Every Last Scrap

I recently hemmed a long linen dress and was left with close to half a yard of really nice material. I couldn't just chuck it, so I used it to make this little top for Riley. I also had just enough red linen left over from making myself a dress from Heather Ross' Weekend Sewing book to make her a little pair of capris to make it an outfit. I just winged it on the top - no pattern, and I adapted the Huck Finn pants pattern from Ross' book to make the capris. I was inspired by katie did's floral collar tutorial for the flowery accents on the top & pants. She wore it for the first time the other day and much to my surprise she left the flowers alone (I was sure she would relentlessly pull at them, and yet I was determined to sew them on anyway). It also felt good to make her something wearable from leftovers from other projects - I felt very efficient! Nothing like getting all dressed up to do a little yard work:

Making His Mother Proud

Casey's last songfest was yesterday, and at the end he & his classmates sang a song about what they want to be when they grow up. At the end they each held up a sign declaring their career plans. After reading Casey's sign, sandwiched in next to future doctors and firemen, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry:



Watch out American Idol 2022!

My #1 Fan

My Aunt Dot who lives in Georgia, is a loyal reader of my blog (so perhaps a better title for this post should be "My Only Fan", but anyway...) and has been since I started writing it. I know when I've gone too long between posts because my mom will tell me that Aunt Dot has mentioned that she's been checking every day and there hasn't been anything new in a while, and I take the hint and get on it. Really, this is the reason I write the blog. With 3 kids and our crazy schedules and ALL of our family living out of town, it is an easy way to stay in touch and share how the kids are doing and growing. Also, I'm too lazy to scrapbook, and so this is an easy way for ME to keep track of how the kids are growing and all the silly things that happen everyday. And if it gives our family out there a little chuckle now and then, that's a bonus.

I hope Aunt Dot has had a good chuckle recently, as she has been in and out of the hospital a few times in the past month. She is so thoughtful and sends sweet little gifts for the kids - the jackets the boys are wearing in the photo are from her. So, for Aunt Dot, we're thinking about you and sending you well wishes. Thanks for being my #1 fan.

Some Days

Some days you have a little cold. Some days you can't take a nap and you're very tired and you don't feel well. Some days your brothers get to go outside and play, and all you can do is stay inside with your blanket and watch them. Some days are better than others.

Morning Coffee 3.0

I've had a tough week here, both physically and creatively, and found myself in need of a serious pick-me-up. I headed over to Sur La Table armed with my gift card from my Mom's Club secret sister (thanks Lauren!) and went right to the coffee & tea department. I think it has been firmly established by this point my love for all things hot and caffeinated, and so I knew something from that section of the store would definitely fill the "pick-me-up" need. The lovely saleslady patiently discussed several products with me, and after a little thought I purchased a Bialetti Moka Express espresso maker and a can of LavAzza Italian espresso. These, combined with my handy-dandy mini milk frother, have made a near perfect latte for the past two mornings. I'm actually preferring my version to the one I usually order from Starbucks - I read that the Italian espresso is smoother and I have certainly found that to be true. 

You may officially consider me "Picked-Up". 

Cinco De Mayo

I didn't take this photo today, as today we are all stuck inside battling the croup/seasonal allergies, but I thought that the image of the kids wearing flip-flops and eating popsicles was certainly festive enough to say "Happy Cinco De Mayo". 

P.S. This was Shiny's first popsicle, and she devoured it like a pro. Nothing like a few older brothers to show you the ways of summer living! 

What Are the Odds?

50-1, apparently. As the horses were walking from the paddock to the track, we asked each of the kids to pick a horse as we read out the names. "The bird one" was Casey's pick, and at 50-1 odds we never thought he'd have anything to cheer for as they came down the stretch, but along with everyone else, we were shocked as Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby. We may have to plan ahead next year and have Casey make his pick in time for us to place an actual bet.

'Ol Blue Eyes

My best friend had a baby last month, and I was lucky enough to visit him & take his photos when he was about two weeks old. I did do a little work on this photo, but I swear his eyes are really that blue - couldn't you just die??!! He is as sweet in person as he is in this photo, except when he's giving his mother fits at 3am.

It had been a little while since I'd had a newborn session, and I was reminded why I love them so much. At 2 weeks old, they pretty much stay in the pose you place them in, and when they are as beautiful as this little man it is almost impossible to take a bad photo. Plus, you don't have to worry about carrying candy in your pocket to try and bribe a smile out of them.

It Has Come to This

Within the past few weeks Connor has figured out how to free himself from the confines of his backwards pajamas at night, and so I woke to find him "au natural" in his bed every morning last week. That also meant that I had to wash all his sheets, blankets, and animals every day last week. Yesterday morning was the final straw, and I pleaded with Rob to find some solution to this situation as there was a strong possibility that I would lose my tender grip on sanity if I had to do another load of pee-soaked bedding. And so, it has come to this. Duct tape. A quick google search of "what to do when child will not keep diaper on" resulted in many suggestions that we had already exhausted - backwards zipper PJs, pull-ups, snapped onesies, etc. Except for duct tape. So now before naps and bedtime, Connor gets his "special diaper tape" applied around the top of the diaper (please don't rush to call CPS, the tape is applied to the diaper only, we don't actually tape it to his body). This is truly our last solution, and so we can only hope that he outgrows this phase before he gets strong enough to pull the tape off. We may have just bought ourselves a few years of psychotherapy ("You see doc, it all began when they duct taped my diaper to me...") but at least we've also bought a few more weeks of sanity (and less laundry).

Swinging into Spring

Although temps have dipped back into the 40s and the sky is grey again, we did enjoy some beautiful spring weather at the end of last week. It was the perfect opportunity for Riley to use her new swing. This swing was a long time coming - I wanted to buy one for Connor's first birthday but found they were gone from the stores in September and replaced with Christmas trees. I bought this one a few weeks ago for fear that I would miss the seasonal opportunity again, and she loves it! She especially loves it when her oldest brother is pushing her, as he was during this photo. My favorite part is how her little toes are all curled up in excitement. That is the sign of a successful purchase!

Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.

As stated in a previous post, I've been doing alot of sewing lately. I found instructions on-line to make an Obi belt, and so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm not used to wearing belts, especially belts this wide, but I found it helped me stand up straight (I'm a sloucher) and I got used to it after a little bit and have become quite fond of it. It also lets me participate in a little Star Wars geekery without the braided buns and kimono, although I doubt seriously the belt would aid at all in getting me out of jury duty.

The Master

I am recovering this morning from our "staycation" - last week was Spring Break and we didn't travel, but managed to pack the week full of activities. The Children's Museum, zoo, baking cookies, seeing Monsters vs. Aliens, and dying eggs were all on the agenda. Whew. We had alot of fun but I'm glad to get back into our normal routine this week. Yesterday was also a busy day, what with the Easter bunny and a packed church and cooking a big lunch, but the weather was beautiful and a nice way to cap off a great week. After watching a few minutes of The Masters with me yesterday afternoon, Casey was inspired to head outside with his golf clubs to practice his swing. The swing needs some work, but he's already a master at the fine art of celebrating. After every shot he gives us a fist pump (ala Tiger) and also rolls around on the ground cheering for himself. I'm pretty sure they would frown on that behavior at Augusta National, but around here we think it's pretty funny.

I so badly wanted Kenny Perry to win. I have always liked him and I love the whole "elderly father on the golf course in overalls" thing. I was broken hearted for him that the shots went down the way they did on the last 4 holes, especially after a week full of brilliant play. Oh well, I guess coming in second at The Masters is as good a way to enter the Senior tour as any (except maybe winning The Masters, but I like him too much to bag on him). 

Multitasker

Little by little, Riley has been perfecting her walking skills. Over the weekend she really kicked it into high gear and is now walking more than crawling. She makes us all laugh because she likes to multitask: walk while carrying some object and laughing the whole time. 

Pajama Time!

I've been doing alot of sewing lately, and much of it is done during naptime while Riley & Connor sleep. Since Casey decided when he turned 4 last year that he was too big for naps, he has been my patient little helper while I work. And by patient little helper, I mean that he plays near my sewing machine firing an unending line of questions at me. "What happened to the dinosaurs, Mom?" "What happened to the cavemen?" "What happened to all the pirates?" You know, lots and lots of questions for which I have no answers. Then finally, "When are you going to make me something?". Since very little of what I have made lately was for us, I felt that was a justifiable question, and I asked him what he wanted. Batman pants, he replied. Easy enough, and I was lucky to find some Batman fabric at Hancocks and whipped him up a pair of PJ pants last week. He loves them and has worn them everyday. I'm not sure why he's making that face in the photo, but I think it is somehow superhero related. Now his little brother has placed an order for some Bob the Builder pants, and I imagine if little sister could express the desire she wouldn't refuse a pair either. 

GO CARDS!

The Cardinals have descended upon Indianapolis for the Midwest region NCAA tournament semifinals, and we're all suited up here to cheer them on. 

Two Worlds Collide

I got a giggle when I found this Ninja Turtle hanging out in Riley's babydoll stroller the other day. It's actually a nice representation of the chaos that governs our lives around here - the boys play with the dolls and you're very likely to find Riley chewing on a Spiderman - and during the course of an average day that all seems very normal. 

When I asked about Michaelangelo hanging out in the stroller, I was informed that it was his secret lair and he was in hiding from the evil scientists. Of course. Not sure why I didn't think of that myself. 

Irish Eyes

Hope everyone is having a great St. Patrick's Day. No green beer here, but still plenty of smiles. 

L Yes!

The Cards continued their winning ways last night by taking the title of Big East Tournament Champions. This, combined with their Big East regular season champs, must have impressed the NCAA Tournament selection committee because we just learned that they earned the #1 overall seed in the tournament. The Cards and Terrence Williams finally got some love last week on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and so right now is a very good time to be a Cardinal basketball fan. Bring on the madness!

Swoon

I forced myself to stay up late enough last night to watch "ER", and was paid back for my efforts with a surprise (sorta') appearance by George Clooney as Dr. Doug Ross. I religiously watched "ER" in college, and basically quit watching it when Dr. Ross left (I was mad at the way they wrote his character off, you know, because I hold grudges against fictional characters. I'm very pragmatic that way.). In a strange way, "ER" might even be partially responsible for my marriage. When Rob & I met in college, he was working part-time as an orderly, and he bore a slight resemblance to Dr. Ross when he was dressed in scrubs. In fact, he helped an elderly patient one time who kept asking the nurses to send George Clooney back in to see her.

Anyway, I was thrilled last night to learn that Dr. Ross and Nurse Hathaway are living happily ever after in Seattle, and also that he still looks super hot in scrubs. Almost as hot as my husband does. Swoon. 

Handsome

Casey was a tightrope walker in the school circus yesterday, and he was so handsome in his black turtleneck that I couldn't help having a little mini-session with him. He is growing so fast - I'm bracing myself for the emotional shock of registering him for Kindergarten next week.