She just keeps testing out those wings.
Our Little Monkey ~ Wordless Wednesday
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Crafty Tuesday
I’m busy painting myself into a corner in the kitchen. And the paint isn’t dark enough…so back to the paint store I go.
I’ll return with craft goodness next week, I promise!
All creatures great and small…
Despite the time change and a very tired crew, we made it to the tidepools yesterday.
And it was a success. We actually lucked into a guided tidepool walk and were treated to a whole bunch of useful information on finding and naming tidepool creatures. Em is officially ready to tackle her diorama now.
I love that photo above of her cradling the hermit crab, but I had to crop in on the incredible little crab…can you see his eyes and the dash of color on his little stripey legs? So cool!
There is indeed nothing like a day at the ocean to chase all of your worries and cares away – no matter how great or small they might be.
Finally Friday.
It has been a long week.
No really. A loooooong, never-ending, why-isn’t-it-just-Saturday-already kind of week.
I guess it technically isn’t even Friday yet – still Thursday night, but after I magically post-publish this, fall into bed and get a good night o’ sleep, it will indeed finally be Friday.
I mercifully just shut my oven off. It had been on and baking away for nearly 3 hours and now we have over 7 dozen cookies (three different types) for the Pajama Party at Em’s school tomorrow night. I thought how nice it would be to bake them afterschool tomorrow so that they would be fresh and gooey for the party, but it just isn’t going to happen. For as crazy as the past four days have been – tomorrow is even worse.
Em had a lot – A. LOT. – of work to do this week. Just normal homework, a special little book club, the first part of their habitat diorama project, and her showtime are all due tomorrow. (Yes, this is first grade, folks!)
Granted, we have known about her “showtime,” since last week. And I was very worried and kept suggesting ideas for her, for they are supposed to take 5 minutes and teach the class how to do something.
“How about doing some ballet?”
“No. I don’t want to dance.”
“How about doing some magic tricks?”
“No. I don’t want to. Eric already did one.”
“How about how to draw an animal?”
“NO! Mom! I’ll think of something. Don’t worry.”
Ahem. Ok, then. Of course I did still worry, but then she decided she was going to talk about why plants are important and show the class how to pot a plant. Nice! I can help with that! We can make posters and visual aids and plant some flowers!
Now, while I am very, very good under pressure. When I have a time crunch or a lot of things on my plate, I can shine. I can pull it all out and make it look relatively easy.
Emma? Not so much. She has not yet learned the tricks of the trade, multi-tasking shortcuts and such. In fact, when she has a lot of things to do, she actually moves slower. Like snail pace. I have been Nelly the Nag all week long and it is exhausting.
But I must say she has practiced her show a few times for me, once for Addie, and even once over Skype for Daddy (traveling again – yes, over the weekend! Boo.) and she has it down. She is pretty darn good. I’m excited to see how she pulls it off tomorrow. Oh, yes…I will be videoing it.
And at the other school, we have a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on Saturday morning that I was “helping” with, but have kind of ended up co-chairing, I guess. I love Addie’s school and think it is a very worthwhile cause, but there is always something to be done. I can’t wait til Spring Break when the somethings are all done!
I am actually working on a website for our friend and realtor. So that really hasn’t left much *free* time for doing things like, oh, say…laundry? I used to have this great schedule and by Thursday all of the laundry would be done. But these days it seems to just be on a continual cycle. Literally. Our washing machine is constantly on. Or has clothes in it to be moved over. Or clothes on top of it to be put in. It is never-ending.
If we can get through the busy-ness of tomorrow (today) and get through the Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, I have promised the girls some beach time on Sunday afternoon. So we’ll more than likely see you back here on Monday. Have a great weekend!
Dipy Thursday – Week #7
Wow! We are on week 7 already? I should hardly be surprised as quickly as our days, weeks, months fly by around here lately.
But it is Team-Up Thursday time again and my turn to choose. I chose Friends. Thought I might be able to catch a few shots since we had Addie’s friend staying with us last week. I failed miserably on that front. But then I realized that I could just swing a camera around in any room in my house and be able to capture the sweetest image of friends.
And I figure most of you have been around here enough to know that I’m on the bottom and the deliciously dynamic other half of the duo, Kimberly, is on top.
Can you see the cool texture her photo has? I love that our shots are so similar and work well together – but they have just little glimpses of contrast. We both have two subjects, but she has boys, I have girls. Clearly chilly sweater-type weather and shot outdoors, but hers has definitely a darker, “boy” colored tone to it, and mine is like a rainbow exploded all over. Her guys are off in their own little world, my girls are looking directly at the camera. This is all really fascinating to me. And a very fun exercise even if I always leave it to the very last possible second. (Sorry K.!)
Check out what others are up to over at –
If you can’t beat ’em…
…might as well join ’em!
And this is how you spend your precious free time on a Sunday afternoon when you are surrounded by nothing but girls.
He did a great job, though, eh? Note there was even nail art stickers…
Crafty Tuesday
And a very happy Tuesday to you all!
Hope you all got some time last week to get your craftiness on.
I had a tiny little bit of time, and made a ruffled skirt for Addie.
And I “fixed” one of Addie’s stained shirts, too. I did it after she went to bed, so she was pretty excited when she came down.
The ruffles are still a little bit off, lengthwise, but it sure is fun to guinea-pig on the girls.
And over the weekend we trekked to the flea market where I hit the mother lode at my linen lady’s booth. Look at all the lovely pillowcases I ran off with…
I will have dresses in the etsy shop soon! (I hope.)
AND, then…I also got some great vintage aprons from the same lady. She gave me a great deal on them…
And I have a great idea for them. We’ll see if it works out. Look at the sweet detail on the aprons…
Just imagine cute sundress-y sort of goodness from these. I’ll keep you posted.
How about it, my crafty friends? Have anything good to show today?
Kindergarten Bound.
Our little birdy is ready for kindergarten.
Not that we needed a preschool conference to tell us this, but they did indeed verify that we have another little miss smartypants on our hands. And…she is most definitely ready for kinder in the fall.
Her teachers also said she is a “pure joy to have in class” and they have apparently never experienced a classic Addie complete meltdown.
Uh huh.
At any rate, Addie was most excited to tell any, and every one on Friday, “Miss Jayne said I can go to kindergarten now!” Guess who was most excited for her? Yep, Emmy Gracie.
Yesterday I snuck in and grabbed this photo while big sister was coaching her baby sis. Em was helping Addie with her k-garten workbook. Reading the directions to her. Applauding her when she figured out the right answer.
This was my most favorite moment of the weekend. I also decided in that moment I experienced one of the “top five” feelings a mom can experience. Pure pride at having not one, but two, fantastic, smart and caring girls.
Fashionista…make that two.
Uh…maybe she has been watching too much Project Runway with me?
I mean look at that pose! She was totally workin’ her new outfit yesterday.
And then Miss Ad had to get in on the action.
Yes, of course she wore the tiara to school. Why wouldn’t she?
Crafty Tuesday
I’m intent on cleaning up my fabric stash around here. The girls are enamored with skirts, and it is hard to find really cute ones. And when I do find cute ones my first inclination is to turn over the price tag and scoff. “Pshaw! These are so easy to make!”
Er, right. But actually finding the time to make all those lovely skirts is another thing. But, like I said…I have the fabric – so we are on a mission for some skirts!
Em has been eyeing this purple/pink flower material in my bin for awhile. So I finally got it put together and sewed the elastic in it last night so she could wear it to school.
(She totally had a different skirt on with this t-shirt and these boots yesterday and slid this skirt on over her leggings so I could snap a pic…I’m working on a coordinating shirt for her new skirt, so don’t worry! Although the boots have been a constant in the wardrobe lately…they may stick with the skirt.)
I used this twirly skirt tutorial but didn’t have quite enough material. So it isn’t quite twirly. Unfortunately I told Em it was a twirly skirt and the minute she put it on she twirled and she was a wee bit disappointed in the “twirl-ability” of the skirt. I promised her that the next one would be a little fuller.
Now, I need to get back to the school newsletter and some other little artsy things that I have to do this week so that I can get back to our twirly skirts. For there is another little someone waiting (not-so) patiently for her skirt to be done, too.
***Edited To Add****
Ok, I got to thinking and was a little concerned with what Em would want to pair up with this skirt tomorrow and I had a white long-sleeved t-shirt that had a spot on the front so I decided add a little flower to it to go with her skirt.
It would have been better if it was a purple or pink shirt, or if I had appliqued it in purple or pink…but we are talking 10:30pm project here. You get what you get.