Hat For Reuben

I made Reuben a hat to match Becky. Three is so interesting. I had to bribe him with chocolate to put it on and let me take a picture! I love it, but he seems unsure. Maybe when it actually gets cold he'll let me put it on him and adorn Becky similarly and bask in a mother's pleasure at matching siblings.

This pattern will be coming soon to the blog and Ravelry!

Life Update

Whenever I have time to sit down and write I never feel like writing. And when I do feel like writing I of course can't, because children. Or life. Or something. Right now Reuben is playing on the playground and Becky is asleep and I think I should write something, but a topic alludes me.

I've been reading a lot of Victorian literature lately. Right now I am reading Can You Forgive Her by Trollope. It sure is an interesting read and full of many political and relational insights. I'm about halfway through. I want to read more of his works, but this was the one I started with. I've also been reading Charles Dickens. I just finished David Copperfield. This work of fiction has blown me out of the water! I must own and read all of Dickens works. He's amazing. I never gave him two thoughts before, but now: I am hungry for everything he wrote and plan to read it all.

Not having internet is...interesting. At it's worst it is only inconvenient. I can't Google things whenever I want. I can't mindlessly check out on the internet. I have not watched a single YouTube video since we canceled it and I miss watching my favorite YouTubers. But it has also been oh so healing and soothing to my soul to not have internet at home. My day feels less rushed. I feel completely unburdened by the noise that is media. I don't care a bit about the “social” aspect of the internet anymore, and I realize that in light of Eternity and God maintaining a "online presence" is minutely insignificant and not worth my precious time. Living without the internet is bliss. However “inconvenient” it is I know I made the right decision for myself and my family.

Another thing of note that has occurred: I quit the keto diet. I originally did keto due to blood sugar issues and I loved it. But I quit loving it. Keto became a burden, a diet that I felt I “had” to do. I “had” to do it because my husband was. I couldn't give up because I'd be letting him down and letting myself down. All my friends knew I was keto, knew I loved it. I couldn't just quit, could I? Furthermore I knew the second I started eating carbs again I would gain 20 pounds and become intellectually stunted.

Eventually I just realized I was being stupid and I quit. It was as easy as that. Right now I am doing only dairy and gluten and refined sugar free, and I have picked up yoga and it's going great. I have only weighed myself once in the past three weeks. I am enjoying sandwiches. I have not gained 20 pounds but I can bend over and pick up toys without feeling vertigo, so thanks Yoga. But I could wax eloquent on the sandwiches. I have eaten either a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich or a hummus sandwich or a cheese toasty (vegan cheese) for lunch, with a side salad, every day since I quit! I also made chili the other week. I have not had beans in over five years. There was a party in my mouth and a tear in my eye when I took that first bite. I plan on making more chili next week. My toddler hated it, but hey, more chili for me. Whoo!

Becky is eight months this September and Reuben is a solid three. My husband is turning 34 next year and I am ever daily traveling to 32. This sounds so old! Thirty two. I think of my mom when I think of that age. I was 11 when she was 32. As much as I wish I had kids when I was younger, I know my younger, unsaved self would have been a horrible mother, so I am glad I was spared that adventure. Having kids as an older woman has its pluses and minuses for sure, but from my perspective it's all pluses for me. Sure, it would be nice to be out of the pregnancy phase (we want more kids) and have that behind me in my 20s, but I know solidly I was not ready for kids at that age. I wasn't ready at 30 either—but God was there with me and I was adaptable enough that I listened to him. I wasn't in a listening frame of mind in my 20s.

That's a life update. How are you guys doing?

Hat for Becky

I've started knitting and crocheting my own patterns again! It's been too long. I have not been able to write patterns since Becky was born, but now that she will play by herself I have been able to dabble a little. This is the infant size for a new hat pattern that I will be releasing soon! I also plan on having a toddler and adult size, as well as video tutorials as well.

It's super cute. I also plan on listing all these hats for sale on etsy because I need to pay off some debt from having this baby. I'm excited to be creative again, and have a ton of new knit/crochet ideas.

A Little Jacket

I was making myself a sweater, but instead I made Reuben a coat. Because one of my skeins of yarn was not the right color and it was glaringly obvious. So I unraveled about 70% of a sweater and remade it into a little neat jacket for Reuben.

This is the second time I have knit this pattern. I made a rainbow version of this last year for Reuben, and this year I made a red version. He loves it! The pattern is the Storytime Scholar, and I plan on making one for Rebekah next.

Happy Knitting!

Cancel Your Internet

If anyone is still around who read my blog in 2016, they might remember that I married a man who did not have home internet. I was baffled. After I moved in, I was inconvenienced. It took six months of begging and pleading with him, but eventually we did sign up for home internet! I know I posted about how happy I was. The very next year I also posted about how I was addicted to my iPhone, so clearly it worked out well.

Anyway, we had internet for four years. I say had, because we no longer do! For four years I have struggled to create good boundaries between myself and the internet. I have tried putting it on a self timer. I have tried deactivating my Facebook. I have tried many many things. They have all failed because the internet is mindlessly pleasing and easily accessible.

So we canceled it. And I have never been happier. I mean it!

Now when I sit down to write (like I am doing right now) I don't waste 20 minutes browsing Facebook. I write.

Now when I nurse I don't mindlessly scroll my phone and ignore my son. I read a book and ignore my son. Hah, just kidding. Sometimes I read him books, sometimes I read by myself, sometimes I knit, and other times I just sit and chill and talk to Reuben.

But not having internet has taken a ton of pressure off my life. No Facebook ads. No worrying about notifications or checking my e-mail. I just pick a day to go to the library and upload things and schedule posts and check what I need. My life is so much more free! My husband comes home in the evenings and we and talk to each other. We don't stare at our phones.

There are other benefits. I've always worried about how to keep Reuben and Rebekah from looking at pornography as they mature. (if you want to know why I think porn is bad, I can do a whole post on that, but for brevity's sake: you can't tell if those participating are of age and/or have given their consent) There are a lot of evils on the internet and I want to protect my children and teach them how to have good boundaries. But how can I make sure they aren't online in the middle of the night when I am asleep? And how can I teach them when I myself struggle with good internet boundaries?

I want my children to use the internet as a tool and not become addicted to any aspect of it. Moreover, I desperately want them to know that they can have joy and happiness and a life outside of social media. What better way to keep them from looking at pornography or talking to strangers online than not having internet at home? What better way to teach them they can have joy without the internet than by example?

Because of the revolutionary change that has come over our household with the removal of the internet I would greatly encourage everyone to try it! Only blessings have come our way from taking this step. We've saved so much money. Because of canceling the internet we also canceled Amazon Prime, Pandora and Audible. Not having internet has drastically reduced our online shopping!

I will update you as the weeks turn into years, as we have no plans of ever signing up for home internet again.