Storytime

Camera still not here...so I guess I have to write about something less visual than sewing.

Lately, we've been listening to a lot of books on tape/CD in the car. It's nice to have a captive audience. That way, even if they think they won't like a book...they have no option but to give it a chance. (Besides, the kids hate it when I do "the voices"...but love it when narrators do...so unfair. Our favorite: when Cameron Bierly, who reads the Little Britches books, does any girl voice! Hilarious.)

Case in point: one of Sofi's friends gave Where the Red Fern Grows a terrible review. Gruesome. Everyone dies. Don't bother, you'd hate it. Though I had never read it, I was sure that generations of children wouldn't be forced to read it in elementary school if that was an accurate summary. It wasn't.

Everyone loved it. The southern twang it was read in. The adventure. Even the tragedy.

Annika recently suggested Peter Pan. I gave her a pretty, used copy for her birthday last year - she was sure Jon would like it too. My favorite part: when Barrie refers to children as "heartless little brats" for not considering the feelings of their parents. He managed to do it in very good humor. ....and that they kept time "by the crocodile" (listening for the chimes from the clock he'd swallowed).

Now we're reading Harry Potter - an old comfort foodish favorite.

Other Randomness: Looking forward to the Flower and Garden Show next month. Pictures from previous shows....my future backyard.

A Blue One

My new camera is in the mail.

We ended up not ordering a super-shock-absorbing model, but Tony did do lots and lots of research (after my last irritatingly unsatisfactory camera...that he suspects I intentionally broke). I was saying, "Please, can we stop watching reviews on cnet! It's so boring.)

My requirements:
-faster
-can take pictures without bright daylight
-fits in my pocket
...I would have preferred yellow or orange, but settled for blue.

The only bad thing is - I'm supposed to pick it up from Walmart....you know....the one that just had a shoot-out in the parking lot. Yea, in tiny Port Orchard. It isn't even a Super Walmart! They don't even lock up the baby formula there(like they did in SC)!

I guess I was going to have to brave it sooner or later...but the kids are staying home.

Once the camera is safely retrieved...new cute stuff!

The News

What's new at our house?

Well, the kids broke my camera...by dropping it. (SO glad it happened to be them dropping it that time!) I never did like that camera. It took horrible pictures...but I did like having a camera. It will be missed. ...and hopefully replaced.

Also, things are kind of sorting themselves out with medical school. Such a process! Eleven applications resulted in seven interviews (four down, three to go!) We're on one wait list and have one acceptance. I'm sure we won't have any idea where we're going until May....and then we'll move in July. I'm sure that isn't as big of a deal if you're a more traditional student (twenty-something and single - or married without kids and house), but, for us, it's going to be C-R-A-Z-Y.

Still, one of the most important parts of this plan (to me) has come together. Tony was accepted into one of the Navy scholarship programs. Meaning:
1. We will have an income (I'm ok with a pay cut...just not all of it!)
2. We will have military benefits...like health and dental. Yeah!
3. Tony gets to stay in the Navy! (You kinda hate to give up that retirement with 14 years in.) Besides, I think he looks pretty hot in his uniform.
4. Only downside: We'll have to use that GI Bill instead of giving it to the kids. (They'll have to earn their own...or use the money we've already saved! :) BYU,kids! It's cheap! And awesome! I've been brainwashing them in this direction for years, so....hope that pays off.)
All-in-all, a dang good deal.

Since I'm camera-less, instead of leaving you with a shot of the wonderful new chicken shirt I got at Goodwill, you get a "six years ago this month" segment.


I got my first nose job/biopsy!


Jonny was a little 1-year-old, trying to wake up his Dad.


My big girls were playing dress-up. Red-handed Annika had to resort to piracy.


...and Sofi to...princessy?

Have a nice day!

My New Do

My first haircut since I shaved it...the second time.




So far, the reactions range from:


Hairdresser: "You could totally rock a mullet!"
I think she meant this sort of mullet, so I wasn't offended. Still, I'm not sure I could get past the label.

to

Tony: "It looks exactly the same as it did before. Did she cut anything?" I guess he's used to my more drastic haircuts and was bracing himself for a shock. :)

to

Sof: "I think you would look younger if you grew it long."
Really? I think I'd look younger if I lost weight and got more sleep. And yet neither seems to be happening?

I should explain to her that right now - today - I'm as young as I'll ever be. :) Enjoy it.

What I've been up to

I really have had a lot going on and plenty to write about, but I just haven't been able to make myself do it until now. You know, when you put something off...the longer you put it off...the more behind you get...the less likely you are to ever do it! Well, I thought I'd better jump back in before it was too late.

What I've been up to:
Sewing more aprons. I'm trying to make the little kids have something less destructive to play. Cleaning was an obvious choice. Cozy already has the "clean up" song stuck permanently in her brain, so I thought, "It would be nice if she were actually cleaning as she sang that."

In her mind, she probably is. "Cleaning" all of the dishes out of the reachable cupboards. "Cleaning" the cushions off of the couch. Washing her toy dishes in my bathtub.

So, I've bought a small broom and dust pan, a duster, and a row of hooks for the pantry. Now I'm just waiting for Tony to hang them up. Hmmm. This may require bribery.

Of course, this new game mandated a second apron, since I have two little destructo-kids that need to be enticed into goodness.


...besides, I owe some sewing love to a friend of mine...thought I might as well make two of them.


In retrospect, that fabric would have been perfect for curtains in my kitchen.

Darn.

Other, bigger thing I've been up to:
After the Christmas break, I enrolled Sofia and Anthony in public school. Because before the Christmas break, I was so not making it. Super frustrated. Crying every day. It was not pretty, and I decided something had to give. I may not continue to send them after we move, but for now it has made things so much better....for me.

It was a really bizarre experience. Here are my impressions.
1. I feel like I should be getting billed for it. (Even though I know I aleady have been...for years.)

2. I hoped it would be more academically challenging for my eldest. I don't think it is. Unless he's bluffing, he has yet to have ANY homework, other than posting comments online. I'll stop there, because I do not wish to trash.

3. Now that the older kids aren't monopolizing all of my time (though I love the dears!), those of us at home are getting tons done...lots of it fun - all of it educational! :)

Today, Jon said, "When I grow up, I'm going to do Zoology with my kids. They are gonna love it!" Warms the cockles of my heart.

We even have time for crafts. Woohoo!
Today we made heart snowflakes...just weeks til V-Day, folks!


I found instructions in the Family Fun mag. Jon was uber-impressed that I could make trees too.


Some glitter glue and Voila! (Or Wah-la!, as I prefer to say.)


We were cutting our little hearts out! (Get it?)

Well, I don't want to make this the eternal make-up post, so I'll dish ya some more up tomorrow. Mwuh! (That was a smooch goodbye. In case you were wondering.)

The deerest quilt ever is still in pieces, waiting for me to start sewing on it again. I'm making in for my dear little Annika, one of the sweetest girls I know. ...and it's just that sweet nature that has helped delay her quilt being finished.

She just had to have a gift for each member of our family, and, when you're only nine...and your family is large, your resources get depleted pretty quickly. I was impressed that she had obtain 6 gifts before she went broke. She came to me, hoping for "money jobs", but I offered to help her make some gifts instead. I have a pretty good stash a fabric - already paid for!


Cozy was first on the list. Since she loves to carry around tiny spoons and eat imaginary food off of them, we decided she would like a pocket to put them in.


We found a little apron pattern on Sew Liberated. Annika picked out the fabric, and we each sewed about 1/2 of the seams. I gave her all of the annoying jobs - like turning casings right-side out. :) It's amazing how much her sewing has improved. Straight lines!


...and since it was lined, I thought it might as well be reversible.


I love the velcro closure - something even little hands can do on their own.


We found some long-lost train fabric to make something for Booboo. Originally, he was going to get an apron too....but we were tired. So, we whipped out a pillowcase.


Tony put him in it after he opened it on Christmas morning....


...so that's all he'll use it for now! A Booboo-case.

What I DID crank out

Once again, I had big plans to make gifts for Christmas.

I'll let you in on how that went. When I went to find my little boy pj pattern today, I found it in a gallon bag with all of the shirt pieces I had cut out last year. I think I'd better go ahead and sew them up - seems wasteful not too, since the pants (that I did finish) still fit them.

It's a good thing I bought my flannel for $1.29/yd on Black Friday. :) ...and I'm making kids (Jon will be old enough this year, so it's no longer girls.) go to sewing camp again this summer (hopefully with some cousins!) The "sewing ladies" always start them off with pillowcases and jammie pants, so it doesn't hurt to have extra flannel lying around.

What I did finish:
Two "mug rugs".


When I explained to Sofi what I was making - basically a coaster big enough for your cup and some cookies, she said, "You mean...like a plate?"...and looked at me as if it was the stupidest idea ever. (It's not. I've had stupider.) "Yes. Like a plate - but cuter."

...and a quilt for my Mom.


I only managed to finish that because it's been half-done for months now. I just had to bind it.

My Mom-In-Law got its fraternal twin when we had Becky's auction, so I thought it would be nice for my mom to have matchy one. They'll just be the mom quilts.


...and my sweet Annika - peeking out.