DIY Weighted Stuffed Animals/Lap Buddies

First off, apologies for the poor picture quality.

We've found that the weighted blankets we bought the kids (ours are from sensacalm.com) were a phenomenal investment, and even a weighted lap pad I purchased to use during the school day was very popular.  We've got 6 kids living here and they ALL want to use the lap pad at the same time so I wanted to make something for each child to have as their own.

I loved this tutorial I found on Pinterest for making weighted stuffed animals however I have made a few on my own in the past without success.  The stitching comes undone - especially when I tried to wash them. My kids are big fans of fidgets of all kinds so I decided to make stuffed animals that satisfy their sensory-fidget needs as well.

I wanted to be able to remove the filling to wash the stuffed animal and also add more essential oils once the scent faded.  It would be nice to try different fillings until I find the weight that works best.  I totally COULD sew zippers onto stuffed animals but I'm lazy/busy/not an expert seamstress so I was SO thrilled to find these pencil cases on clearance at Staples.  They are soft, fuzzy, and adorable - and have zippers with space to fill 'em up!

To determine the amount of filling that would fit I first used Ziploc bags.  For the 4 girls I used uncooked rice and lavender scented Epsom salts. After filling a bag squeeze out all the air and place inside of another Ziploc bag.  Wiggle the rice around inside the bag until able to zip the pencil case/animal closed.

I filled another Ziploc bag with only scented Epsom salts and added this in last.  At first I tried to place it so the tummy of the animal was scented but there was too much stuffing in that area. So I placed it in last and the rear of the animal has the strongest scent. The kids think it is hilarious to "small the butt" of them!

Once I knew how much rice to use I made bean bags out of fabric scraps and poured the rice into the bean bag and stitched it shut. I put the bags of rice into the pencil pouches and zipped them shut. Since Bruce is allergic to rice I used dry barley in his. Taylor wanted hers to weigh more (they are about 2 1/2 lbs each) so I replaced hers with dried corn and that was just above 3 lbs.

 Finished product -- heavier than an ordinary stuffed animal, soft, flexible so that the kids can fidget with them as well.  We call them our "desk buddies" and have them sit in their laps during school.

Hands down, this kitty is Bruce's favorite! He doesn't have much in the way of attachment objects aside from my breasts, but this kitty is one exception.  He already loves animals and enjoys pretending to be a cat or dog daily.

I used a seam ripper to open the stuffy at the bottom side.  After removing a fair amount of the stuffing/filling I put a homemade beanbag I filled with glass beads (used in vases, found at craft store).  After adding a bit of the stuffing back in to pad the bottom I hand stitched the cat back up.

This was actually made years ago for my girls so it has held up REALLY well!

Another thing we tried, which turned out great, was to weigh down a Build a Bear before filling.  We had so much conflicting answers in-store (yes, you can weigh it down IN the store, yes, you can stuff it but not tie it so it can be filled at home... then the manager on duty that day would not let me do either).  

We ended up purchasing the animal itself, UNSTUFFED, from the Build a Bear website.  Bruce chose Batman Bear.  I experimented with MANY kinds of fillings to add weight.  In the end, what worked best to be small but heavy were rocks for flower vases.  Very tiny pebbles but they were heavy enough.  I packaged small mesh baggies with the pebbles and stuffed them into BatBears' feet and bottom half.

In the store we added the fluff on top of and around all the weighted baggies.  It turned out perfect! It weighs just over 5 lbs and is just right for carrying around and cuddling with at night. 

                                                          

DIY Occupational Therapy & Play Room (in our Unfinished Basement)

So it is still a mess, of course, because, well, I have kids. And we moved only recently. And I'm busy. All the same, I am pretty jazzed about getting the OT room set up in our basement.  We have an unfinished basement in the house we are renting. The floors are cement and the walls are sheet-rocked.  There are 2 windows in part of basement but overall it is, well, an unfinished basement.

What an opportunity! The idea we came up with is a play room in the first portion of the main basement living area and an occupational therapy room in the second portion. There is a bathroom, laundry room, storage room, and a nice carpeted room on the lower level so we like to keep a walkway through the OT area to all that.

Sensory Bin Play: Ice Excavation & Googley-Eye Slime

We love sensory play around here! We make sensory bins every week - everyone here, from 20 months through 13 years (plus the adults!) enjoy getting messy in the name of fun.  I'll warn you that pretty much every sensory bin we do is crazy messy and requires a bit of "letting it go." :)

(I put both my boys in Curious George shirts for the day but we played with baking soda and vinegar and they got so messy they had to change. Lasted an hour. Why do I never remember to get photos of those adorable matching-clothes-moments?!)

I used Ziploc Tupperware with the twist-lock lid to make giant ice cubes for each kid.  I find these freeze well and nothing spills in the freezer in the process.  The ice comes right out of the tubs with no mess. The first time made them we tried some Styrofoam cups as well and although they stayed upright in the freezer getting them out of the cups was a HUGE mess. Pieces of the peelings were all over the place.



My Happily Ever After: Pausing to Appreciate it

The pain is sudden - in an instant I was no longer laughing at my Netflix sitcom while balancing the checkbook.  The pain is deep - I'm overwhelmed at the heaviness of it.  The pain is physical - my heart has sunk into my stomach like a rock, my mind is racing, I am nauseous. It is raw and real and feels brand new - even though I said good-bye to my daughter almost 4 years ago.

What's crazy is it feels like I JUST wrote a "Happy Birthday in Heaven" letter to her like a week ago. How has it been almost a YEAR already?! I hate this hurt, this pain, the memories of THAT DAY and the ones that followed. I hide from it, turn and run from the pain that consumes me, yet here it is.

God has the most gentle way of reminding me to appreciate my life - just the way it is. I joined a couple of online support groups after my daughter was stillborn but I had been struggling with some depression for awhile and unsubscribed so that photos and posts would not end up in my Facebook news feed all the time. Today one got through. Somehow I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed and there it was - a post with photos of a sweet little baby girl, cradled in her mother's arms before being placed in a casket.

Superhero Themed Teacher Appreciation Party!!

In my Organize-All-Things project (brought on by moving to a new home after 11 years) I came across these photos on my computer and realized I never blogged about this awesome event! It was waaayy back in March that my girlfriend and I (she's cochaired this event with me for SEVEN years!!) put on the Teacher & Staff Appreciation Lunch for ECFE - Early Childhood/Preschool/Special Ed. 

Parent Advisory Council plans and puts on this Luncheon Event every year to thank the teachers and staff for all they do.  We've had different themes over the years - this was our last year on Advisory (I was moving school districts and her youngest was off to Kinder) and last time we would do this event so we went big - Super Hero Big! We also added another awesome cochair this year to pass along the torch and take over the event next year. 

The cityscape was way more work than you'd think - but having a couple of them on the walls brightened up the gym a bit! Black paper (from those long rolls they have in the staff room) with yellow Post-Its cut to look like windows. 

Our Foreclosure Journey: Part 7 - Good-byes and Hellos

Here's my disclosure before I get into what will totally sound like bragging (it's actually gratitude): All good things are from the Lord. All praise and thanks go to God, our Provider, Comforter, and Firm Foundation. Although this particular story has a happy ending (compared to where we started out), God needs to be given glory and thanks in all situations. He is in Control and His purposes are for our benefit and His glory.

Moving after 11 years with 4 children is no small feat. I didn't realize what a task it was until it was all done. Wow. I can't offer enough gratitude to the friends and family that helped us move (included tons of last minute packing and LOTS of heavy lifting -- we kept our appliances!)!!

June 30th we were able to move our first truckload in the evening. We started out just after 7 am on July 1st and took 6 more Budget Moving Truck loads plus 3 pickup loads and stuffed my van full a couple times.  I went back several times to get a few remaining items and to clean. 2 truckloads were dropped off at a thrift store (with tons more to donate still) and several truckloads went to the dump.

Our Foreclosure Journey: Part 6 - Greater Things

It's crunch time here - moving day is Tuesday. It's almost midnight on Thursday. Tomorrow we go strawberry picking with my in-laws, up from Mexico (yay!) and Monday is BACKTOBACK appointments. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all there is to do still. Changing utilities, packing, that sort of stuff. I've been soooo sick the past couple weeks it has really limited my progress packing.

Dan has had to miss work to get the kids to appointments because I have been so crazy sick. He also has not been able to work much overtime because we are so crazy busy I simply cannot accomplish all the packing AND the appointments. He's had to really take on a lot and we are both seriously lacking sleep. That said, it is almost over (moving, that is).

The good news is I thrive under pressure. I work best with the whole procrastinate-then-do-it-all-last-minute thing. So I know it'll all be okay. I lied. I THINK it will all be okay. I mean, if it doesn't all get done, that is pretty much the norm anyhow. I can't ever seem to get it all done. Anyone relate? Yeah, I thought so!

Our Foreclosure Journey Part 5: Moving Mountains

[This is a photo of a tree in the front yard of our new home. This is scripture that came to me in quiet time today - how appropriate!]

What a busy week this has been! There has been an abundance of good news (for a change). Why am I surprised that God provides and that prayer is powerful?! I know it, yet I can doubt.

I really needed good news as I have been feeling a bit discouraged as of late. Tuesday was my first special ed class with Bruce and the audiologist was there.  We had been told by the Genetics clinic to test his hearing for multiple reasons.  His right ear is fine but his left is not.  At first the device would not register, then he failed 3 times, meaning he is full or partially deaf in his left ear.

This makes tons of sense, considering his refusal to nurse on the left breast, his lack of speech sounds, his drunk old man uncoordinated walk, and how easily he is frustrated. The Audiologist checked the device against her ears and mine to be sure it was operating correctly.  Then she said perhaps he has extreme wax build up blocking his canal.  So it is possible everything with his hearing is fine, but I need to see yet another specialist, as if I don't have enough appointments to go to.

So I'm ready for GOOD news since I feel a bit weighted down by burdens these days. I trust in God's purposes in all things, yet I've certainly been feeling discouraged, To feel anything but numb would be the equivalent of moving a mountain.

Mother's Day Musings: Empty Arms

     [Photo credit CarlyMarie Photography]

To those with empty arms this Mother's Day: I'm thinking of you. I'm praying that God will wrap His arms of comfort around you and that you would feel His presence. You are not forgotten. On this day that serves as a reminder of what you DON'T have, let me assure you you are not alone. You are loved.

I was a child myself when I had my first child - I went straight from my parents house to my husband's (well, to his parents' house for that first few months). I confess I cannot relate to the devastation of not being a mother when you long for it so deeply.  I have been a mother far longer than I have known the value of it.

Our Special Needs Journey:Part 14 - Control: Learning to Give it to God

I like to be in control. I must know what comes next and I live by my calendar. I love it. I'd save it from a burning building - yes, my paper calendar is precious to me. It is a great struggle for me that so many things are out of my control at present. Not just the little things but some pretty major things too. I thrive under structure but am living in chaos (although, it's a beautiful mess, my chaos).

At present I don't know where we will live in a few months. In fact, I do not even know WHEN we will move because this is determined by when and IF our short sale is approved, followed by what home is available to rent at that time with a landlord that will accept our madness and chaos and allow us to be tenants.

I cannot control the majority of medical issues my family is facing. Sure, I can take certain steps, like bringing Taylor to the sleep clinic and having an overnight study done. I can follow a routine every night to encourage good sleep hygiene. I can turn off lights and restrict screen usage after dinner. I can buy her medinces and remind her to use her inhaler and nasal spray before bed. I cannot control the outcome and quality of her sleep. (I am trying very very hard, however, to control my response her cranky-pants-sleep-deprived-bad-attitude.)

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Week - Snacks, Crafts, Activities, Sensory Play, and Spelling Fun!

In an effort to bring some excitement back into eating for us we are having themed snack times! Each week we've chosen different books (pretty much little kid books to involve the younger kids more and keep them engaged) and the older girls planned snacks and activities to go with each book.

  

Our first theme week was Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, not just because it is one of Dean's favorites (mine too!!), but because it was the book for my Advisory meeting this month and I was in charge of decorations. So 2 birds, one stone...

Throughout the week we ate:

-Alphabet shaped fries/tots

-Bourbon CHICKen nuggets

-Boom Chicka Pop brand popcorn

-Dried coconut (we get big bags at Costco because this stuff is FABULOUS)

-Alphabet shortbread cookies

-Scrabble Cheez-Its (letters on them)

-Fuze flavored water in banana pina colada 

-Fudge dipped coconut Oreos

-Coconut wafer cookies

-Target brand fruit snacks with the alphabet letters on them

-Coconut milk sorbet served in coconut shells (Costco find, these are soooo good)

-Homemade Alphabetties (think: Spaghettios)

-Apple slices with caramel and peanut butter (Chicka Chicka 123 has apple trees)

-Post Alpha-bits cereal, alone or on a peanut butter slathered celery stick

Our Foreclosure Journey: Part 4 - Humiliation

I feel like I'm in a fishbowl. Dozens of cars have driven by our home veerrryyy slowly (sometimes stopping and taking pictures, often the same car will drive by multiple times). I've lowered the blinds on the giant living room window, but that just makes the room darker.  I'm a fan of bright rooms. Oh, and 11 showings before 3:00 and breastfeeding an overtired, gymnurstics-addicted toddler do not make a good combo.

So in a day (JUST ONE DAY) I've gone from months of thinking we were simply walking away from our home (giving me time to sort, organize, and pack) to having it on the market. Just like that. A phone call, a few documents signed with an agent, and the next day people are showing up in droves. Yes, it is the BEST case scenario but having people see my chaos is so humiliating.

Despite trying to educate ourselves on this whole foreclosure process, we had some incomplete and conflicting info. In an effort to eradicate the 2nd mortgage and avoid having our wages garnished we are listing the home as an as-is short sale. While I understood this meant people would be traipsing through our home, while we are here (way too difficult to get the pets and kids and PCAs out each showing), I did not know it would begin the very next morning.

I've been up all night working on, among other things, paperwork needed for the short sale -- our city inspection is not even till Monday. I'm attempting to write my hardship letter and gather all documentation needed. I was caught completely off-guard at 7 am, in my PJs, folding laundry and scrubbing the toilet, to get a call regarding a showing at 8 am. (Now I am procrastinating by writing this blog post.)

The type of buyer for our home does not need to see a clean home, staged, without clutter, freshly painted, and free of chaotic children and animals. STILL - it is HUMILIATING at a level I'm not comfortable with to have several strangers see the messy daily life of my home. I am working all the time to keep up with laundry and dishes, to organize the exceptional messes the kids create (there was poop in the bathtub this morning from Dean's bath last night. I had no idea because someone else was in charge during that time.) and make our home nice.

And here are strangers seeing the natural state - where every imperfection is relevant. To have purchased our home for $230,000 (in 2003 - height of the market) and find today it is listed for less than $125,000 is a bit heartbreaking. (I know all the reasons WHY, it is still a bummer.) To be told "it has great potential" is difficult to hear.  I live here. This is my HOME.  It has been for over 10 years. I work my ass off to provide a bright, fun, and as-clean-as-I-can-physically-manage home for my family. Yet the value of this home is shit-cheap. Awesome. That feels great. My self-esteem is at an all time high for sure (insert huge eye roll here).

Up to this point I have been embarrassed over our "situation" but felt in control of my emotions because I know God is in charge and this is His plan for us (we felt peace about that). Today, my pride is taking a hit. Humiliation is at an all time high. There is my home - listed online as a foreclosure. (It also says my roof is really old but we replaced it less than six months ago...) I can't defend myself or tell our story. I must simply accept this truth about our financial situation. I still trust that God is in charge of my life - I AM human, however, and allowed to feel like a loser.

I likely won't see these people ever again. They see homes like this all the time (rehabbers, realtors, etc.). They walk through the home in its entirety in less than 5 minutes. It is for the benefit of the best possible outcome based on where we are now. And yet - each person that comes to the door causes me to throw up in my mouth a little.

My home, which is personal and precious to me, is a slab of wood to gut and recreate to someone else. We are not real people with real struggles, we are losers who could not honor our commitment to the bank to pay a loan. Should I take it personal? NO - and as much as I know that intellectually, my heart hurts. So does my stomach, all this stress is not really helping the pain.

So there is no real purpose to this post, outside of venting. Sometimes the stress of all that I need to do is more than I can cope with. So I'm complaining as a survival mechanism. That is all.