malignant virus that has destroyed my system.

I am writing from a Mac.

My CPU is in the shop for the second time in six months having it's OS reinstalled.

We want to get a new computer, but I was wanting to wait as long as possible. I'm not sure what exactly I am waiting for, though. But every time I think about getting a new computer my heart sinks at the cost (especially since I'd want to replace my adobe software, and that could potentially cost as much- if not more!- than the hardware)

I think I might buy a Mac. They don't catch colds.