This & That Thursday

It’s starting to feel like summer! So, what have we been up to this week? Hmmm…

DSC_0084.jpg

Well, we have been quite the ladies of leisure, let me tell you. But I have been waiting for a few days like this. I’ve been waiting all summer long, really. We needed a couple of no appointments, carefree days. (Although I did feel a slight twinge of guilt when I realized I was still in my pjs at almost noon yesterday.)

DSC_0057.jpg

We started the week out in the front yard, reading and just hanging out.

DSC_0073.jpg

And we had some visitors. (Who were also bearers of the glitter glamour presents featured in almost all the photos this week. We love it – thank you!)

DSC_0123.jpg

We made it to the beach again and the girls practiced getting swept away by the waves.

DSC_0025.jpg

We made the trek to Daddy’s office for a much needed and anticipated lunch date with him, and also a date with the fountains. And we managed to fit in three trips to two different pools and hung out with some fun friends that we always love to see.

DSC_0009.jpg

And really…we just shared the love.

DSC_0055.jpg

Oh, and just a little more…

DSC_0066.jpg

It has been a fantastic week. And it is only halfway over. On today’s docket, we have more park fun, lunch with friends, a doctor’s appointment, pilates class….and…um, probably ought to start thinking about packing. Yeah. We had better move that up on the list, since we leave in two days.

I may be up all night doing laundry – but it has been so worth it. And even more worth it when Addie announced last night, “Mom, I think it is time for bed. I’m ex-hausted!”

Summertime? Bring it.

Crafty Tuesday

More, More, MORE sewing! I’ve made two more gifts (remember my “I’ll make two gifts, and then I get to make something for me or the house” rule?) which means I get to make something else for me this week! Woot!

First up, I have one of the gifts I finished this week. I actually have photos of the other gift, but since HER birthday isn’t until tomorrow (Hey! Will you pop over and wish her a happy day for me if you get a chance?) and I know for a fact she reads this blog, I’ll have to postpone the unveiling of her gift until next week.

Anyhow, the first gift is for my niece, Lexer (Alexis) whose birthday is next month. But being sneaky and semi-smart, I decided if I could get her gift squared away, I could actually deliver it in person when I see her…this weekend! (Yeah!!!)

So these are the wide-leg lounge pants from my Amy Butler book. I love them…they look so breezy and comfy, I can’t wait to make a pair for myself.

DSC_0012.jpg

I like the contrasting cuffs. And then I used some of the leftover material and made a little t-shirt for her, too.

DSC_0015.jpg

It makes a cute little set.

I also finished up two dresses that have been languishing around in my sewing basket, kinda all summer. This one for Addie…

DSC_0043.jpg

It is super long, but when I had her try it on to measure for the shoulders and ribbons, she pleaded with me “Please can it be a long dress, Mama? Like a princess?” So, although it should be hemmed up a bit, maybe it will work for next summer, too.

And here is the one for Emma…

DSC_0059.jpg

She also had very strong opinions about the construction of the dress. “I want the straps to criss-cross in the back, Mama.”

DSC_0060.jpg

Little diva fashionistas!

How about you all? Any goodies to share today?

Mmmm…A Veritable Veggie Cornucopia.

Look what we picked up yesterday…

DSC_0056.jpg

Needless to say, it caused great excitement around the house. In an effort to branch out and try some new foods, while supporting our local farmers and also getting some organic veggies, we ordered a CSA box to try this week. I was pretty psyched to see what they sent us and I think J. actually said at one point, “this is like Christmas in a box for you isn’t it?”

Just look at the amazing vegetables that came in our box, though!

DSC_0059_2.jpg

The girls and I made the new red potatoes on the grill tonight (very good), and also grilled some zucchini and summer squash. (I liked it, the girls – not as impressed.)

And we used the rest of the zucchini and nice squash (that is really what it is called!) for some bread and muffins. I think my baking powder may be old (we haven’t been baking as much around here), so the muffins look a little flat, and not all that pretty. But the girls both ate 2 and asked for more for their snack tonight – so they must taste okay. I’m sure it helps that we used this recipe – it calls for chocolate chips IN the recipe, I didn’t add them. Although I’m sure I would have, if it didn’t call for them. Chocolate makes everything better, don’t you know?

DSC_0063.jpg

Now we are looking for some new recipes and ways to use the other stuff. I’m assuming I’ll be eating all of the tomatoes, since nobody else around here likes them.

We are a little perplexed on one of the vegetables, however.

DSC_0057.jpg

Anybody have any idea what this is? It is some type of squash, I’m sure. But what do I do with it?

DSC_0061.jpg

My First Baby ~ Best Shot Monday

I realize that Chaos has been kinda “Addie-heavy” around here lately. This became pretty apparent as I was flipping through photos and I had about 20 “keepers” of Ad, but far fewer of Em. And lately our Flickr photos is just one long stream of Addison sprinkled with an Emma or two here and there. So I’ve been sitting here trying to figure out this trend, I mean Emma is here. She is around.

And all I can come up with is…she just doesn’t seem to need me so much. She’s testing out her wings which just doesn’t involve Mommy.

“Can I just read these books on my own?” she’ll ask as I’m turning out her lights.
“Can I go play pbskids on the computer? – No it is okay, I can do it myself, Mama!”
“Nah, I don’t really want to go for a bike ride, I’ll just stay here with Daddy.”
“Can I go play with Audrey. No without you. You can drop me off?”

When I asked her if she wanted to go to the beach tomorrow, she said “Yeah! Who is going with us?”
(
Because she can’t go to the beach with just her Mom?)

She just seems so old. Mature. Thirteen already!
And as she is off doing all the big, independent six-year old things – without me – I guess I must have just turned the camera and attention to Addie instead.

But while we were walking through a store last night, I felt Em’s soft, little hand reach up for mine. We wandered around, her hand in mine, as she pointed out all kinds of things that she thinks we need at home. I looked down to my favorite sweet spot on the top of her head, and there, under a bunch of blue hair glitter, I found my little girl. Looking up expectantly at me, willing me to just listen to her. In that moment I realized she may be careening towards becoming a big girl, but she will always be my first baby. She will always need me patiently waiting for her, for when she gets tired of flying out on her own.

graciegirl.jpg

bsm

Thursday This & That

Wow. It is already Thursday.

We are finally getting into the swing of summer, just in time for it to get all shaken up again next week.

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating – SWIMMING ROCKS! And it also makes the girls sleep like little rocks.

Case in point: Yesterday morning I got up to a quiet house. So J. and I tag-teamed, he went for a bike ride, came back, I went out for a run. After I came back, we had breakfast, J. showered, and then left for work.

I went up and checked on Addie…

DSC_0015.jpg

…she was still out. So I did two loads of laundry, called the insurance company, then called and made two doctor appointments.

Still, no Addie. Em was up and lounging around, but not a peep from our sleeping beauty.

So I checked email, read a few blogs, cleaned up the kitchen and started the dishwasher. Then I decided I couldn’t stall any longer. It was time for a shower since Em had to be to swim lessons in a half hour, and I started upstairs. I peeked in on Addie and she was lying in bed – awake – but just stretching and leisurely chatting with her stuffed animals.

M: Good morning, Monkey! I thought you were going to sleep the day away.
A: I’m just waking up in my time, Mama.
M: Oh, in your time. I see. (As I laid down beside her in bed.)
A: (Eyeing me warily) Are we gonna go to run?
M: Nope. I already went this morning.
A: Oh. So you are getting sweating all over? All on my bed?

Sweet sassy molassy.

I have also been kicked out of my little nook. Emma and I fight for “nook time.” My sewing projects are calling to me, but PBSkids.org is Emma’s siren call. Thankfully, Daddy got her hooked up on the little laptop so I can get my office back. Now I just need to institute some timer guidelines, otherwise she’d play all day on the computer.

DSC_0001.jpg

And Addie has found the computer intriguing as well.

DSC_0004.jpg

So we have been trying – rather I have been trying – to get everyone a little more active. It is hard when it is really hot, so the swimming and the pool have been really useful in that respect. But when it cools off at night, Em has been riding her bike, while Ad and I run alongside of her. It seems to be working for everyone and probably contributes to the vastly improved sleeping habits around here, too. Plus we joined the YMCA as a family. They have open swim at their pool (good!), kids’ fitness classes (very good!) and even better classes for Mommys like the torturous Pilates classes that completely kicks my butt (very, very good!).

Although it is not advisable to try to go for a run, catch kids for 2 hours in the deep end of the pool while treading water, and then take a Pilates class. All in one day. It is a bit much, that is all I’m saying.

And as a reward for all of our good fitness decisions lately? J. found a great dessert place that has…I think…(dare I say it?) replaced the Cold Stone Creamery in our house.

I know, I KNOW! You would think that it simply cannot be done. And get this…it is not even another ice cream place, it is a frozen yogurt shop! And I don’t typically even like frozen yogurt! But, mmm…I love this place. It is so incredibly good.

And even better, (can it really get better?) tonight we all got our own little dish, I think everyone had at least two types of yogurt or more, and we each had at least two or more toppings (picture a do-it-yourself sundae bar with ALL the fixings!), and it was under $10 for all four of our treats! No more $25 ice cream trips.

Yogurtland. Go. Try it. You’ll like it. Take it from a non-believer, and two very satisfied monkeys.

DSC_0087.jpg

Happy Thursday!

Crafty Tuesday

Hi, my crafty folks. I’ve got a few goodies to share today. Would of had more, but I boxed up a little care package for my friend to send out and completely forgot to photograph the gown I made for her.

Bah. It is sitting right here. I could unwrap it. But it is all taped up. And I’m lazy. And how about you just imagine it instead?

You can see the fabric here. It is a little roomier, has better coverage, and is softer than the standard hospital gown. Has a special slit in the pocket for heart monitors and such. So, how about this? Vic, when you kick this cancer and are all better – I will make you something much prettier that you can wear outside of the hospital. And I’ll take lots of photos of it (and you in it!). Deal?

The next project I finished, I also forgot to photograph before we gave it away. Luckily we were invited to the birthday party and my friend Jamie deemed it worthy enough for the party. She had a pink and green garden/ladybug-themed party for Emma’s best friend Audrey. So our birthday banner fit perfectly, and I snapped some photos of it hanging in a tree in the park.

DSC_0005

I really love how it turned out and I have plenty of fabric scraps leftover, so I’m going to make one for our house. It is handy that Jamie’s house and ours is filled with girls, so I got to use all the girl-y fabrics. I still think the birthday banner is the greatest idea.

DSC_0002

And I also dove into THE book. I started doing as I had intended – one gift for me (the house), then tackling two gifts to giveaway.

So the apron…

DSC_0136

I love the pocket and the little towel loop! Love the fabric, although again – taking it late Monday night in crummy light, doesn’t help the really cool colors. But I have already used it, and it will be in heavy rotation…I can assure you.

DSC_0128

I almost cropped my pj bottoms out of the photo, but then I figured I would look very weird all leg-less. And also you need to see how the apron will usually look, over lounge pants and a t-shirt, since that is my typical wardrobe on any given day. And I didn’t want you to think I was getting all fancy on you over here…with my aprons and what-not!

I also finished some lounge pants for my niece’s birthday. But I’m appliquing a t-shirt to go with it, so I’ll save that to show for next week. Although I really – no REALLY love the lounge pants. But I have to make another gift before I can start a pair for myself. Plus I have fabric for two dresses for the girls that they keep bugging me about. So back to the sewing machine.

What crafty goodness do you have to share?

Now we can officially call it summer.

The girls, Em’s friend Audrey, and I all headed to the beach yesterday and we had a great time. I was so thankful for the really big waves because the girls were a little afraid to venture too far into the surf. The waves forced them to stick close to the shore, which ultimately made my job of watching three little monkeys in the water, much easier!

They did do a lot of tempting fate. Sitting on the edge of the water and waiting for the waves to come in.

DSC_0162.jpg

It was great fun when they did roll in.

DSC_0123.jpg

And a couple waves even made them move to higher ground a few times.

DSC_0145.jpg

And, today happens to be Audrey’s 6th birthday! So happy wishes to our sweet Audrey!
We hope 6 is a terrific year for you.

DSC_0193.jpg

Meanwhile, back on the towel…
I can’t decide which I love more in this picture her curly tendrils or her lovely eyelashes.
She is delicious.

DSC_0115.jpg

And my one “artsy” photo of the day. She refused to let me get a sunhat shot, but I caught this one.
I love the angle, and her slight little peek of a smile.

DSC_0260.jpg

We might have to head back to the beach this weekend.
I think our day reminded us that summer is fleeting, and we need to take advantage of it while we can.
Have a sunny, happy weekend!