A Stitchin' Post

My granddaughter, Skye, likes Sugar Skulls.

Last year her birthday theme was Sugar Skulls...

Zach (my son, her dad) made the cake

Jessica (my daughter, her Tia) made the "Pin the Flower on the Sugar Skull"

Her 2019 Hallmark Christmas ornament was a Sugar Skull...

Now you'll understand why my first stitching start for 2020 is a Sugar Skull!

My goal is to complete it in time for her birthday in March. It looks complicated, but it's actually a very easy stitch so far.

In my quest to blog more often this year, I will be updating my stitching progress each Monday. We'll see if I actually stick to that schedule or not...

January 1st

Last night we hosted the grands for a "Cousin's New Year's Eve Party". We went to Peter Piper Pizza for pizza and wings and games. We came back home, put on jammies, and attempted to stay up until midnight eating snacks and watching "Ferdinand" and "Sing". Unfortunately, at 10 pm, they gave up, watched the ball drop in NYC on TV and went off to bed. Fortunately, they did not wake up when the neighbors shot off fireworks at midnight.

This morning we had donuts and pancakes for breakfast, played, and then their parents picked them up at 10 am. 

What a great way to start the New Year!

Group hug at Peter Piper Pizza!

HO HO HO🎅

This year's Santa photos - Enjoy!

Thunder (7), Snow (2), Blizzard (1), Santa, Skye (7), Summer (9), Storm (4)

Grammy's Summer Camp

Well, I HAD intentions to post regularly about Grammy's Summer Camp this year, but it's been a whirlwind of activity and I'm just now getting around to it.

We are halfway through this year's camp and we've had such fun! It's been a little chaotic in that I never know on any given day just how many grands will be attending, but that just adds to the excitement.

My schedule is to have Sunny and Thunder on T-W-Th. Skye drops in as needed. Storm and Snow are here on T-W for the Bible Study I host that Jessica attends and for Movie Day.

This year our overall theme is "Down on the Farm". My DIL Janel and her mom have graciously supplied us with activities related to farming. Our daily schedule includes Time with God, chores, reading time, worksheets, board games, art, science, cooking, Brain Quest, Flash Cards, and of course, swimming.

I made a reading bingo chart for each of them and a chore chart. They also have a daily reading chart to record the minutes read on. At the end of each week they get to choose from the treasure chest if they've completed their reading minutes. They will get money for their piggy banks at the end of the summer for the chores they've completed.

As a side note I just want to say that they're old enough now to do some chores that are really helpful! I told my daughters that having them do chores three days a week is almost like having a maid, hahaha!

Here's a glimpse into our camp so far...

Storm and Snow playing Candyland and 

goofing off the first week of summer camp

At the movies: Storm, Thunder, Snow, Sunny, Skye

Lunch, then worksheets while the littles napped.

Tio Zach dropped in one day and had fun with Snow 

Thunder completing one of the Reading Bingo options - reading in the bathtub

A field trip to Barnes and Noble, learning about Job at Bible Study,

completing a "Down on the Farm" activity sheet

Playing after the Wednesday morning movie

Official Nine Year Old Photo

Nine years old? How is that even possible? It seems like yesterday this little girl was born giving me the name I cherish the most - Grammy. She is so excited that this is her last year in single digits!

Sunny had a birthday party on the weekend after her actual birthday, but she also has an official birthday dinner on her birthday and she graciously includes Gramps and me.

She had a great time at both of her celebrations. Her birthday party was a Donut theme. Everyone came over at 9 am and consumed lots of donuts. We opened presents and then the pool party began. When it's in the high 90s at 10 am, what better way to celebrate than in the pool?!

It's such fun to watch her grow up before our eyes... she's growing into a lovely young woman (but not too fast!)

Happy Birthday Sunny! We love you and are so proud of you...

Seven

We can't believe it, but Skye is seven years old! She is growing into such a caring, creative, smart, loving, precious little girl. Actually she's been all of those things all along, but they're definitely becoming more defined in her personality and character.

This year she had a family only party. She loves being with the cousins, especially the younger cousins whom she can care for and, yes, boss around.

Happy Birthday, precious girl! Grampsy and I love you and are so proud of you.

Official Seven Year Old photo

Katie curled the girls hair for the party

Aren't they cute?

This child actually read every word of every card 

Cousins! 

Thunder and Storm are best buddies

Tio Zach and Snow

He's not shy about proclaiming that she's his favorite niece!

Sunny paying close attention to Skye's presents

Ready for the big reveal

She loved her new bike

Happy Birthday to you!

A Stitching Post

Got Skye's Tooth Fairy pillow assembled over the weekend. Whew, now I can take a break from tooth fairy pillows for a year or so. I still have four grandkids to go... The good news is that Jessica brought over her patterns on Saturday and as I was looking through them I found a tooth fairy pillow pattern. Yippee!

I'm working on a baby sampler right now. One of four I need to make. Then it's on to three Christmas stockings. 

I'm trying to choose what patterns to take to the stitching retreat I'm going to in March. I don't know if I should take a couple of new starts for me, or if I should take some of my "have to" as listed above. 

Have a great week!

A Stitching Post

Finally! I can share a couple of finishes for 2018 with you. 

This was the month of the Tooth Fairy Pillows. Both Thunder and Skye are at the age of departing baby teeth and arriving "big" teeth. This is Thunder's pillow. I still need to assemble Skye's and will show it later this week. 

I made a Tooth Fairy Pillow a few years ago for Sunny and followed the pattern exactly. This is the same pattern I used for the pillow my kids had when they were little.

To personalize them (and to keep from being bored out of my mind by stitching the exact same pattern twice in one week) I changed up the borders a little. I have four more pillows to make in the coming years. I am desperately looking for a new pattern, but haven't found any yet that I like. Help! If you know of a tooth fairy pillow pattern PLEASE let me know!

As part of my "Year of the Purge" I've been going through my cross stitch patterns. I had a book of patterns that I was ready to let to go except for one project. I decided that instead of holding on to the book until I got around to stitching the pattern, I would stitch it now. Here's the result...

Please excuse the shadows and reflections. As you can see it was a quick and easy stitch and the book it came from is on it's way to a new home.

I finally finished the last Christmas Stocking I was stitching for a friend's kids. I'm in the processing of assembling them (I sew them by hand so it takes some time). I also started the first of four baby samplers I need to make. Then it's on to stockings again for two of my grands. 

Whew! Good thing I took the time to stitch the America pattern. It may be the only thing I get to make for myself this year.

HO...HO...HO

I was so excited about the grandkids' visit to Santa this year. I literally spent weeks anticipating it. You see in October it occurred to me that since JD, Janel, and Blizzard would be here for Thanksgiving it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have all six grandkids in a photo with Santa! Yippee! I plotted and planned... Katie bought matching "Cousin Crew" pj's for them all to wear. I made a reservation to see Santa so we wouldn't have to wait in line.

The big day finally arrived. We drove to the mall in anticipation of the awesome Santa photos we would be getting.

Alas, it was not to be. For some reason as we approached the first photo station, Thunder decided that he did NOT want his photo with Santa. He started throwing a fit like a toddler (most unattractive in a six year old). We managed to get a shot of him in the first photo, but when we reached Santa he completed revolted.

I am bummed. But, on the bright side, I got a photo of five of the grandkids with Santa. I am focusing on the bright side. Really, I am. Yep, one of these days I'll be able to focus on the bright side.

So, here are the Santa photos, the much anticipated Santa photos...

Skye (6), Snow (1), Grammy, Blizzard (10 mos), 

Sunny (8), Storm (3), Gramps, Thunder (6)

Hmmm, wonder if I could insert a photo of Thunder in here?!

Storm is very into Christmas this year and was thrilled 

beyond words to see Santa!

Skye asked for an Appaloosa, but Santa explained that he 

doesn't bring live animals...

Blizzard's first meeting with Santa went very well!

The last time I had a photo of Sunny alone with Santa was in 2010, 

before Thunder was born

After we left the mall, Katie called me and said that Thunder had a change of heart and went back in to take a picture with Santa and Sunny. {{sigh}}

Candy Sleds

Of course, I found this idea on Pinterest. It is a sled made out of candy! The grandkids were thrilled and wanted to make them for their parents.

The day before Thanksgiving we gathered our supplies and set to work. They did a great job! I used glue dots instead of the hot glue gun that is called for in most of the instructions I found (how can you use hot glue with chocolate?!) They were able to handle the dots by themselves. I found the chocolate Santa at IKEA and he looked very cute "driving" the sled.

This was a fun activity that I will definitely keep in mind for future holidays.

Thunder 

Skye

Sunny 

(My son, JD is making pies in the background)