Sick.

Goo has been sick for a full week now. I've never had a Little so ill. I have been in full time nursing mode plus seeing to The Little Girls. It's been a bit nuts.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday mid-day he looked like this. It was heartbreaking to see him feel so crummy. On the upside, the cuddles were awesome.

Monday at 1pm he looked ready to join the healthy! Then relapsed Tuesday.

This was how he felt tonight, ready to move forward. That cough though... 

I'm so pleased he is on the mend.

A Family Portrait.

I've been busy working on my "Final 10%" list. There were some very un-fun projects I finished this week but this one was a DELIGHT! This cross stitch portrait morphed into something I am in love with, a Hawaii theme in honor of our family trip in November. And then when I had "finished" I couldn't leave Genevieve and Pug out of the portrait so I added them in last minute. I couldn't however commit to adding in My Lovelies...that would have been the end of me and messed with the scale/theme too much. Anyways, here it is!

The Botting's Go To Hawaii, 2014

Striving For 10%.

This week I've been quiet here in this space because I've been working through some self-discovery/awareness type stuff. I needed time to endure the whole process starting with a rude awakening, trudging through self-loathing/self-pity, pacified by the sweet peace of healing and completing the exercise by putting myself into action, ready for change.
Here is my realization: I am a 90% person. When I work on a project, I give a hell of a 90%. I give 100% towards my 90%. There are so very many projects I have given 90% towards, the finish work is all that always remains. But that finish work? It isn't a very big deal in terms of little projects around the property I've not quite completed, but when the projects stack up and so many projects are left incomplete it become paralyzing. There are however, bigger life projects when only completed to 90% affects you in more negative, naggy, ripple-effect type ways. Here is where the awakening comes...when someone who really knows you can list your 90% success/failures in a long-ish string of almost accomplishments. Button Flowers...Ruffle Purses...Comic Strip Wallets...Leather Jewelry...Creative Art Space...Finishing my 5th year and updating my teaching credential (the catalyst in this exercise of self-discovery).
So what to do, what to do. Moved into action, I made a list yesterday called "The Final 10%" AND I finished the first project on my list. It felt so good. Meanwhile poor old Goo didn't have his mamma's attention and peed his pants twice (poor guy was humiliated and crushed), which means I was super distracted because he never has accidents so then I had one of those AH HA moments as to why I am a 90%er and here is where I give myself a little grace...this is perhaps the best time in my life to give a great big 90% to anything that isn't Savannah, Ivy or Grady.

 

Twinsies.

Tim was away in Washington D.C. last week and so when The Littles woke up Saturday morning with him home safe and sound, they were delighted. So much so that Goo spent the entire morning "helping" Tim unpack and then finding matchy things to wear so they could be "friends" because apparently in Goo's world, that's what friends do.

And speaking of alike things, this egg was hatched...ouch!!

and when I cracked open it's shell, two yolks and A LOT of whites flopped out. This is my first double yolker! Twins! The first in a full year's worth of my Lovelies laying.

Winter Wellness.

Krista, Tara and I decided awhile back to study a Winter Wellness course and we finally made the time to get together. We gathered at Krista's house and made Vitamin C tablets. The recipe is here below.

We combined all the ingredients and changed the recipe by using 1/3 cup of:
Rosehip Powder
Acerola Powder
Amla Powder
Honey

Once the ingredients were mixed into a wet clump we rolled pea-size tablets into a bowl of Orange Peel Powder.

The Littles and I have been taking the tablets in the morning before school. I think The Littles tolerate taking the Vitamin C, what I mean is they don't mind it. But I love this way of getting them the Vitamin C they need, especially since we aren't taking any over the counter alternatives that may and are likely to have all the preservatives and additives which Ivy is allergic to.  

Lately.

Happy New Year Hutters. I was just thinking I'd like to write something but then felt void of what to say, what to share. And so I looked through my photos to see if there is any evidence of anything to share, when I found a smattering of photos here and there taken with my camera but by someone other than me.