Preschool...and the Resulting Sewing Project

Cozy has begun attending preschool this year. It's at the local High School (as a part of their child development class), so she gets to learn valuable lessons like sharing, taking turns, and that she isn't the center of the universe (just our universe); while, at the same time, she is teaching valuable lessons on childcare to local teens. Cozy loves teenagers (mainly because they tell her how cute she is all of the time).

She also thinks it's funny that her oldest brother Anthony's school is also her school.

"Mom, time for preschool!"

Cozy also noticed that some of the kids in her class have backpacks and asked if we could get one too. Sure....but I'm making it.

Stacy, of Hart and Sew, posted a tutorial for the cute, cute backpack she made her daughter for preschool...and then I knew I couldn't just go to the store and let Cozy talk me into the ugliest pink and purple backpack in the world. I dug some fabric out of my stash. I only had to buy some d-rings, magnetic clasps, and the webbing for the straps. I think it came to about $8-$10 at Joann's. 

I altered the pattern ever-so-slightly, making 3" gussets instead of the 1 1/2" ones in the pattern. Don't know that I can recommend that. Oops. Well, I still like it, even if the top flap is now not quite proportional.

We were going to take some adorable pose-y pictures for you, but it's raining ever so slightly.

...and since all school has been cancelled, we're just sitting around in our jammies, with unbrushed hair.

That's the pictures you get. Deal. 

 Magnetic snappies.

Zippered pocket. Thank you, Sew Mama Sew, for your ever-useful pocket advice. I use that tutorial all of the time (so that I don't have to store useful information in my brain! It can't handle it.)

Now, off to work on Halloween costumes! I hope that isn't cancelled too!

Halloween!

Assuming we still have electricity, I'll let you see my finished mystery project tomorrow....depending on how bad Frankenstorm is. (They've already cancelled school for Monday and Tuesday- party at our house!)

So, Halloween....I haven't been super into it this year. Maybe it's because I can't find my cute "Trick or Treat" sign for the front door or my candy corn lights....or that I'm just not uber-excited about any of my kids' costumes....or that I just want to get Halloween over with, so we can move on to CHRISTMAS! 

Anyhow, as I was shopping with my 9-year-old, searching in vain for peppermint, white-chocolate, star-shaped pretzels, I muttered something about just skipping Halloween and Thanksgiving this year. 

He paused...and then burst into tears.

After that, I felt I had to make it him with some fun Halloween decorations (which he was lamenting the lack of in our home.)

The first thing to go up was the giant spiderweb on the banister.

The kids had fun filling it with kooky spiders. (I'm against anything that resembles real spiders.)

Dug this old decoration out of the basement (when I was looking for my lights).

We arranged some of my fake wax candles with our little finger puppets.

And, from the dollar section, a cutie banner.

Ta-da! Jonny was placated....and I think it help me warm up to Halloween too.

Sewin Sumpthin

Leaf Me Alone

From the pictures, one might assume this is Cozy's "I am not amused" look.

In fact, she was just dedicated to staying in character. 

James was making her into a "tall nut" from Plants Vs. Zombies, and Cozy says, "They have mad faces."

Ah, Autumn!

Ikea

Someone, who will remain nameless, "reminded" me that I've been slacking on the blog. This week will be different (...maybe). I'll finish all of my half-written posts...or at least a few. 

...starting with the one everyone is most anxious to hear about wink, wink....what I bought at Ikea. :)

The whole reason I trekked out there one dark and rainy night (you know, the very best sort of freeway driving weather), was to get this fluffy-looking pillow...

...that matched my lampshade. (Yes, I finally ditched my unsuccessfully made-over one this summer.)

The pillow looked comfy, it matched my little sewing machine picture, and I was afraid that they were going to stop selling it before I got around to buying it.

The other reason I went to Ikea...I knew they already had Christmas stuff out. So ready for Christmas! I am just faking my way through Halloween and Thanksgiving, waiting for the good stuff. (Christmas food, Christmas decorations, Christmas carols.)

Honestly, I found way more stuff in the holiday section than I could justify. I had to take a deep breath and rein it it. I did walk away with this coral, polka-dot tray...

...and a giant cardboard Christmas tree for the kids to decorate (conveniently wrapped in plastic, so it can live in the basement until tis the season.)

I also picked up a light cord/outlet thingy....

 ...for our plant-growing thingy. (Tony had the week off, so he made this for me - with the kids! Yay for botany projects! We're growing plants in the basement!)

So, between all of that stuff and the Swedish meatballs I brought home, my official spending $ was gone in one day.  Lucky for me, Tony lets me embezzle from whatever other category I want to. I know, it's like Budgeting Gone Wild at our house.

Hawaii Plans

We've been making plans to join Tony in Hawaii when he's there next summer, and it made me all nostalgic for the last time we were there as a family. Yep, that's us all young with four little kids. (If you can't see Jonny, it's because he's hiding...in my uterus.) I just hung this picture up in my kitchen. 

....and we've been playing Hawaiian Go Fish....to hone our fish-spotting skill for snorkeling.  (Tony picked it up on one of his no-kids trips.) James and Cozy love it....almost as much as "The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel".

My lil' Staches

I had to go to Target for food supplies of some kind. It was a compromise, because I really needed to go to Costco or the commissary and buy a cart-full of milk and other such necessities. I just couldn't. Pounding headache and the knowledge that I had to bring 3 little people...I just couldn't face anything so taxing.

Target. Fairly abandoned on weekday mornings - I thought I could endure.

My kids may have noticed that I'd say yes to anything, as long as they were quiet. We left with a pack of mustaches and glow-in-the-dark, sticky eyeballs. Totally worth it.

It was the funniest day ever. It just cracked me up every time I'd turn around and see little Cozy, with her crazy mustache! 

Best $2 I ever spent.