The Italian Dyes

Housekeeping!

Anne — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 23:37:35 +0000

We’re doing a bit of electronic housekeeping around here tonight!
It even involves a small address change!
We’d really hate to lose any of you, our readers!

So if for some reason we should get separated along the way…
you can find us over here at:
www.theitaliandyes.com

You make this fun, so thanks!

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Anne — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 21:51:25 +0000

It’s raining.
It has been for what feels like pretty much forever, or at least the last four days.
I normally enjoy the rain.
I like the way it sounds and smells.
However our little house has decided to get a bit drippy whenever it rains.

I do not like the way the rain makes our house feel damp and smell musty.
And I am kind of starting to dread the sound of the rain as it splish-splashes into the designated buckets scattered around our upstairs!
At least we finally got smart enough to rearrange a bit so that Middle Missies bed doesn’t get soaked every time!

Our first dilemma was how to fix a roof without a designated roof fund! However, a very kind neighbor hearing of our soggy plight told us he would do the work and we could pay him for his labor whenever we get the money. A kind and gratefully received offer from this as of yet, only barely self-employed family! They had scheduled to work on the roof this week, only the problem now is… it has to stop raining first!

The Nap!

Anne — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:33:53 +0000

Marked

Anne — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 20:41:31 +0000

I found this video on Sarah and Matt Hammitt‘s blog, Bowen’s Heart.
The faith this couple has been demonstrating,
as they navigate through the journey of their newborn son’s heart troubles,
has been truly inspirational!
The video challenged me a lot
as I was pondering the unimaginable circumstances a friend is facing today
and even our own daughter’s fight with JIA.

I hope with all my heart that somehow in all of our weakness
we can make Jesus look beautiful.

Sending Hugs and Kisses!

Anne — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:38:26 +0000

Someone super special to us all turned 3 today!
And we couldn’t be there

Never forget me,
because if I thought you would,
I’d never leave.
A. A. Milne

Candyland!

Anne — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 20:18:05 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

You must have been warned against letting the golden hours slip by;
but some of them are golden only because we let them slip by.
James M. Barrie

{this moment} – Anything for a Laugh!

Anne — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 20:59:59 +0000

{this moment inspired by Soule Mama} –
A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week.
A simple, special, extraordinary moment.
A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Everything Except the Sticker!

Anne — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 21:08:12 +0000

The Mr. and I filled out, signed and mailed
our absentee voting ballots back to Virginia today!
I love that we have the right to vote
and I am glad that we are allowed to do so even from clear across the ocean!

The only uncool part about Absentee voting was that we didn’t get the “I Voted” sticker!
I have always looked forward to the sticker!
*sigh*
Oh well!
Long LIVE Democracy!

Nothing Like It!

Anne — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:21:03 +0000

It’s International Babywearing week, October 6th-12th! To celebrate and increase awareness, I am linking up to The Queen of Babywearing, Stephanie’s blog! We were late to the game with this babywearing stuff! With our first two babies, I instinctively wanted to wear them. We had been given a Snugli as a baby gift and I couldn’t wait to try it out. I eagerly tucked our kids into thinking that it was going to be so awesome. Only to have to pull them out minutes later because we were both so terribly uncomfortable. Disappointment and frustration hardly describe my feelings about the experiences.

Fast forward seven years, to the arrival of Little Buddy. I had learned so much more about babywearing and oogled over the many amazing pictures of babywearing on the interwebs and was determined to make it happen this time around. I decided to go with a Moby wrap and I wore our son in it as much as I possibly could, that is until the impending arrival of our 4th child made it absolutely impossible.

Having had such a positive experience wearing our son, I was once again to excited to be able to wear our newest daughter. Knowing she was going to be our last baby I was sure that I would be wearing her every second of every day. I even decided to get myself a Mei Tai, so I would have options! My dream was not as perfect as I had imagined it was going to be. Due to severe complications after she was born, I was not able to wear our daughter at all, for the first couple months. Seriously, it was such a huge disappointment for me, but when I was finally physically able to, I wore her as much as possible and even got the Mr. to try it a couple of times!

There is nothing quite like babywearing, it is such an incredibly bonding experience for a parent and child. After the disaster that was my birth experience with our last kiddo, I found it very healing to tuck our daughter safely in her wrap and let her snuggle against me for hours on end. She is a crazy, walking, talking toddler now and we wear her less and less, *sniff*sniff*. The memories of babywearing are forever tucked into my heart and will always remain a valuable treasure, I will always be grateful for!

On Education: John Holt

Anne — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:48:32 +0000

Care Bear is so proud of her new skills!
She can pick out her own clothes
and
dress herself, too.
Who we are we, to tell her they are backwards?!?!

“Since we can’t know what knowledge will be most needed in the future, it is senseless to try to teach it in advance. Instead, we should try to turn out people who love learning so much and learn so well that they will be able to learn whatever needs to be learned.”
John Holt

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.
William Butler Yeats