The Big 0-5

I can't believe my baby is turning 5. I know soon I'll be adding a 1, or 2, or 3 in front of that and saying the same thing...but still..my baby...growing up! Here's a little journey of my baby boy :)

Happy Birthday E!! I love you, even when you drive me batty and test my limits!
~~mommy

Three Years Ago Today...

my little man, Eli was born!  In contradiction to his big brother's birth...Eli's birth was quiet, calm, and actually quite pleasant. Life has never been the same since!! Going from 1 to 2 children is quite a change. As usual, his first months were a blur to me, but I remember he spent a LOT of time wrapped in a moby type wrap on my front! I lost track of how much food I dropped on his head...

Although Eli has Autism, I'd never change him. He's loving, usually quite happy, and how can you not love a kid who thinks farts and burps are hilarious??

It's been a wild ride, Eli, but I love you more today than yesterday, and the love and fun keeps on growing!!

Fall 2008 (9 mos old)

Dec. 2010, almost 3 yrs old!

Happy Birthday Eli!!! :)

Content Decision....

I am sooooo happy to report I've made a decision...if you recall I started a new job back in February that was a temp position through the end of May. The job was among a company I formerly worked for and very much enjoyed. It worked out great that I could work at Harrison's school and my mother in law watched Eli.

Well, the time has come to make a decision...keep on working or stay home? After a short deliberation I decided to stay home! It's not even decided yet if the position I had would be returning or not, but that's okay with me, I'd already made up my mind. It wasn't an incredibly easy decision, I do love the job, it's in social services so I got to work with children but help families also. And I greatly enjoyed my coworkers. They were a blast and made me feel very welcome!

But I have to be real, my family is most important. Eli is only 2.5 yrs old. He has Autism, albeit high functioning, but he's just begun ABA therapy and that is extremely important to helping 'retrain' his brain. The problem is, it takes a lot to DO ABA Therapy and we feel its best that I be home to follow through with what the therapist says to do. He's already made great strides in it in a week's time!! His 'homework' this week was when he pulls me to something, I'm to get him to point and say "I want milk" or whatever it is. Well we've been doing that over and over, and earlier tonite he walked up to the pantry, pointed and said, "I Want Fish!" (Swedish Fish) without me prompting him at ALL. HUUUUGE Step for him!! He's been talking more and it's like he knows that it's on like Donkey Kong and I'm going to stay on top of this!!

So I am very happy with my decision, very content. My online handmade businesses are doing good to the point I can have a little bit of spending money for me (okay for more fabric buying...) and I enjoy doing it! The challenge of new projects, the comfort in making familiar ones, are all reasons I like creating handmade. So the beauty of staying home allows me to get that stuff done while Eli naps.

Harrison also starts kindergarten this year! (YIKES!) I'd like to be involved in his school. When Eli turns three in January there is a chance he'll go to school full time also. Perhaps then I can revisit the work situation. But right now, I'm happy to substitute from time to time, do my handmade thang, and be a MOMMY! :)

So I guess you'll be hearing more from me than the past few months!!
~~Amy

One Door Closes, Another Opens

Because this is my year of Operation Simplify, I have made the decision to put Fleur De Ink on an extended vacation. I'm hoping the powers that be at Etsy don't REALIZE it's an extended vacation (and I suspect they won't) because I want to keep the shop, in hopes that one day it can be reopened. But as of now, my other shops are keeping me busy enough and flower pens just aren't high on the priority list!

Why? Eli. That's why. My baby boy was bringing me a sock monkey jack in the box this morning and saying "Socky". (which means he wants me to push it down so he can make it pop up). But I was trying to send an email to a customer about flower pens.

Really? Flower pens are NEVER EVER more important than Socky with Eli. In fact just about NOTHING is more important than that.

Eli is my opening door. The chance to save him is there.

Eli has autism. Plain and simple. Yes, he's very high functioning and has great potential to be mainstreamed just fine one day. Yes, he's not even 2 yet (Jan 23!!) but it is there. Yes, he's done awesome being Gluten Free and I think one day we'll barely notice anything was wrong. But what if I don't capitalize on the improvements he's making now? What if I push "Socky" aside to do my work? That's not a risk I'm willing to take because my REAL work is being a mommy to two beautiful boys. And although Harrison is in school, he has his own unique needs and sensory issues that will likely escalate as he gets older.

So, I decided (several weeks ago) some things have to give. One being Fleur De Ink. I'll still gladly make them for friends, gifts, and myself, but there is no need to run a full shop around them. I continue to run Mama's Little Monkeys, Amelia Amos and Destash City because I do love doing it, and there is immense pleasure in having something that is ALL mine and NOT mommy related. And thus far, those shops are easily managed with the time I have.

Now I will not be updating, adding to, or what not to them as frequently as in the past. 3 Etsy shops, 2 Artfire shops and 2 Hyena Carts are a lot! Thankfully, they're all mostly full of ready to ship items, or easy to make items. Steamlining is my goal here this year!

And let's be honest, if I didn't get a free account with Artfire and have already paid for Destash City for 2010 I'd probably bail on Artfire. As much as I love the people, the sales just aren't there. But I plug away because I enjoy writing for Handmade News and I'll make the most of my time there best I can.

My teams are also important to me, but thankfully I have very understanding members and friends who are awesome at making the teams the best they can be! Most are also mommies and understand how life is! So remember to search "Cafemom Team" and "HandmadeLouisiana" on Etsy.com! :)

I create and sell handmade because I enjoy it but there is also a business side. If this does not make a profit for our family--in this much needed time, I'll pull the plug in a heartbeat and do what I have to do. So far, it's going good and I'm finding a nice steady rhythm of sales/fun/management. But if the cause was there, I'd turn it all in for my family in a heart beat....and just sew for me! :)

Besides, if things do get really bad, at least I'll have fabric to keep us warm and soap to keep us clean!!

So if you want any of my flowery prettiness, hop on over to Fleur De Ink because after Jan 8th, it's going on vacation for awhile!!

But you can always find me at my other shops--for now!

~~mama

Something Doesn't Seem Right Here....

Ummm, Mom, is this right?