The Train To Crazy

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147 posts categorized “My Family”

April 19, 2013

Busy busy and a handy little “where is she now” map

I feel like this blog gets neglected a lot. I rarely show off what I'm making anymore. I think things will slow down a little soon and I'll be able to write a little more. As I alluded to yesterday, I'm working on some big changes at Go To Patterns. I'll share those next week but that's what I've been up to. SO ready to be done with that project! But I'm also beside myself excited about it. 

We also just found out we are moving. Again. This is me for the last 17 years since I graduated from high school:


My oldest daughter just turned 8. When we move this summer it will be her 5th state. If that's not bad enough, my 4 year old will be on her 4th state. It really isn't as bad as it sounds. We were on this last star nearly 3 years…

Have a great weekend!

April 19, 2013 in Design & Photography, My Family | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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January 18, 2013

My assistant

Sometimes when I'm taking photographs I ask my kids to hold a reflector. They're not great at that job. But they sure are cute.



January 18, 2013 in Design & Photography, My Family | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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December 23, 2012

Thank YOU and Merry Christmas

My children looked through the World Vision catalog last year and chose to pool their piggy banks to buy something for people less fortunate. They had saved for an entire year for just the occassion. Together they had $115. That's a lot for a young bunch.

I asked them a simple question. 

"What do you think is the best gift in the catalog?"

They thought for a while. Then my 5 year old daughter answered.

"I think a home for an orphan family would be best. Imagine what it would be like not to have a mom or a dad. (pause) And what if it rains?"

I agreed, that would be a wonderful gift. The problem was that they had saved $115 but that gift costs $5,100. We were $5,000 short.

In my mind I debated what I should do. I could easily steer them toward a gift that was closer to their price range. I'm sure they would have been excited to give a couple goats. Instead, I asked how they thought they could earn $5,000.

This is when my oldest daughter's take charge personality kicked into high gear. She got out a clipboard and they began brainstorming. There were two full pages of ideas. Mostly very bad ideas but there were some great ones as well. 

Part way through the second page my second daughter said,

"Stop! Put pray on the list. We should pray now."

About then my heart began to explode and I decided we were going to see this through. So we prayed.

Then we told friends and family that we were selling little handmade felt ornaments for $10 each. Within a day we had more orders than we knew what to do with. My memory is a bit fuzzy but I think it was around $1,500 worth of ornaments. So we cut and sewed and then it began to feel a bit like child labor. It wasn't fun anymore. It wasn't easy or exciting. It took up too much time and I started hating those cute little ornaments. The girls really hated them. But we kept going. 



By Christmas we were about halfway to our goal. I was never so excited to put the ornament making supplies away.

But they didn't stay away for too long. We got lucky and my grandmother came for a visit in January. She was a total rock star and cut out hundreds and hundreds of red hearts for our Valentine's Day project we were about to start.

This time we chose something easier. Sort of. Do you know how slowly children sew?


Then we moved on to lemonade stands.

We added some more money when the girls decided to quit gymnastics for 2 months to put that money toward the orphan home.

And finally, we added procedes from pattern sales and some more donations from friends and family to complete our goal.

So they did it. They earned $5,100 in 12 months to buy a home for orphans to live in so they won't have to live on the street or get rained on through inadequate housing.

But my kids aren't spectacular. They aren't unusually nice or kind. They are average kids who had a big idea that didn't get shut down or shrunk. It was difficult and at times I wished we hadn't started. But I'm glad it wasn't easy. I'm glad they felt like they had to sacrifice something.

So, with our deepest gratitude:


Thank you for helping provide a safe home for orphans and encouraging these kids to help others. 

December 23, 2012 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)

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November 09, 2012

Flashback Friday at Sew Much Ado

I'm over at Sew Much Ado today talking about handmade heirlooms. These are some of my favorites.


Do you know what these are for? These are cherished items in my house. I know my kids will love passing them down to their kids as well! Go stop by Sew Much Ado to find out more!

November 09, 2012 in My Family, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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November 01, 2012

I mastered this Halloween

I planned too many halloween projects this year. And finished every single one.

  • One complete Incredibles costume (with an iron on FAIL)
  • Two mermaids complete with capelets
  • One White Witch dress and cape

White-witch
The White Witch (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) dress and cape were self drafted. The white fabric was some free swag from JoAnns from the GNO a few weeks ago. The cape is just fleece. She loved it. Nobody knew what she was but that's ok.

I was super excited to draft the collars on both the dress and the cape. Thanks to a little lesson from Carrie I think I nailed them!

Mermaid
I'm particularly in love with the mermaid costumes. The skirt is self drafted, as are the capelets. One capelet has a collar. The other doesn't. All fabric was from JoAnns. The leotard was a pattern from one of the big 4. I don't recommend it though. I had to alter it a ton to make it fit a regular sized child. If my kids were about 20 lbs heavier they might have fit well.

And it's a good thing those are leotards because that's one large slit up the back I made. Yowza! At least they could still run!

Yes, the fins are quilted. That's my favorite.

Halloween-2
Photo bomb by Jack Jack. I love his costume too. The pants are pieced. They're pretty much jammies. I used my new leggings pattern to make them and self drafted the shirt. 

He adores the Incredibles but thought this was the worst outfit ever when I put it on him. He tried to get it off for 15 minutes then caved. One point for mom.

November 01, 2012 in DIY, My Family, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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October 16, 2012

Birthday party favor FAIL and win

I asked on facebook and instagram yesterday what your suggestions were for good birthday party favors. You know, the good kind that doesn't include junk you don't want and your kids won't use.

I love the idea of favors that are inexpensive and yet useful and appreciated. So we decided to make some homemade Gak while we waited for our cupcakes to come out of the oven. 

We used this recipe and I'm not sure what we did wrong but it was a huge FAIL. It hardened so quickly the starch wouldn't mix in with the glue any longer and all I had was like stiff gum floating in blue water. 

So we made some play dough instead.


We put them in little plastic containers and added a label to the lid for fun. Voila. A favor that is useful and appreciated yet doesn't stick around long to clutter your house.

Continue reading “Birthday party favor FAIL and win” »

October 16, 2012 in Crafting with Kids, DIY, My Family | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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August 27, 2012

Top 5 ways to stay sane vacationing with kids

We just spent 2 weeks on vacation in Northwest Washington with the kids. I know what you're thinking, vacation and kids is an oxymoron. You might be right. Fortunately for you I have 5 tips to help you stay sane during your vacation.

5. Vacation with relatives or other people who are more than happy to play with your kids so you can do fun things like sew. Which brings me to…

4. Always make sure you have a sewing machine on hand during vacation. Sldc-pattern-3-on-truck
(that's my totally awesome friend modeling an upcoming pattern for me! I sewed it while on vacation, clearly)  Mattie
(This one I made for my neice. She's so wonderful to put up with her crazy aunt! She's too old for ruffles, in case you wanted to know. The dress has since been de-ruffled.)

3. Eat s'mores.  IMG_4879

2. Beg those people mentioned in #1 to watch your kids so you can go out and catch a movie or eat a quiet dinner at a restaurant. You'll enjoy being able to read the whole menu, eat slowly and not rush out the second the check is paid.  IMG_4740

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1. Play outside the whole time you aren't sewing. Unless, of course, you skipped #4. Bellingham vacation-9358

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(you should also eat fresh crab)

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Notice those two Go To Signature Dresses??
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More importantly: Take healthy kids and keep them healthy while you are there!!Whiny, sick kids are not that enjoyable to be around. Though they do tend to be snuggly, which I like.

This trip I took along Culturelle Kids. These probiotics boost digestive health which in turn has a positive impact on overall health and immunity and provides ongoing maintenance for a healthy digestive tract. Yay! I didn't know this before, but 70% of your immune system is in your digestive tract so a KidsPacketshealthy and balanced digestive system plays a vital role in strengthening your child’s overall health and well being. And, according to Culturelle Kids, it is trusted by parents and pediatricians. In fact, our pediatrician recommends we give the kids probiotics.


We had the Kids Packets (under 6 years) and the Kids Chewables (6+ years). Both super easy to take. For the Kids Packets just stir the powder into a drink.  Easy peasy!

So what are your vacation tips with kids?

Small Print: I was compensated for writing about Culturelle Kids. Just a perk of blogging! The top 5 list is all mine =)

August 27, 2012 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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August 14, 2012

Teaching sewing

My girls have always been fascinated with sewing. They began begging to learn at an early age. Not a surprise, of course! Now they love it so much I want my machine back! Teaching litle kids isn't as daunting as it seems!

First teach safety. Yada yada.

Next teach how to raise and lower the foot, backstitch, press the foot pedal, etc.

Finally, give him or her a scrap and let them scribble sew. Easy!

I don't see the point in restraining their creativity while they are young. They don't need to think sewing has to be a certain way with straight lines and perfect corners. In fact, they'll probably surprise you by what they come up with!

This is a typical scene from my sewing machine. My 3 oldest and the neighbor girl. All taking turns digging through scraps and sewing masterpieces. 

Continue reading “Teaching sewing” »

August 14, 2012 in DIY, My Family, Sewing , sewing tips & tricks | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

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July 05, 2012

Fourth of July family photo attempts: unsuccessful

Yesterday was Independence Day here in the U.S. and I completely forgot today was Thursday. Each week Make It Wear It creeps up on me and for some reason I refuse to schedule them ahead of time. Sorry I didn't post it but we'll be taking a break from it until August. Keep coming back though because there will be SO many fun things going on here in July!

My kids woke up Tuesday morning and asked me to make them outfits for the 4th of July. I should have said, "No" but I said, "Let's go to the fabric store!" First off, the fabric store with four kids at lunch time BEFORE they eat is just a bad idea. Really bad. But we survived and managed to get some fabric. I didn't have time to calculate how much I'd need or how many pieces because all the crying from the little guy really distracted me. So I bought a lot. 

We rushed home, washed it and then started sewing. They alternated sitting on my lap and I didn't get much done. So once they went to bed I set to mad sewing. By 10 p.m. I was done with 2 outfits. The last 2 are pretty simple and shouldn't have taken me long but they took forever. First my serger refused to thread. I have a Babylock so if the threading mechanism doesn't work, it doesn't work. I fought it for an hour then gave up. Then I tried doing some things I that didn't work out and finally decided on designs and finished around 4 in the morning. Did I mention I didn't use any patterns and decided not to do simple skirts. WHY was that?

At that point the baby was crying "ouch ouch. I want mommy" so not a lot of sleeping happened after that point.

The sun came up and I took the girls to the parade in our neighborhood. Baby was still not feeling well so didn't get to wear his outfit. 

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I think that dress on my left is one of my favorite things I've ever sewn. For whipping it up on short notice and drafting it myself it came together beautifully. See all the photos below.

Continue reading “Fourth of July family photo attempts: unsuccessful” »

July 05, 2012 in Design & Photography, My Family, Sewing , Sewing for boys, Sewing for Girls | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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December 13, 2011

Heart & Felt: my girls amaze me

I don't put a lot of family stuff on this blog (okay, okay, except yesterday's vacation photos) but I can't help share this. My girls have started a new website to sell their handmade felt ornaments. They are raising money to buy a house for an orphan family through World Vision. Please check out Heart & Felt!

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Felt hearts copy

I'm THRILLED that EMJ Design has offered to donate 100% of all profits for the month of December to Heart & Felt. WHAT?!? Who does that?? Thank you! Thank you! Go check out EMJ Design immediately! 

December 13, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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Busy, busy, busy

Ho ho ho! I'm busy busy busy but here are some fun photos from our family reunion in Mexico last week. It was a blast and so fun to see family that we live so far away from!

There was lots of swimming.

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And tons of walking on the beach.

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Sand, sand, everywhere

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And tears too.

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And lots of laughs with family.

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There was even some burying going on.

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And jumping contests.

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Silly faces!

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cousin squeezes

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Bird holding

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Dolphin riding

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Dolphin jumping!

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And ornament making (more on that very soon)
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And now it is time to prepare for Christmas. I'm making all the kids' presents this year so I should probably get off the computer and back to the sewing machine!

Are you making any gifts this year?

December 13, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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November 01, 2011

Jack fell down and broke his crown…

There are so many costume ideas for a Jack. This one was just particularly fitting yesterday. Yes, that is a real black eye.

Halloween-4541
Pants: pattern from Handmade Beginnings blogged here and here

Suspenders: tutorial from Make It and Love It (super easy, highly recommend)

I tried to get a picture of all the kids in their costumes. Instead I have a ton of pictures of silly faces, hands in the face and babies running away… here's a few favorites.

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I hope you had a fun Halloween if you celebrate!

November 01, 2011 in My Family, Sewing , Sewing for boys | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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August 31, 2011

Jump!

Jump
I love them

August 31, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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July 27, 2011

Mr. & Mrs. Crazy and the little Crazies

Family blog 257

Family blog 252


Family blog 253
Family blog 254
Family blog 255

… that was fun

July 27, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBack (0)

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July 01, 2011

“The Cheerio Incident”

Cheerio 1

Cheerio 2

Cheerio 3

Perhaps you can relate…

July 01, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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June 15, 2011

Goodbye pacifier

Perhaps this has happened in your house…

Pacifairy 147
It's gone. We are a paci-free household now. The baby doesn't take one and now that the two year old has bid hers a (not so fond) farewell we're devoid of pacifiers.

Never will I crawl around in the dark feeling for a pacifier at 2 a.m. ever again. That, my friends, is cause for celebration.

June 15, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

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June 13, 2011

Summer Fun: Read the Book, Watch the Movie

I love reading books to my kids. They get so excited about a good novel now. We love snuggling up and sinking into a world unlike our own. The problem is, much of the modern “chapter books” are absolute trash. Bratty kids with bad behavior. Unimaginative plots and shallow language. 

Fortunately, if you look further than the “early reader” section at the local bookstore you’ll find some great books. This summer I’ve decided to read through some of the good ones. After making a long list of good reads I noticed that a few of them were made into movies. 

This summer the kids and I will be reading a book and then watching the movie adaptation.  

Read the book

  The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread

The Secret Garden

 Fantastic Mr. Fox

 The Complete Tales of Winnie-The-Pooh

 Pippi Longstocking

 Matilda

 Charlotte’s Web

 Ballet Shoes

 A Little Princess

 Treasure Island

 There are so many more as well. We could spend a whole year on this series. Of course, some of the children’s books made into movies aren’t great specimens of literature and some of the movies adapted from great books are terrible adaptations.

Here are some others I’ve got my eye on;

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Anne of Green Gables, Because of Winn-Dixie, Black Beauty, The Black Stallion, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Danny the Champion of the World, Harriet the Spy, Harry Potter, Heidi, Holes, How to Eat Fried Worms, The Incredible Journey, James and the Giant Peach, Meet Kit: An American Girl 1934, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Women, Mr. Popper’s Penguins, Nim’s Island, Ramona & Beezus , Stuart Little, Treasure Island, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, A Wrinkle in Time, The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)    

And for your picture book age children you might consider these;

The Story of Babar, The Cat in the Hat, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, The Complete Adventures of Curious George, Horton Hears A Who!, Madeline

These are all Amazon affiliate links but I’m sure your local library has all of these titles. I love using Amazon for reading reviews though!

How about you? Any reading plans for the summer?

June 13, 2011 in Education, My Family, Parenthood | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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June 11, 2011

Summer Fun With Kids

There are SO many great summer ideas around right now! I’ve gleaned a little from everywhere and created our “To Maybe Do” list for the break. This was, of course, inspired by Whatever. Thumbnail Just a rough list of things to choose from each day. A little creating, a little playing, a little adventuring, a little reading, a little memorizing, a little learning. I love a good schedule but I’m not good at keeping them. I actually really like Megan’s idea of how she is scheduling their summer. I might have to try that. I have 3 more days of school to figure this all out. I’m excited to surprise the kids with our plans! I’ve got a fun presentation idea up my sleeve.

How are you planning, or intentionally NOT planning your summer?

June 11, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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June 06, 2011

Stuff I’m loving…

My friend, Just Mothering Through, does a fabulous post from time to time about the little things in life that she's currently enjoying. I always enjoy reading her list and smile at the subtle humor and sweet moments.

I've been anything but wordy this past year on the blog but I'd love to jump into sharing some stuff I'm loving…

Bike ride 142
watching the joy of learning to ride a bike

 

Rhino 144
rhinos at the zoo. my new favorite animal

 

Chalk 145
chalk artists

 

Boots 146
two year olds

 

Sand 147
babies in the sand

What are you loving?

June 06, 2011 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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May 18, 2011

Watching what I missed

We took a long weekend to San Diego. We put 6 people in one little hotel room and lived to tell about it! No really, it wasn't that bad. We had loads of fun.

San diego 142
I don't have a sister so watching my girls grow up together is so exciting. 

San diego 143
The bond and love shared gives me so much joy to witness. I can't wait to watch them grow up.

May 18, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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April 25, 2011

137 lemons

Lemon picking 129
We have a large lemon tree. It produces an insane amount of lemons.

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We picked a few yesterday. There are plenty more left on the tree.

What would you do with all these lemons?

April 25, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack (0)

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February 23, 2011

Birthday goodness

Yesterday was my birthday. So far 33 is treating me well. My girls made me breakfast all by themselves. The most peanut buttery toast I've ever had! So tasty. Then they brought me the presents they wrapped by themselves. I suspect they were actually from my husband. Thank you honey! The flash I've been wanting and great camera bags so I can protect my camera while still throwing it into my usual handbag.

And I got these from my mom.

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Eye candy. So many cute things I'll make some day. Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children has a bunch of sewing projects for beginners to intermediate sewists. From aprons to vests to tutus and messenger bags it is full of things you'll be itching to sew. A few of my favorites…

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 Are you kidding me? How cute is that??

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And sweet bucket hats in sizes up to 8. I'm definitely going to be making a bunch of these for summer!

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love is also packed with sweet cloth toys you'll love. From simple toys like balls to dinosaurs to dolls it is full of goodness.

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An apron that carries your doll? Perfect! And how cute is that doll? 

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And I'm thinking I know someone who needs this little dude.

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Yep, this guy. (who is getting mighty big I might add!)

Speaking of that little guy. My dear husband took the day off work to watch him and I got a pedicure and a haircut. It had been over 6 months since my last hair cut. It was so, so needed. And I have to admit my new do is fabulous.

Then we finished the day off with this delicious cake my husband slaved over ordering.

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I can't really describe how perfectly delicious it was. Just be jealous. So yes, 33 is treating me well.

February 23, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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February 15, 2011

Valentine’s Day

I know I've mentioned how busy I am. It probably gets old. But I'll say it again. OH MY I'M BUSY! Sure, the kids keep me busy, but my husband is also on week 3 of not being able to walk or drive. So that's fun for everyone. The kind of fun that's no fun at all. I'm spending a good portion of my day driving people to and from school and work. Then of course there is all the feeding, rocking and cleaning. Have I mentioned the cleaning? Whoa nelly. And let's not forget the laundry. I currently have about 4 loads to fold. When I find a spare moment. Possibly next week.

Well yesterday the house was semi clean so rather than let my blood pressure rise while watching the little tornadoes mess it up I took them outside for the day. The thing I love about our neighborhood is that there are parks and playgrounds a plenty. Good ones too. Our neighbors have backyard swing sets but I can't imagine why we'd possibly want one. We spend a lot of time at the perfectly lovely park a block and a half away from our house. It is beautifully shaded so on cooler days we keep on walking. There are 3 or 4 other playgrounds within a half a mile so it's an easy jaunt for everyone.

Yesterday we hit up this one.

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(seriously, who has time to take off a helmet when there are monkey bars to be conquered)

Baby was doing this in the ergo while the girls played.

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Then we picked up my husband for a totally romantic dinner for 6 at In-N-Out. Oh yeah.

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(see all those dishes I didn't have to wash? PERFECT! And yes, there is a dissenter who does not like cheeseburgers so she had a taco from that taco place next door)

So, all in all, it was a great Valentine's Day. How was yours?

P.S. I'll be doing another review from CSN Stores. Whenever I figure out what I'll be getting this time. Any suggestions for outdoor toys? 

February 15, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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February 08, 2011

Yo

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It may not be technically correct, but I love using the ultra wide angle lens for close ups.

February 08, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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February 01, 2011

Where did the time go?

Jack in grass 114
Three months. I can hardly believe it.

February 01, 2011 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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October 21, 2010

Make It Wear It

I'm taking this week off to rest and snuggle this guy.

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Stop back next week to link up to Make It Wear It!

October 21, 2010 in Make it, Wear it, My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBack (0)

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October 19, 2010

Good things come to those who wait!

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Jack is here! Our sweet little guy made his appearance October 17th. We are home recovering and figuring out how to be a family of 6.

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Thank you so much for all your well wishes! We'll be doing a lot of eating and sleeping in the coming days. I'll be back when I'm a bit rested!

October 19, 2010 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (45) | TrackBack (0)

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June 09, 2010

Problem Solving {hooded beach towel backpack tutorial}

 

Welcome to The Train To Crazy! If you find this tutorial useful I hope you'll subscribe, follow me on twitter, facebook or Google+! Don't forget to check out Make It Wear It, the weekly blog party to showcase all those clothing items and accessories you've been making.

Our weather has cooled off a bit lately. We still brave the beach. It doesn't bother us northerners. 

Backpacks 1
Couldn't be cuter, right? And how about those backpacks? That's right, a hooded towel that folds up into a neat little backpack. This has solved my problem. My main problem. You know, the one where I don't have 3 sets of hands to carry things and children. 

Backpacks 2
Even the baby gets her own. It is lightweight enough for her to wear it comfortably. In fact, she doesn't just wear it to the beach. It's now an accessory…

Backpacks 3
It's important to snuggle up in a warm towel when you are at the beach on a less than hot day in June.

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And once at the beach…

Beach
… we played in the sand. Because playing in the water on a less than hot day in June isn't as much fun as we'd like.    

Want to make your own Hooded Beach Towel Backpack? I've made a tutorial so you can whip up a few. Enjoy!

Backpack tutorial button full size



You might also find some of my other tutorials useful! Check them out!

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June 09, 2010 in My Family, Sewing , Sewing for kids, Sewing gifts, Tutorials | Permalink | Comments (51) | TrackBack (0)

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April 28, 2010

Christmas in April

If your house is like mine, you've likely thought "we have too many toys!" Over the years I've gotten rid of tons of toys the girls just didn't enjoy. I think what we have now are truly quality, creative, and enjoyable toys. There are still too many to play with. The best solution I've come up with is to rotate toys. 

Yesterday we brought up a few boxes that hadn't been seen since before Christmas. One giant rubbermaid tub was completely full of books. OH MY. The excitement level was insane. With every book they pulled out of the tub they squealed thinking of all their memories of that book. I have to admit, I was excited to see some of them that I had been so sick of when I packed them up. With a few months off where I didn't have to read Fancy Nancy daily I actually enjoyed her yesterday. 

Now I have the task ahead of deciding what to put into the tubs to store away for possibly Christmas in July. So many possibilities. I brought the trains out yesterday so I'm thinking maybe I'll put the blocks away for a while. And maybe some dolls. Goodness, when did we get so many dolls? And now I have a place to put some of the books I've been reading daily for the last few months. I'll see you in July!

Do you rotate the toys in your house?

Reading through dozens of books yesterday made me realize what a fantastic collection we have. There are so many great classic and not so classic fiction kids books out there. I think my favorite are all the non-fiction books. My kids just eat them up. Figuratively. It's so fun to be able to learn about science and nature. And while books like Make Way for Ducklings and Pete's A Pizza are always exciting around here, I think books about gravity, simple machines, animals and weather are chosen more often.

Right now we are enjoying (read: reading over and over and over) the Dr. Suess Learning Library books, Robert E. Wells books and the Lets-Read-And-Find-Out Science books. Here are some of our current favorites;

    

(Sorry, if you are reading in a blog reader you'll probably have to click through to view our favorites)

There are so, so many wonderful children's non-fiction books. 

Do your kids like reading non-fiction? Any favorites?

April 28, 2010 in I recommend, My Family, Parenthood | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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December 14, 2009

Signing…

This post was first published August 5, 2008. Since we are back in the signing stage I thought I'd publish it again! 


So, if you have met me, or my kids, you know that we sign. Not fluently, mind you, but we do sign. I am a big believer in teaching your kids to sign. Not just because it comes in handy when they can sign "more" and "all done" but because it is a HUGE confidence builder and frustration deflector. I know this is somewhat controversial, but in my opinion, you should use ASL and not made up baby signs. Of course this is my opinion and I have no studies and scientific data to show you but in our experience it has been awesome. How many people who teach baby signs can say that their kids can communicate with people who are deaf? Not many. Here is our story and how we did it. 

When Naomi was about 14 months old she still wasn't saying any words. Nothing to be too alarmed about but she wasn't even doing baby talk so I started looking into how to teach her some signs to help with her frustration. I checked out a few books and videos and then stumbled upon Signing Time, The best baby sign language videos!. We watched a couple from the library and realized that Naomi was able to watch the 20 minute video through a couple times and was able to remember nearly all of the signs on the show. Most of the shows have about 30 signs in them. They were engaging and she loved watching them. This was great considering it was really her first TV watching experience. 

  St01150I did a little websurfing to find more out about Signing Times and was so impressed with how the videos came about. You can read about it at Signing Time: Our Story. The great news is that they are at the library, and on PBS in most areas. Having a DVR we went the PBS route and recorded all of them. There are now about 26 videos you can get I believe. Give or take a couple. (Updated: There are more videos now!)

By the time Naomi was 18 months old she was saying about 5 words consistently but signing nearly 300 words, and Signing ABC's and Numbers. Impressive? Yes, but I think any kid can learn to sign. You do need to learn the signs too so sit down and watch the shows with your kids.  

You don't have to start them as babies either. My niece, who is autistic, started watching the videos when she was 3 or 4 years old and caught on very quickly. I think most ages up to even late elementary school will enjoy these shows. Daphne started watching them a bit younger than Naomi but didn't catch on as fast. She was our very verbal baby and spoke nearly 300 words at 18 months but only maybe 50-100 signs. She is really getting into it now though. And it does take kids quite some time to figure out how their fingers work. I think signing really helps with fine motor skills. When Naomi was around 18 months old she had a "conversation" on the ferry with a woman who is deaf. The woman was so thrilled that this little baby could talk with her. Granted she was a baby so the conversation was more like "boat, water, bird…." When Naomi was around 2.5 we ran across a man who is deaf in Costco's parking lot and her conversation was a bit more mature, "nice to meet you, what is your name? my name is Naomi…" 

Both of our girls learned their alphabet, colors and numbers by signing. I think there really is something to learning with more of your senses other than just sight and hearing. Not that kids need to be pushed to learn their letters… We are hoping they will keep all these signs in use and in their memory vaults until they are old enough to take some classes. It could be very valuable as a second language. So, this is why I think you should stick with ASL over made up signs… I wholeheartedly recommend Signing Times as a way to teach your kids signs. Yes, it is TV so if you have a problem with that then just get over it because this show is awesome. The ONLY drawback to the show is that you'll have the songs stuck in your head, forever. 

How has your experience with signing been?

Updated: We don't have Signing Times on our PBS station here so we've invested in some of the DVDs and are really happy we have! 

December 14, 2009 in Education, I recommend, My Family, Parenthood, Unsolicited Parenting Advice | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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December 07, 2009

The little issue of Santa

Do your kids believe in Santa? Check out why we never told Naomi that Santa sneaks into our house on Christmas Eve.

2007

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2008

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(If you could see Daphne's face you'd know she was freaked out too) 

2009

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Even though she is nearly 5 she is still terrified of Santa. She really held it together. I know she tried really hard. I love the contrast of Daphne's face. Priceless. And check out Maggie!

 

December 07, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0)

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November 29, 2009

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

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Tonight we'll light the first Advent candle.

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We had a multitude of illness on Thanksgiving so nome of our guests could come. We made this turkey. He turned out well and the silver lining is that we'll still have some on Christmas!

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 Are you decorating for Christmas?

November 29, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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November 21, 2009

Stocking stuffers

So, I think I've collected the majority of the stocking stuffers I'm giving the girls. Simple things like a little wooden spoon, some wiki stix (but the generic cheap $1 ones), an ugly scarf I found for 50 cents, you know, good stuff. This isn't random stuff but "stuff" they'll actually love and use. 4CUBE_PUZZLES_1109 I've been eyeing a few cute things over at Land of Nod. These "All Mixed Up Stacking Puzzles" are SO cute! And right now Land of Nod has free shipping on all their stocking stuffers. So, if you could, be a doll and head on over there. Just be sure you click the link on the left! Or, if you've already planned out what you are getting your kids but really want a cute little play kitchen are some super fun bedding for your little one, just Create a Gift Registry for Baby at The Land of Nod

So, while we are trying to make sure our Christmas isn't focused on the receiving end of things, we are still giving our girls a few gift and a stocking. If you narrow the number of gifts down, it really forces you to think more about each purchase. I think we've decided on 4 gifts. Probably. One outfit (I'm making them), one stuffed animal (also homemade), one book and one toy. I think we can stick to this. I think. We don't have a great track record in this department, however. 

And, since my girls don't know what the word "blog" is, and they never surf the web, I think I'll divulge some of my gifts ahead of time!

The 4 "and a half" year old:

The Book: Dr. Suess Beginner books set. Like 10 books in one for about $10 from Costco. Can't beat it.

The outfit: can you say plaid?

The stuffed animal: either an elephant or maybe Molly Monkey. Can't decide. She IS super cute. And I could give her a matching plaid outfit… hmmm….

The 3 year old:

The Book: Where the Sidewalk Ends 30th Anniversary Edition: Poems and Drawings  Did you ever read this as a kid? I LOVED it. I know most of the poems are a bit above a 3 year old's head but she just loves poems and rhymes right now. In fact, she also loves to mimic- in rhyme. So, if you say "let's go" she says "mets ko". You get the picture. Constantly. It is actually humorous and if she's going to mimic I'll take the rhyming mimic any day.

Outfit: more plaid, but different.

The stuffed animal: more of the same.

The not so baby, baby:

The book: a Lift-the-Flap Board Book  I love lift the flap books. So much more interaction and fun. But, they have to be the sturdy board book variety or those flaps don't last as long as they should… at least around here.

The outfit: more plaid. Oh, she is going to be so cute!

The stuffed animal: seriously torn. Leaning toward the elephant for ease but that monkey is too cute.

The toy: We have a tradition of giving the girls a puzzle of their name. They love them so the not so baby will be getting her own this year.

Notice I left off the toy part for the older girls? I really don't know! No idea. I was thinking about this awesome calendar at One Step Ahead. The price was throwing me off. In fact, I've been eyeing it for months, and months. But that 3 year old, the one with the internal alarm clock of steel, has a really difficult time grasping the concept of "last week" and "yesterday" and lots of other related words. So, after hearing a friend of mine may be getting this my jealousy took over and now I am considering it again. And while we are on the topic of ridiculously cute and expensive wall hangings. How about this one? And this idea is amazing, but probably ridiculously easy to make yourself.

Anther idea I had was to make them some doll diapers and clothes. BUT, that sounds like more work. And let's be honest. IT IS THE END OF NOVEMBER. Sorry for the shouting, but I think I'd better get sewing!

Now, that's enough procrastinating. Tomorrow night I'll actually get some of this done. Probably.

What are you doing for gifts this year? any great ideas?

November 21, 2009 in I recommend, My Family, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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October 26, 2009

Enjoying the last drop of Fall

A week ago it was snowing. Since then we've had beautiful (warm) weather! We are trying to take every opportunity to get out and enjoy while we can. Bikes have been a hit. I love those little bikes. So easy to toss into the back of the car. They'd ride them all day if I let them. Or, if the baby would let them.

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And look! Someone took my picture! Isn't she cute in her helmet?
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What is your weather like right now in your part of the world?



October 26, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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October 22, 2009

Dimples

I can see where she gets her dimples.

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They aren't even smiling and you can see their dimples. No fair.

The girls loved having grandpa (and grandma) around recently. I especially enjoyed it. I'm missing all the clean dishes! I'm missing them too…

October 22, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

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October 21, 2009

Grandma came for a visit

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Wordless Wednesday

October 21, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBack (0)

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October 19, 2009

Taking the plunge

Well, I did it. I opened up a little shop. Now you too can get your own little monster shirt or birthday shirt for your favorite little ones. Check out the cutest shirt applique shop. Everything is pretty cheap right now while I'm getting the store off the ground so if you want something grab it up!

We've been enjoying the weather around here. It has been cold and even a bit snowy but the girls are very excited to build their first snowman. I'm hoping we don't get enough snow for at least another month. We have a great little playground about 2 blocks down the road one way and a little park with a boardwalk and marshy pond the other way. What a great place to capture leaves!

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and check out these sisters!


October 19, 2009 in My Family, My world, Sewing | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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October 14, 2009

First steps on a first birthday

She did it. She took her first steps. She was so proud of herself. I know how she feels, I'm proud of her too.

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October 14, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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October 13, 2009

The cutest question ever

Have I told you what Daphne has been asking me every morning for the past couple months?

"Mom, I love Maggie. Can we keep she?"

Seriously, every morning. I'm not sure why she thinks we might not keep her, but I'm awfully glad she wants her to stick around. I usually answer her by saying, "Of course we are going to keep her! She is my daughter, and your sister, forever."

She then giggles joyfully and says, "oh good!"

For more Tiny Talk visit Not Before 7

October 13, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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October 12, 2009

Gratituesday

Tomorrow my baby turns one. I'm sure I say this every time one of my babies turns one, but it has gone so quickly! Sure, there have been some long nights and crazy days, but it has all gone by in the blink of an eye. 

Maggie has been the most laid back baby. She has been so easy going and content just to watch what is going on around her. She always wants a hug and gives out plenty of smiles and giggles. Sure, she's had a rough time sleeping for the past three, maybe four months (or has it been 5?), but it is really just a moment in time. Who needs sleep anyway. 

As her personality begins to blossom before our eyes and her stubborn side begins to rear it's little head, I can't help but become excited to see where that stubbornness will lead her. Where it will lead us. I am thankful for every moment she expresses her opinions and for her ability to point and scream for what she wants. I thank God she is content enough to venture out on her own and still a baby enough to cry when I venture out on my own. These days are numbered, I know, so I chose to celebrate them for what they are. 

Tonight when I hear her crying out for my comfort, I'll go to her, grateful that she has a voice to call me. When she coughs her way through the night, keeping me awake, I'll thank God that I am able to comfort her. If she throws up on me again in the middle of the night I'll grumble be glad I am there for her because time goes so quickly and I don't want to take any of it for granted.

Visit the Heavenly Homemaker for more Gratituesday.

October 12, 2009 in My Family, My world, Parenthood | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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September 24, 2009

Happiness

Capturing children's happiness is rather easy when they are playing.

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Watch out below!!

Capturing your own happiness is a little harder, unless there is chocolate and bananas involved.

Don't forget to sign up for the Growth Chart Giveaway! 

For more pictures of "happiness", visit You Capture at I Should Be Folding Laundry.

September 24, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)

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September 23, 2009

Apples!

Daphne's birthday was off to a bit of a boring start so we decided to scrap nap and go apple eating picking. Fortunately it is a bit of a drive to the orchard so naps did happen. We had a blast running around, looking at animals, working our way through mazes and picking apples. The fresh doughnuts there were good too.

Honeypothill collage

Birthday girl liked her shirt too. It now has chocolate ice cream all over it so I'm off to wash it…

September 23, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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September 22, 2009

Happy Birthday little girl

IMG_1326(This is from her birthday party last Saturday. Rest assured, we did not eat cake for breakfast this morning. Though, we have enough left maybe we should have.)

Happy birthday to my not so little girl. Today is Daphne's 3rd birthday. She woke up asking when her friends were going to come over. I've told her at least 8 times that we had her party on Saturday so her friends aren't coming over today. Poor girl. I've tried to convince her to go out for dinner and ice cream tonight but she insists she wants tacos. I've asked 4 times just to make sure. I'm pretty sure when I serve her a taco she'll ask if we can go out to dinner. Isn't that how it works?

The twos were rough for Daphne. She really wants to be independent but some of her motor skills don't agree with her. She's also a sponge and can never get enough attention or snuggles. That is hard as a middle child. Even with all the tantrums and cries for snuggles Daphne's beautiful personality has shone through. She is very loving. She asks almost daily if we can keep Maggie because she loves her. She loves holding hands with Naomi and couldn't think of anyone she'd rather be with. She follows her everywhere but still, miraculously maintains her own distinct opinions. She has a sweet tooth. A BIG sweet tooth. I might have an idea where she got that. 

Our little birthday girl is a joy and a delight and I can't wait to see what the next year holds. 

I hope all your wishes come true.

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September 22, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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September 16, 2009

I know you've all been on pins and needles so I have to get this out of the way and tell you that I found it! Relief.

Sometimes the only thing that can change a screaming kicking (insane) fit is a change of scenery. Today it was Skype to the rescue.

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First, a cookie from grandpa.

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Yum, that cookie looks good. Pajamas on the head also help calm a screamer.

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Priceless. 

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Who are these weirdos on the computer? Also, me teeth hurt.

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Who me? I'd never throw a big fit! I'm so cute!

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Then some grandma and grandpa talking to each other while we listen.

Thanks for the online assistance.

In other news, have you seen this? Am I insane?

September 16, 2009 in My Family, My world, Parenthood | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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September 10, 2009

Getting settled

It has now been 2 weeks since we began moving. I'm all done unpacking and all the pictures are hung. Now let me take a moment to laugh at that statement! I am not close to being done! Well, I'm close. The problem is (read: this is my excuse) I only have time when the kids are asleep and Maggie is transitioning to 1 nap and Daphne is in that middle ground between no nap and 1 nap so mostly just cranky. Then add that Maggie is working on getting 4 teeth right now and hasn't been sleeping well for a month so I've been going to bed at 8:30! OK, that leaves no time for unpacking. I'm pretty OK with that. There are things that should probably get done but we are definitely living in a livable space. Just odds and ends that need to be taken care of. In fact, what is up with a whole box of bathroom stuff?! I haven't needed it for 2 weeks, should I even open it? Well, yes, of course I should, so I can move that stuff onto a new shelf to sit on!

All kidding aside, I'm planning to get as done as I can this weekend so I can hire a cleaner to come in here and clean! No, I'm not kidding!

I'm loving the new place. The neighborhood is great. Well, not your neighborhood with nice manicured yards and long driveways nice, but nice because we have a great little park a block away. If that isn't great enough, we have a bakery with great cookies (and coke) 2 blocks away! I cut out coke for quite a while but I'm back on it. Want to hear about the next few blocks? An Irish pub, Chinese food, Japanese food, Thai food, American food, 2 pizza places, a deli, a little corner store, a CVS, a dry cleaners. Oh, and even better? Within a mile one direction is a Trader Joes, and if I walk the other direction I can get to a different grocery store. I never need a car again! Well, maybe in winter. I'm a bit scared of the winters here. People keep telling me how terrible they are… I'm afraid!

So, we've been busy exploring and enjoying the fall weather while we can. While everyone else is starting preschool this week, my girls are eating cookies on a park bench! Nothing better.

Are you enjoying this time of year where you are?

September 10, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

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August 03, 2009

The first time she ran away

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August 03, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack (0)

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July 30, 2009

Friends for life

You can say what you want about having children close together but the bond that forms really is magical. A best friend for life.

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Because a sibling is forever…

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For more "friends" check out I Should Be Folding Laundry.

July 30, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

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July 24, 2009

What I’m loving right now

1. Sun, when we can get it! It is unseasonably rainy here in Boston right now. I've been told it isn't usually like this in July but either way I'm not impressed! We've had a few great sunny days though that we've thoroughly enjoyed.

2. P7180177_2_2 Beaches! I love playing in the surf. The girls seem to share my love of the ocean. Thankfully the ocean here is warm enough to go in to. A luxury we just didn't have in Seattle.

3. Books! I went crazy buying books last week. You can get some great deals on Amazon Marketplace and other sites on used books that look like new. We are especially enjoying the Flip Flap Body Book. The girls love this one. There are 3 chapters. The first talks about where food goes when you eat it. The second talks about the 5 senses and the third is about how babies grow. Good stuff. I also love The McElderberry Book of Aesop's Fables. There are many others as well.

4. Zucchini banana bread. Yum. I'll have to post my recipe soon. The girls and I did a taste test last week and I think we have a favorite recipe. We made four different recipes in one day and let's just say we ate our fair share. Which brings me to…

5. P7120127 Picking berries! So much fun. The girls really enjoy themselves, as do we. 

6. P7180215 Road trips! We are attempting to see as much of New England as we can. (Yes, that is a baby covered in baby food) We headed down to Mystic, Connecticut last weekend. So much fun. It took us a whole day to recover after not getting home until 11 p.m. which is unlike us. I definitely want to go back sometime and eat at Mystic Pizza, just because. We have some other short road trips planned for the summer. I am definitely eying Story Land. Anyone been?

7. A late crawling baby. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that she doesn't crawl yet! So much less housework!! Thank you Maggie!

July 24, 2009 in My Family, My world | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

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July 22, 2009

Company

With the lack of computer and the busy life I forgot to mention that we had company for 8 days. Arthur's parents stayed with us in our apartment and it was, unfortunately, rainy half the time they were here. 

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We were able to make it to a Red Sox v. Mariners game and do a bit of sight seeing. They even brought little Mariners shirts for the girls to wear to the game.

The girls just loved having company and can't wait for their next company to arrive!

July 22, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

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June 30, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

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4 generations. My daughter, my brother, my mother, and my paternal grandmother. Priceless.

For more Wordless Wednesday stop by 5 Minutes For Mom.

June 30, 2009 in My Family | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)

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