Only 216 days to go!
5.23.2014
5.22.2014
Grammy Summer Camp
I am going to have Sunny and Thunder three days a week from now until school starts on August 6th. Since I don't want them to just lay around and watch TV, I've come up with a summer curriculum to keep us busy having fun every day.
Generally Monday is Library day, Tuesday is music/art day, and Wednesday is cooking class (as Sunny calls it). I've also assigned each day a letter of the alphabet and some days are specific color days. I'm throwing in some theme days (Jungle Day, Circus Day, Backward Day, etc) for extra fun. Dan & I plan to ride the light rail with them one day and also take a trip on a city bus. My goals for Sunny are to teach her to read, help her with her math skills and teach her to tie her shoes. I'm going to work on counting skills with Thunder, as well as alphabet skills. I hope they don't get bored!
I had Sunny over yesterday and since it was Wednesday she was anticipating "cooking class". I hadn't planned to start until next week, so I had to come up with something that I had all of the ingredients for. I had just found a recipe for Peanut Butter M & M cookies on the Internet so that's what we made. The cookies were delicious. And as you can see from the photos below, Sunny had a great time!
(BTW, the covers are off the sockets because we're painting the kitchen)
Generally Monday is Library day, Tuesday is music/art day, and Wednesday is cooking class (as Sunny calls it). I've also assigned each day a letter of the alphabet and some days are specific color days. I'm throwing in some theme days (Jungle Day, Circus Day, Backward Day, etc) for extra fun. Dan & I plan to ride the light rail with them one day and also take a trip on a city bus. My goals for Sunny are to teach her to read, help her with her math skills and teach her to tie her shoes. I'm going to work on counting skills with Thunder, as well as alphabet skills. I hope they don't get bored!
I had Sunny over yesterday and since it was Wednesday she was anticipating "cooking class". I hadn't planned to start until next week, so I had to come up with something that I had all of the ingredients for. I had just found a recipe for Peanut Butter M & M cookies on the Internet so that's what we made. The cookies were delicious. And as you can see from the photos below, Sunny had a great time!
(BTW, the covers are off the sockets because we're painting the kitchen)
Our ingredients: Peanut butter, sugar, baking soda, 1 egg, pink M&Ms
Showing off her mixing skills
Stirring in the M&Ms
Ready for the oven
Ready to eat!
5.01.2014
Finally, Our Family Easter Celebration
Our family Easter celebration took place the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Now that the grands are getting older, we have more fun than ever! We decorated Easter Egg sugar cookies on Friday. And on Saturday we had an Easter Egg Hunt as well as baskets from the Easter Bunny. A fun time was had by all!
Tia Jessica and Sunny decorating cookies
Gramps helping Thunder
What we lacked in talent we made up for in enthusiasm!
Easter baskets
Jess found this idea on Pinterest
Me, Jess, Thunder, Sunny
Gramps and Grammy always want a photo!
The Greats with the Grands
Tia Katie feeling for Storm
Toddler level Easter Egg Hunt
A higher degree of difficulty
The hunt is on!
Gigi found these and the kids just loved them!
Dan, Matt, Mark, Zach
Examining their loot
Skye listening for Storm
(her white shirt was off to protect it from chocolate!)
Skye, Jessica, Sunny, Shelby, Ashley
Matt, Katie, Kelly
Gramps with the grands
Kelly's mom made this scarf for Sunny
4.28.2014
Baby Shower Fun!
Katie and I hosted a baby shower for Jessica on Saturday. It was so much fun! She got loads of great gifts. You should have seen some of the diaper creations people brought her. She received two diaper cakes, and a diaper tractor/wagon. I wish I was that creative! Pictures are better than words, so here's Jessica's shower:
Ready for some games
The mommy-to-be
The cake
Katie, Jessica, Me
The gifts
The guests
Katie, Shelby, Natasha & Justin
One of her friends knitted this towel/washcloth set
Her baby book
Gifts from Indiana
Hand stitched gifts from Janel
Gotta have a pack 'n' play!
Look at this diaper creation!
Jess and Adam - excited parents-to-be!
4.20.2014
4.01.2014
Stitching Update: UFO
Way back in 2007 I started stitching a large nativity project. It is gorgeous, with vibrant colors and I was determined to complete it and give it to a friend. Of course, it took much longer than I anticipated, mainly because I got bored with it after several weeks and had to put it aside.
I picked it up and in 2009 I was making good progress on it when disaster struck. I cut the fabric accidentally when I was frogging. It was right in the center of the road in the lower left of the pattern. I managed to stitch over it so you can't see the cut, but the damage was done. I knew where the cut was and I put it away.
I've looked at it from time to time in the years since, but my eyes were always drawn to the spot where the damage is. I would fold it back up and place it at the bottom of my WIPs. I still wanted to finish it, but I wasn't sure I ever would. I could not bring myself to throw it away.
Last November, my DIL, Janel attended a stitching retreat. It was her first time and she enjoyed herself thoroughly. When she and JD came to visit at Christmas, she brought along some goodies that she had received at the retreat to show to me and Jessica. One of them was a UFO project.
She didn't have any UFOs and asked Jess and I if we wanted the project. I took it, not knowing when or if I would ever have a UFO to use. Then the other day I was going through my stash and happened upon the nativity project. This time I knew I had to let it go. Then I remembered the UFO project.
I cut up the nativity and made a little pin cushion out of it. The project included a UFO button and a pin. I am thrilled with the result. I still have the beauty of the old nativity, but it's not hanging over my head. I'm going to purchase new fabric and start it again one of these days.
Thanks, Janel - your little UFO project saved the day!
I picked it up and in 2009 I was making good progress on it when disaster struck. I cut the fabric accidentally when I was frogging. It was right in the center of the road in the lower left of the pattern. I managed to stitch over it so you can't see the cut, but the damage was done. I knew where the cut was and I put it away.
I've looked at it from time to time in the years since, but my eyes were always drawn to the spot where the damage is. I would fold it back up and place it at the bottom of my WIPs. I still wanted to finish it, but I wasn't sure I ever would. I could not bring myself to throw it away.
Last November, my DIL, Janel attended a stitching retreat. It was her first time and she enjoyed herself thoroughly. When she and JD came to visit at Christmas, she brought along some goodies that she had received at the retreat to show to me and Jessica. One of them was a UFO project.
She didn't have any UFOs and asked Jess and I if we wanted the project. I took it, not knowing when or if I would ever have a UFO to use. Then the other day I was going through my stash and happened upon the nativity project. This time I knew I had to let it go. Then I remembered the UFO project.
3.27.2014
Stitching Update
I am so fortunate to have a daughter, Jessica, and a DIL, Janel who love to cross stitch as much as I do. In addition to the pleasure of seeing this craft embraced by a younger generation, I have the luxury of sharing patterns with them. We try to go through each others' stash when we get the opportunity, but it's hard when two of us are in Arizona and one of us is in Kansas!
I think we've come up with a solution. We created a secret board on Pinterest and are putting the patterns, magazines, and kits that we own on it. We put our name on the stash that belongs to us. We've even added some additional info such as not yet stitched, stitched for (name), available, etc.
So far the only down side to this plan is that I am forced to confront just how many patterns I own! It's quite fun to see what the other girls have in their stash and we've even left a comment stating we want to stitch a pattern in the future on some of the pins.
I have been stitching away on a baby sampler for one of Katie's friends. Her due date is April 4th, plenty of time, right?! However, she had the baby last Friday. Now I'm stitching frantically on the baby sampler!
I have a finish to share. I completed the stitching on this a few weeks ago, but I finally got around to framing it yesterday. Can I just say here that I love Hobby Lobby? I take my stitched pieces into them and they help me choose the matting and then cut it for me while I wait. The guys at my Hobby Lobby are so helpful and patient when I'm trying to choose just the right shade of color to compliment my piece.
Katie was happy with how this turned out, so I'm happy too! The photo doesn't do the fabric justice. She wanted a grey fabric, and this is a beautiful grey tone from Picture This Plus. The matte is not as red as it looks in this photo, it's a darker shade. Oh well...
I think we've come up with a solution. We created a secret board on Pinterest and are putting the patterns, magazines, and kits that we own on it. We put our name on the stash that belongs to us. We've even added some additional info such as not yet stitched, stitched for (name), available, etc.
So far the only down side to this plan is that I am forced to confront just how many patterns I own! It's quite fun to see what the other girls have in their stash and we've even left a comment stating we want to stitch a pattern in the future on some of the pins.
I have been stitching away on a baby sampler for one of Katie's friends. Her due date is April 4th, plenty of time, right?! However, she had the baby last Friday. Now I'm stitching frantically on the baby sampler!
I have a finish to share. I completed the stitching on this a few weeks ago, but I finally got around to framing it yesterday. Can I just say here that I love Hobby Lobby? I take my stitched pieces into them and they help me choose the matting and then cut it for me while I wait. The guys at my Hobby Lobby are so helpful and patient when I'm trying to choose just the right shade of color to compliment my piece.
Katie was happy with how this turned out, so I'm happy too! The photo doesn't do the fabric justice. She wanted a grey fabric, and this is a beautiful grey tone from Picture This Plus. The matte is not as red as it looks in this photo, it's a darker shade. Oh well...
Always Kiss Me Goodnight
Morning Glory Needleworks
16 ct. "Echo" - Picture This Plus
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