The Mayflower or the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria?

I love crafts. Arts and crafts of all sorts. I can't get enough of them. I'm sure my two kids who attend school think that I spend all the time that they're gone doing crafts. Well, if I decided to neglect my other duties as wife and mother, I guess I would be doing crafts or going to school again. Since we've been in Qatar, my social life has dwindled. I talk to ladies at church, I go to a quilting class, a playgroup with Cinci, and I probably get together with someone once during the week whether it be to have Cinci play with someone or for some other reason. I just don't get out much, nor do I feel the need to. It's just so much easier to stay home. . . with my crafts. I know, it's not healthy. Today while I was grocery shopping we were walking down the chip isle and Cinci exclaimed, "These aren't healthy!" I was so proud that he knew. But then when we got home I encouraged him to smell the lovely scented candle on my counter top, and he did. He then said "This isn't healthy!" Well, maybe it'll take a little longer for him to understand.
Back to my point, I love crafts. What I don't like is the expense of most of the materials. I'm cheap. I recently made a salt dough turkey.

I had the ingredients for the salt dough in my kitchen, I had the acrylic paint, I had the paintbrushes, but I didn't have the Mod Podge that you're supposed to finish it off with. I found some this morning at Jareer's Bookstore for 23 qatari riyals, which is $6.30. Not too bad since I just did the conversion. But 23 just sounds like so much, and the cheapskate in me just screamed out, "Don't buy it! It has double digits!"
I find myself browsing craft ideas on the internet. There are so many blogs and websites with great ideas on how to do things. It seems like a trend, in this past decade, to be crafty. Do it yourself! is also something that has gained popularity, however, I've found it to be very American. There is value in America when you can do it yourself. That value doesn't seem to have crossed any oceans yet.
Anyway, doing it yourself is sometimes more expensive than buying it done, or having it done for you. Who can afford organic fabrics when the other ones are so much cheaper? Or the wooden toy craze? I agree that wooden toys are much nicer, more real, feel better, last longer, etc. But there are times when the budget does not allow. I guess I just get frustrated that I'm not rich like the rest of the internet world out there. (Really I'm not mad about not being rich.) I know that everyone out there isn't rich. There are all kinds of people out there. You just aren't going to find blogs that post about how they've turned literal trash into something artistic and wonderful. If you know of any, please send their links this way. I'd love to see their converted trash.
So enough of my complaining and musing. Thanksgiving is coming up. I've been having fun making turkeys of all kinds. Yesterday Atticus and Shermy made little turkeys for their teachers at school. I was very impressed with their sewing skills. Atticus managed to complete one of his turkeys while watching TV which shows that he really can concentrate on something. Yay! I was looking for a fun way to fold napkins. I found this website which was quite useful except the authors assume you have linen napkins. Maybe there is something wrong with me. Should every family have linen napkins? Or even cloth napkins for that matter? All I've got is paper napkins. The cheapest kind. So I tried making a centerpiece turkey with cheap paper napkins. What do you think? Not bad, I say

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds

Here are my felt turkeys. A big family turkey for our family. Then I made two finger puppet turkeys for Cinci and a friend who ended up not coming over today.

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year that has been very much neglected in our family. I told the kids the story of the first Thanksgiving. Gosh, I'm thankful my husband is a historian. Well, I don't think your husband needs to be a historian to correct these simple blunders I made. I told my kids that the pilgrims sailed over to America on the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Ha! Well, thank goodness he heard me talking to the kids about it because if he hadn't they would never know the truth. Who knows how many other blunders I've made in the past. I suppose we all do.

Dr. Spot and the Thunieno

I know I don't post as often as I used to. My life is just very different now. Perhaps I have forgotten how to find humor in life like I used to in Turkey. It's always easy to post something when its funny. My kids are funny. I don't know if anyone else thinks so, but I do.

Funny or not, I guess I'll just post something today since I have the time.

I've been busy at the sewing machine doing stuff that I shouldn't be doing. I should be doing my quilting homework, but instead I've been making numbers for my precious Sherms who has been having a little trouble behaving in his Arabic class. Maybe the numbers will help him feel a little bit more special. He's a special kid. You know how some kids have imaginary friends? Well, Sherman has an imaginary car. Atticus insists that it doesn't exist, but I just tell him that if everyone thought that way, nothing would ever be invented. Then I tell him the story of the Wright brothers to which I'm sure he responds with the thought, "Here she goes again!" Anyway, Shermy has this invented car called the Thunieno. It's quite a unique name for a car with very unique capabilities. I'll have to do a post to honor our beloved Thunieno since it has become just another member of our family lately. Here is a photo of the felt numbers I made for my special kid. Each one is filled with a corresponding number of beans to add an extra tactile learning opportunity. I stuff them all into the envelope made just for them.

Our third child, and eternal baby, has decided that its not time to potty train. We'll be waiting until after the baby is born. We still love him though. He has been entertaining himself with his two playmates, Dr. Spot and Caterpillar. They enjoy dining together on a meal of chicken nuggets and fries.

From the adventures of bunsy and her tumbleweeds

Even though oftentimes Cinci has a pooey butt, we still love him. We love him a lot. I hope he'll remember that when we suddenely have another baby and cease to dote on him.Atticus recently purchased a small box of Lego's for himself. We have a deal going in our family. Everyone has a job. Daddy goes to work. Mommy stays home and cleans the house and all that stuff. Atticus and Sherman go to school and behave. Cinci gets to be a baby, for which he is not paid. Everyone else gets paid. So, surprisingly, doing homework isn't so bad. Now that they have both tasted the sweetness of the fruits of their labors I hope they will continue to do well in their jobs.

As for our fourth boy. He continues to thrive inside me. These past few days have started a new period in my pregnancy. My back hurts. I don't remember this happening before. I suppose that if I had, maybe we would have chosen against having more children. I know I sound like a baby. Slight back pain is probably nothing compared to what other mothers experience so I'll just shut up and endure it. It also might have something to do with meticulously sweeping, vacuuming and mopping the entire house yesterday. Perhaps a good dose of TV might do me some good.

Jonathan continues faithfully at his job for which I am grateful. He takes the kids to the mountain weekly. He often endures bedtime with Cinci so I can tidy up the kitchen. As for what he does the rest of the time, I don't know. I hope he'll post on his own blog.

Ghosts

I can count the number of times I've been to Baskin Robbins growing up on one hand. We rarely went there. Then when I got married I still didn't go there. And whenever I'm in the States we still don't go there. But now that we're in Doha, we go there at least once a week. I can't believe that ice cream is now a single category in our budget. Gas, groceries, cable, car payment, and ice cream. Who would have thought?

Today I finished my assignment for my quilting class. I'm so proud of myself for actually finishing. The hardest part was actually cutting the fabric. I just sat there and stared at it for a long while before slicing away. I was afraid of messing up because I really did not want to have to go back to the fabric store, through all the traffic, seek the same fabric, and pay more money. But I didn't mess up.

I then felt the Halloween spirit come on as I stitched up this little family of felt ghosts. I also made a hand puppet ghost for each of the boys.

I love my sewing machine! Not because its the greatest but because it gives me something to do. Something that I love. I'm not an excellent seamstress. I'm not even good. I just love fabric and making things out of it. Especially things for the house and for the kids. I debated whether or not I should get one while we're here. Since the quilting class came up, I decided it would be pretty much impossible for me to participate in it without a machine. So that was my birthday present for this year from Jonathan and the kids. Thanks guys!