SAHM I am (8 page)

Hi everybody!

I just wanted to let you know that Rosalyn’s spa recipes are WONDERFUL! I know she is too modest to brag about herself, so I’ll do it for her.

She surprised me on Monday by showing up at my house and telling me, “Since it’s Labor Day, and you’ve been through LABOR five times, I thought you deserved a little treat.”

She proceeded to spend the rest of the morning creating a luxury spa out of Kurt’s and my master suite. I got a Swedish massage complete with handmade herbal oils (using Rosalyn’s own homegrown herbs, of course). Then she gave me a full manicure and pedicure—she even made the lotions herself and scented them with an apple. This was followed by an herbal body wrap—sort of weird, but I liked it. Then came a candlelight bath with apple-cider vinegar and fragranced bath salts. She even carved out space in a few apples
for little tea candles and floated the apples in the tub. Other apples around the bathroom acted as holders for taper candles. It was beautiful! While Kurt took the kids outside, I got to soak in this heavenly bath, listen to soothing music and read a new Christian women’s devotional Rosalyn bought me.

She also made a special homemade apple shampoo and hair rinse, a facial mask and a complete lunch. (I won’t even mention all the creative and delicious dishes.) I’ve never felt so pampered and relaxed! Even Kurt looked a little jealous, but Rosalyn told him he’d have to talk Chad into giving him a massage if he wanted one. :)

I tell you, no one has ever been so kind to me or demonstrated such Christ-like service as my friend Rosalyn. She brought a whole new meaning to the idea of “washing the disciples’ feet.”

I know I’ve embarrassed you no end, Ros dear, but I had to give you a public THANK YOU!

Love,

Connie

Sheesh! just when you think it’s safe to dislike a girl, she up and does something sweet. Now I feel guilty. GRRRR!

Z

Don’t worry, Z, a few more of her Monday topics should cure you….

Brenna

Ros honey, I am in
dire
need of some assistance. Mama and Daddy said they wanted some crafts from the kiddos to put up around their house. Problem is, I don’t have a clue about kids’ crafts! It’s not exactly something I learned in my mar keting classes! LOL! I asked Mama and Daddy what sort of things Y’ALL’S kids made for them, but they said they didn’t really remember, since they don’t make no never mind about what you send them. I bet you probably have TONS of gooder’n grits ideas, though, so might could you share some with your baby sister? There ya go!

Thanks a bunch!

Ronnie

Nurturing Ones,

This week we turn our attention to autumn crafts and activities to do with our dear little munchkins. I strongly urge you all to attempt something of this sort, no matter how young your children are, because it is in special shared experiences that lifelong memories of love and security are built.

I have heard many mothers say, “But craft projects are just so messy!” This is true. I started doing crafts with Suzannah when she was only eight months old—finger painting, sand pictures, and so on. And when I was finished, the kitchen was a disaster. However, there are ways to contain the project—messy mats, trays, etc.—that will make cleanup a cinch. And by doing activities such as these, you help improve the child’s fine motor skills, sensory development and artistic awareness. Because of their early exposure to crafts, my children are now able to do quite advanced projects that are nice enough to use as Christmas gifts for grandparents and friends.

One of the crafts my children enjoy most is making our own paper. I’ve attached a simple fifteen-step process for it. The best part is that you can teach your children the importance of recycling while at the same time allowing them to experience this ancient art form on their own.

To keep it autumn-themed, we go for a walk and collect leaves and fall flowers to add to the paper pulp. This year, the children’s papers turned out so beautiful that we were able to sell them in a local boutique shop. The kids have so
far earned nearly $30 and are churning out more lovely sheets of paper every day with quite an entrepreneurial enthusiasm.

I’m sure you are all wondering what my little darlings are planning to do with their newly earned money. We let them make the decision themselves. Suzannah snuggled on my lap last night to tell me. “Mommy,” she said, “Jefferson and I talked it over. We didn’t want to spend our money on toys or clothes or candy. We just want to help poor people. And we were thinking—most poor people can’t afford to buy good food like we have. So we want to go grocery shopping and buy food for the food bank. Would that be okay with you?”

Is that amazing, or what? :) How many of you have children who would be so sweetly unselfish? I am SO blessed!

Share the joy,

Rosalyn Ebberly

SAHM I AM Loop Moderator

Hey Rosalyn,

That is SO cute about your kids! And selling paper in a boutique—how adorable! It reminds me of a few years ago when
Seamus and Cosette made their own paper. A local children’s book author/illustrator bought their paper to use in her next book. Maybe you’ve heard of it—
Sensing the Seasons,
written and illustrated by Gillian Michaels. It won a Caldecott Medal last year, and was one of the bestselling picture books of the decade. Gillian paid my kids a small percentage of her royalties, so we’re socking it away for college—Griffith included.

Gillian has become a family friend now. In fact, Seamus gave her the idea for a new picture book. It’s the story of Tristan’s family growing up in Zimbabwe and moving to England. Gillian is going to use my children as the models. They are SO excited! But the most touching part was when Seamus suggested that maybe the money from this book could help all the children in Africa who are dying of AIDS. Gillian was so moved by his concern that she talked to her publisher, and they decided to market the book especially as a fund-raiser for various relief organizations in Africa that help AIDS victims. All because of my sweet little Seamus!

Anyway, my children are a little beyond paper-making now. Cosette, at 4 1/2, is very interested in pottery. So I am including instructions for making a child-size pottery wheel and a simple, beginner-level project for making a water pitcher using an inlaid glass technique. I’ve also included a photo of Cosette’s finished pitcher as a guide. We’re considering letting her enter it in a children’s art competition, only we’re concerned we may have a hard time convincing the judges that a 4-year-old did it herself.

Again, Rosalyn, thank you so much for sharing the cute little craft project your kids are working on. As an artist, I think it’s such a great starting effort.

Adoringly,

Z

Did your kids REALLY make the paper background in
Sensing the Seasons?
I LOVE that book! I LOVE Gillian Michaels’s art! If you made all that up just to thumb your nose at Rosalyn, tell me now so I can get over the disappointment.

And I’m almost SURE Cosette didn’t make that pitcher herself. Come on,
inlaid glass?
It’s beautiful—is it one of yours?

Dulcie (who, by the way, thought your e-mail was absolutely brilliant)

…I did slightly exaggerate about the pitcher. Cosette helped me with the first part of throwing it. We had to form a cylinder and then roll it in the glass pieces, and I didn’t let her help with it after that until it was fired and we painted it. I didn’t want her to get cut. There is an art competition, though, called “Mommy and Me”—should be fairly self-explanatory. We’re thinking about entering it in that.

But the part about Gillian Michaels was NOT made up! :) You want me to have her autograph a copy of
Sensing
for you? I just never mentioned any of that before because I don’t like to seem like I’m name dropping, and I usually don’t like
bragging, either. But, good grief, SOMEBODY had to do something, and this was a topic I could do it with. Wonder what she’ll say?

Z

Dearest Zelia,

I wanted to write to you privately regarding your post. I talked to Connie, and, after an extensive time of prayer, we both agreed it was probably a good idea to mention a couple of things to you. This is all in love, so don’t be hurt. Sometimes, as Christians we are called to confront. And “as iron sharpens iron, faithful are the wounds of a friend.”

Your news about Gillian Michaels’s book was so exciting—that’s one of my children’s favorite picture books. However, Connie and I were concerned that you may have come across as bragging about your kids. And, while we DO want you to feel free to share the blessings God gives your family, we don’t want anyone to be offended by a prideful attitude. I KNOW you didn’t mean to come across that way, but we always have to be careful with e-mail because it can easily be misinterpreted.

We had a similar concern about the pottery project. You are obviously a talented artist, and your daughter is following in your footsteps. However, don’t you think that a glass-inlaid pitcher might be a little advanced for most of our group? Some people may have felt you were showing off,
and others, I’m sure, were discouraged and intimidated by the difficulty of that project. Next time, it might be better to recommend a craft or activity that is geared more toward the average non-artistic family, just so that our posts are a blessing and not a stumbling block to our Christian sisters.

I hope I haven’t hurt your feelings. You are such a valuable part of SAHM I Am, and I always look forward to your posts. I just felt like I needed to provide a loving caution so that we preserve the sense of emotional safety in our group. Thank you for understanding.

With lots of love,

Rosalyn

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SORRY—THAT WAS ME BANGING THE KEYBOARD OVER MY HEAD!

I’m much better now. Need an aspirin…

Z

Hey, that’s even worse than I expected! How’s your head? Dulcie

I guess I’m not too surprised she responded that way. Give it a few days and you’ll be laughing. But lay off the head-banging, okay? :)

Jocelyn

Oh, Zelia! I am completely stunned. How could she say such things to you when she writes nearly the same way? I do not understand. I did think that e-mail was out of character for
you, however, there was nothing in it to warrant a reply like that. I am so sorry. I’m not sure I want to be part of a group whose moderators are so unkind. I receive plenty of that sort of treatment off-line.

Please know I am praying for you.

Love,

Phyllis

Please ignore my previous e-mail. After rereading Zelia’s post, I belatedly realized she was satirizing Rosalyn’s mannerisms. I feel very foolish. However, I tend to be overly serious and humor is difficult for me. Please be patient—I will try to be more on top of things.

Love,

Phyllis

You all are great! Phyllis, I love you, even if you are humor-challenged. We’ll work on that, won’t we, girls?

Z

Thank you, all of you, for being so gracious to me. I felt really embarrassed.:) But my question is this—why do you stay on SAHM I Am? Regardless of Zelia’s purpose for the e-mail, Rosalyn was unaccountably rude. Why don’t you create a new group?

Phyllis