A Few Fun Moments from Today

My kiddos had me giggling today, all day long. We began with the Scary Sisters.

Scary Sister #1 VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

They had me at AHHH!!!! Scream and after scream, I just kept laughing harder and harder. Silence would settle and I would find myself asking for just, “one more scary scream”.

The Scary Sisters VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

After a screaming good time, we gathered in the kitchen and ate cookies straight off the pan. Can you say, “yummy'”? I should never ever stray away from baking for this long again. Which is most definitely easier said than done, as every time I enter the kitchen my longing for my father is almost unbearable. Which would explain the lack of cooking in these parts these past few months.

Nishan began our summer string of camps today. While he reinvented recycled goods into action figures and town buildings, the gals and I rode bikes to the beach park.

I seriously have not a thing to complain about. Sitting on the beach, swinging my beans, knitting, and chatting with my eldest. The day was good.

When I did not think it could get any better, my kids got together and performed a Dance Show for momma’s and dada’s only. If you can keep a secret, I can too. Please enjoy a few snapshots from our private screening.

Dancing Ballerinas VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Do you see those chunky monkey thighs? Oh my, I want to just gobble them up. So utterly delicious. And, then my Lilli with her impish little smile. My smile was ear to ear…

The Dancing Man VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

And then my son presented his robot man, and my cheeks began to hurt I smiled so hard.

Day 4 of the Sew Along VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I ended the night finishing up Day 4 of the Family Reunion Dress by Oliver + S sew along with Above All Fabric. I am so very happy with the way my girls dresses are sewing right up.

Today was not just a good day, but a pretty awesome one if you ask me!!!

{This Moment}-June 17, 2011

{This Moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Have a lovely weekend!

I kind of cheated as I added a few more to benefit our memory.

Inspired by Amanda Soule at http://www.soulemama.typepad.com/

Day 2 Family Reunion Dress by Oliver + S Sew Along with Above All Fabric

I have spent the last 2 nights blissfully acquiring the skills to sew a pintuck. Actually 24 pintucks. I jumped into this project without any knowledge on exactly what skills I would need to have to sew the Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress. I confidently traced and cut out 2 sizes in the pattern without much thought. So, when I began Day 2 of the sew along focusing on pintucks and button tabs, my confidence immediately screeched to a halt.

I kid you not I read the instructions at least a handful of times, looked here at least another 5 times, and than traced and pinned another 5 times, till the damn light bulb turned on.

24 pintucks later & a bit of stain remover for the ultra technical/ professional tracing skills I was ready and rearing to get on to the much simpler button tabs.

It has been a while since I have sewn using a pattern. As you may have noticed I tend to sew things made of rectangles and only rectangles. I never realized how versatile the simple rectangle would be in my sewing career. Anyway, point being that when using “real” patterns, you sometimes need to bust our the big guns.

Today, I used tracing paper, a tracing wheel, a ruler, a water soluble pen, and lots and lots of pins.

The finished results were more than worth it. I cannot believe how rewarding the small intricate steps are in this sew along. With my confidence a bit stronger I am looking forward to Day 3 sewing the shoulder seams and front neck facing.

Keeping It Real

~I am so not looking forward to Father’s Day, like not at all. Not a single bone in my body is feeling it this year. I am not ready to celebrate my father, as he is not here in the flash to celebrate with. Yes, I know so many things that I can focus on to feel better, but right now I want to feel his loss. One day I will be ready to celebrate the father he was.

~It is becoming more and more difficult to stay positive and in the moment regarding my husbands “employment” or lack there of.

~Staying positive is exhausting and rewarding.

~Feeling perplexed by our current situation.

~Navigating my way through the cycle of grief and finding it to be tiresome and troublesome.

~Frustrated by our current economy.

~Skeptical of our political system.

~Ready to head to bed, snuggle my wide awake 2 year old, and immerse myself in a love story, forgetting the trials and errors of right now.

Crossing One Off the Summer 2011 Bucket List

It was another busy Monday with a dentist appointment, Costco run, impromptu Fabric Store stop and whatever else I was trying to get done.

Oh and a stop at the Decker’s our local Uggs Outlet Store. Could you of resisted those knitscrumptious boots? Well, I could not, they make me want to eat my kids legs, literally gobble them up, they look so darn delicious.

After a day that I tried to jam way to much into all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Ha ha ha…yeah it was never going to happen. Hello? I do have kids and yes, they need me till I send them off to sleep.

Keeping Up with Big Sista’ VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Upon arriving home and taking over an hour to put away groceries, Lillitha had requested at least 10 times if we could bike to the beach and eat  dinner. Great minds think alike! Earlier I had shared on Facebook that I hoped to make it to the beach.

Running Free After a Freebird VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Hopping on the bike, feeling the wind in my hair, arriving at the beach, it was the perfect way to end a pretty funky day.

My family ate, I sat, stared, listened, and learned. I seriously took mental notes as I watched my children so simply embrace that time, right where they were, as if there were nothing else to think of in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each of them in a way all their own, did as they pleased, what made them feel good, without interruption, guidance, or direction. They owned themselves and that time. This gave me room to sit still in my own thoughts without interruption.

Playing in Nature VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

It really is a beautiful thing to witness your children live life fully. When I sit still and watch my children live, I learn so much more from them than I could of ever imagined.

This Girl of Mine Keeps Me Smiling VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Lillitha requested, wanting to say yes more than no, I obliged, thinking, “I am going to say ‘yes’ more than no and that a picnic at the beach is on our newest bucket list”. This was most definitely a very, very worthy yes. Proving why one must say yes even when all this momma wanted to do was sleep.

And She Melts my Heart with a Smile All Her Own VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

We laughed, we smiled, we chatted, we joked, we ate, we ran, we walked, we biked, we learned, we felt, we watched, and when we laid our heads to rest we smiled just a bit wider.

Day 1 Family Reunion Dress by Oliver + S Sew Along with Above All Fabric

I decided spur of the moment today to cease the itch I had to join this sew along. I came across it here a few weeks ago, I did not think it was a good idea for me to add something new to my already full platter. However, as the days have slowly slid by, it is the perfect thing for me to keep myself busy with.

When I decided I just had to join on in the sew along, we hopped into our local fabric store on our way home and came home with just what we needed.

An Oliver + S Family Reunion Dress Pattern that will fit two of my gals, Fabric that will make both the girls giddy, and Notions to complete the sew along.

After we got the little people to bed, my hubby and I kept ourselves busy in our shared craft room.

I decided it was best to not bite off more than I could chew, so I focused on getting one dress pattern traced and cut out tonight.

Tomorrow, I am aiming for dress #2, as the sew long day 2 is not again till Wednesday.

I am super excited to have decided to scratch that itch and join along. I have been wanting to sew using an Oliver + S pattern for over a year and just never took the plunge.

Hoping to fall in love with sewing with these patterns, hoping to have 2 new dresses for my girls to wear in Florida, hoping to smile more, frown less, and enjoy working on something to keep my mind off the current frustrations we are living.

And tonight I lay me head to bed feeling a tad bit better after completing Day 1 of the sew along.

Summer

It is coming to that inevitable time, when seasons change. They come and go, just as they should, and always right when I feel my bones needing a bit of change. Mother Nature she knows and I do believe she knows best.

Here we are, a new season, a new slate. It is time to put this seasons bucket list on that slate, mark it up a bit, get it dirty with our wants, needs, desires, interests.

 

This will be just the beginnings, the lists will grow with each check off. As I find that when we accomplish something, we yearn for more, so we do more, and the circle of life and learning continue. I relish in the ideas of my children and where this season will take us.