What’s new? December 6th addition

What’s new?  Here are a few peeks at what we’ve been up to this past week:


On my sewing machine:

I’m almost finished with this quilt top.  I was drawn to the modern colors and design, so with Momma’s help, I have almost pulled it together.  The picture above is actually just the blocks laid out on my bed.  It really is a big pile of Christmas tree blocks and courtyard squares that looks like this:



With the kids:
‘Tis the time for Christmas musicals!  C was an angel in the angelic hosts while his big sister donned a beard as Isaiah.  The kids were incredible under Mrs. Vee and Adrianne’s direction.


In the kitchen:

Christmas cookies! 


In the garden:
Our December harvest.  What?  You don’t have watermelons in your garden in December.  Well…
Actually, this was the last of the summer garden.  The frosts took care of the pumpkin and watermelon vines, so we’ve pulled those.  We are left with tomatoes (that are probably done), lettuces, cabbages, and broccoli.

7 random facts about right now

1.

I.Heart.Pinterest. 

I’m happily ‘pinning’ all kinds of fun things.

Like this print…

that I decided to purchase for my bathroom.

2.

I’ve discovered the joys of cleaning with baking soda. 

It’s amazing.

Scrubs the tub even better than that smelly stuff in a green tube.

Takes random spray paint off a mirror that may or may not have been taped well.

Cleans the front of the fridge to a shiny white.

3.

I’ve started using CleanMomma’s Printables.

I’m hoping her checklists, forms and lists will help me get my act together. 

This is my household notebook (and blogging and etsy and kids’ school info…)

4.

Ashley and I’ve teamed up to do lots of freezer cooking. 

We are loving this book.

Basically, she makes two dishes and I make two dishes and we share!

5.

Canning. 

Why do things need to be preserved when it’s 212 99 degrees outside? 

I’ve put up tomatoes, pickles and grape jelly.

6.

I’m stalking her website.

Yep.  After 2 widely successful Lisette patterns, Lisel is my new hero!

I can’t wait until she tells us about her new fabrics and fall patterns.
(edited 1:20pm, July 13:  She just blogged about new fabrics.  They are awesome!)

7.

Christmas is 166 days away.

Seriously.

Adriane and I are going to try to tackle it in pieces this year with the help of Organized Christmas,

We’re doing Holiday Grand Plan that starts in August.  We’ll see how it goes.

That’s it.  That’s 7.

I’ll tell you about my garden next time.

Red, White and Blue Cookies

Two tubes of glitter icing leads to oodles of creativity.

We had a wet afternoon to fill, so I baked sugar cookies and let my 2 and a friend have at them with the icing.

Don’t these look yummy!

I use Paula Deen’s Sugar Cookie recipe.

 

Some sappy thoughts about the 3rd grade

My Big Girl is finishing the third grade. 

I remember the 3rd grade.  The math tells me it was 26 or 27 years ago, but since I’m only 29, that' can’t be right.  That was back in the Zwolle season of my life (as opposed to my LSMSA season or my college season or my wife & mother season). 

I remember being in the old school building, at the base of the stairs in Mrs. Hall’s class.  I remember Angela and Terri and Robyn and Debra and Carla and Shelly and Jana.  (I really wish I could find a picture to share.)  I remember vinyl records singing out multiplication facts and individual old-school desks lined up in rows.  I remember the chicken pox.  Those little red bumps just moved their way systematically down our row.  My biggest concern was which doll I played with and I had no idea that other people wouldn’t always like me.

I wonder what my daughter will remember about the 3rd grade.  Will she remember her devestation when she got moved to a desk between the boys?  Will she remember the games of tag, all the books she read, and those pesky timed tests?  Will she remember the hours at the pool or at the piano?  Will she remember the learning carnival or her first pedicure?  Will she remember seeing her little brother at school everyday?

It’s funny what we forget 25+ years later, but I know this—friendships find a way to always stay in our minds.  I know that no matter what, she will always have a fond memory of Faith and Eden and Jaycee and Abby and Emily.

Third grade was a big year—straight As, state piano competition, school choir, top reader, swim team.  Wow!

Almost Done

The kids are counting down the hours...

Come on Summer!

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Artbreak 2011

Each year, our regional arts council hosts Artbreak.  It’s great fun. 

The Big Girl had a piece included in first grade and in second grade. 

This year, her brother did too!  They were so excited to show off their pieces!

We had an additional treat at Artbreak this year.  The EGM choir performed on Saturday morning at Artbreak. 

We had a few minutes before the performance began, so the music teacher asked Addie to play her pieces she was working on for piano rally.  (A totally separate event that she went onto that afternoon.  She also came in 3rd and is competing at state, but that’s another post!)

Here is a clip from their performances: 

Wow! We’ve been busy

Top Row:

Hanging Out at the Swim Team Banquet

My BG showing off her work at Artbreak

Seersucker JonJons!  (We think I outfitted about 100 kids for Easter!)

Field Day

Second Row:

Piano Rally

My LM showing off his work at Artbreak

Our Easter picture

Third Row: 

Our Garden

Kindergarten Round-Up

Fourth Row:

Artbreak Choir Performance

Ryder and the LM at Easter at Nita’s!  (Yes, they are nuts!)

Growing Up and Looking Back

Today-Third Grade

2007-Kindergarten

(If you follow my blog for the sewing, today’s vest is Simplicity 2443. I’ll get the review up in the next few days.)

It's almost time...

The backpack is packed and ready to go.

In less than 12 hours, my Big Girl will be a 3rd grader.

Wow!

The Little Man has a reprieve until next Tuesday.

July in a nutshell

Hi there.

Yep, it has been a while.

We been enjoying the summer with a little swimming, a little gardening, a little reading, a little canning, and a whole lot of sewing.

There have been:

26 hours of sewing classes

44 hours of instruction if you count the time each student was here

6 pillowcases

3 little girls’ skirts

1 pair of sleep shorts

3 aprons (2 that I made)

1 messenger bag

3 shopping bags

1 Estelle bag

4 Wonder Wallets

1 little girl’s purse

87% of Lila Tueller’s Bohemian Bag (Note: Wow. Not a quick project. There’s some piecing and some quilting and some raveling and some lining and some binding…Mine still lacks the straps.)

Wow. That’s a lot of numbers. Here are a few pictures to go along with those numbers.

Anyway, we have about 2 1/2 weeks left until school starts with a trip and lots more sewing planned. I’ve got another girls’ class in a week and, all of the sudden, the orders for LSU and Saints fans have picked way up. Must be 35 days until kick-off for the Tigers and 41 days until the Saints start the NFL season, but really, who’s counting!

The CSI Project's Paint Challenge

I've decided to participate in this challenge.

This week's theme was paint.

I don't often use paints, so I only had two projects to choose between:

our family art and the Star Wars shirt.

I've opted to enter the Star Wars shirt that the Little Man and I made a few months ago.

Here's the original "How He Did It Video":

Braggin’ Time

We’re counting down the days ‘til Summer Break (only 7!!!!!) but until then, I thought I brag on the kids just a little bit:

I don’t have any pictures, but the Big Girl competed in her first Louisiana Music Teachers Association Piano Rally (Northwest Louisiana Region) and WON her division. In case you were never forced never had the opportunity to participate, she played 3 pieces by memory, sight read 2 pieces, played scales, arpeggios and triads in 3 keys and took a written test. So, this was a really, really super-big deal!!! I’m so proud of her. She’s only been studying piano since July last year and she has a wonderful teacher.

The Little Man tested for Kindergarten at a local magnet school and BLEW THE TEST OUT OF THE WATER!!! Of course, we already knew he’d do fine, but waiting for those stinkin’ letters to come out was the pits. He’s excited about kindergarten—I think—but I can’t imagine what I’ll do without him at home next year!

BG had another art piece displayed at ART BREAK this year. Her art teacher said she always has a great stack of work and it’s hard for her to decide on one entry.

LM is still working hard at his karate class. He is one of about 8 little boys just starting out. They are so much fun to watch (when they listen, which is most of the time.) He promoted to the next level in his little kid class in April and in two weeks, he’ll test again for promotion.

Little Boys

Easter Ruffles

The Big Girl wanted Ruffles.

She got Ruffles.

The Big Girl wanted Aqua and Lime.

She got Aqua and Lime.

The Big Girl wanted Flowers.

She got Flowers.

The Big Girl loved her Easter Dress.

With Aunt Sarah.

The Great Outdoors, by Salinda

We ventured out in our new camper this weekend.

We picnicked,

we played,

we roasted marshmallows,

and we camped out!

Just so you know how hard we had it,

this is a picture of the camper from my end of one queen-size bed.

Yep.

We roughed it—in about 30 feet of camper!

Please be sure to find the kids' posts too! I posted their pictures and they dictated their posts. Too funny!

The Great Outdoors, by the Big Girl

We went camping this weekend.

We took hikes. This trail led to the bath house!

We had to hang our laundry to dry,

and made new friends.

Scroll around and read Mom’s post and my brother’s too!

The Great Outdoors, by the Little Man

We went camping.

We played games.

We met Popo and we fished and rode in a boat.

When Dad and I finished our baths, I decided to take a picture. I found my camera on the floor and I took a picture of Dad. But, it didn’t turn out pretty. So, Dad took a picture of me and then I got a good picture of Dad. Mom wouldn’t let me show the picture when she was sleeping in the bed. In the picture it showed her pretty nose. That’s all the pictures I took.

Check out my Mom’s and my sister’s posts too!

(Disclaimer by Mom: I only typed and fixed his grammar in a few places. Otherwise, this is exactly as dictated to me! You can’t make this stuff up, Folks!)

Spring Break Sewing

It’s spring break.  Never mind that’s it’s not really spring yet.  The kids are out of school this week. 

To occupy a few of them, I offered a sewing class for a few 1st and 2nd graders. 

The girls had a blast. 

We learned about the parts of a sewing machine,

  we learned to press our projects,

we covered buttons to make ponytail holders,

we made pillowcases,

we learned to make casings and hems,

we learned (or tried real hard to learn) how to sew on a button,

and we made skirts.

  

The girls did a great job!