Conquering Fears

Well, now that I have you captivated let me warn you that this post is probably NOT what you were expecting 🙂 I’ll be straight with you ~ this post is about 1) me learning to sew 2) Elli going poop in the potty and 3) Nya learning to wipe herself … all of which have been slight fears we have conquered in the last month!  Is this a worthy blog post?… well, you decide…

FEAR #1 – Sewing
I’ve watched most all the women in my life sew (key word being “watched), but I’ve never put my own hand to this wonderful machine passed down to me by my grandma (who sewed countless outfits, dressed, and costumes for me growing up). Yes this machine has sat in every closet in each of our homes, and now we’ve dragged the thing to Michigan! So, it was time to face the fear… 

My face doesn’t quite express the anxiety I was feeling as I began my first sewing project ~ valances for the kitchen. Time is valuable, so I didn’t waste time practicing ~ I just jumped right in! Thankfully I had my sweet neighbor girl and awesome husband to give me some instruction beforehand.

And when I wasn’t looking I had other helpers ready to jump in!

So, here’s a closeup of the finished first project… made two of these for the kitchen:

And then I was ADDICTED!!!!  Who knew sewing could be so fun???  Okay okay, I know. God has surrounded me with amazing women in my life and I think every one of them has encouraged me to learn to sew and raved about the endless possibilities of creativity that come with it… I was just being stubborn I guess.  So after making curtains for the master bedroom and altering a shower curtain, I felt ready to attempt this next project.  I made 5 of these valances for the living room and desk area.  They are lined with blackout fabric, so it was just a little added step up from the first set.

Then I couldn’t help myself ~ I had to attempt a pillow! … and here’s what happened 🙂
 I made two of these with my leftover fabric and trim!  So fun! … certainly not perfect, but had a blast doing it!
FEAR #2 – Pooping On The Potty
My sweet Elli started potty training a few months ago but with varied success.  With the move and everything we decided to wait until we’d settled into our Michigan home to continue this process.  So about a month and a half ago we started back into it and she did great with going #1, but #2 was a different story. I know many parents can bare witness to this fear in their little ones. But I am happy to share that Elli has been going poop and pee on the potty consistently for about a month now!  She is so proud of herself and we are of course delighted!!!  Elli is great about washing her hands after she goes potty, and also recently discovered the need for lotion … grami Tami and auntie Tera would be proud 🙂
Notice the shirt 🙂
Okay, finally…
FEAR #3 – Wiping After Going Poop
Well, I’ll spare you the details but we all know this is a major step for both kids and their parents.  So, with a little bribery (a lot) Nya has overcome this fear!  She even commented “at first I was scared but now that I did it, it’s kinda fun.” And, well, since photos of this particular activity would be inappropriate this one will have to do!
Mickey Mouse Pancakes 🙂

4 thoughts on “Conquering Fears

  1. Lisa Boehm

    I love the curtains and the accomplishments! Kudos to you all! 🙂

  2. You sewing projects turned out GREAT!! I can totally relate with the anxiety followed by shear joy (get it… shear..) And congratulations to the girls, they must be so proud of themselves! Can't wait to see what projects you tackle next!

  3. I meant 'your' Drats.

  4. Wonderful job on all the valances, Niki!! Colors and patterns are just lovely! I really like the words above, too. My neighbor got us one of the word blocks with a Bible verse that I put above one of our window. Such a cool touch.
    Please tell your little girls they are doing a great job, too. Now Mommy has more time to make cute things, with no more diapers.
    June

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