Sunday Reflections

I've been debating for weeks (probably months) about blogging regularly again. It's been awhile since it was a regular habit. I've done some thinking about what I want to purpose of my blog to be, who my target readers will be, etc.
The blogs I read on a regular basis focus mainly on my hobbies (sewing, scrapbooking, crafts...). I check periodically on personal family blogs, but not regularly. I don't know what others do; if my friends who blog do read blogs regularly or just use it as a journal. If you have any feedback I would love to hear it! For now I hope by renewing my interest in blogging I will get better about taking pictures of events in our life that we need to remember! Large and small!

For now here are some normal life happenings!!! Last Sunday I tackled a big project and organized some pictures that were randomly placed. I love the feeling of seeing all these pictures grouped and organized by year. Plus my list for the scrapbook book has been updated!


We spent a LOT of time in the yard this week. Probably how the rest of spring and summer will go!



Silly girl playing in the car.



My newest project! I'm English paper piecing hexagons. I wanted to start small with my first hexagon project. This will some day be a table runner. I'm so addicted to these little guys!


We went to my kindergartener's Open House. It was an under the sea theme. I thought this oyster was so cute!


I had two baby showers to attend this weekend. This quilt was finished just in time to give to the mommy to be. She was the perfect person to make this cheery chevron quilt for!


Lastly with the nice weather that has arrived we enjoyed a special ice cream treat after working in the yard. I love this little swing my mom gave to my girls. It's just the perfect size and I will be sad in a few years when they have outgrown it!


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For my girls. . .

As my blog started as a place for me to record memories for my girls and special moments, today's blog is really for them.  Maybe someday they will read these words and understand a little about me and how I treasure my time with them. 

Today I had a bad morning. . .nothing catastrophic.  Just a morning I didn't want to get up, didn't feel like working, etc.  If I had the option of just collapsing back into bed I would have done it.  Once up and dressed the girls woke up.  I did something that I don't get to do very often on school mornings. . . I just sat on the couch and held Sweet Pea while we watched a morning cartoon.  Then I switched to Pumpkin (who lately has been deciding she is getting too big for snuggles. . .).  We then had breakfast, made lunches, got the girls dressed, etc.  Again I just had this lack of drive to get out the door!  So I decided to spend a few extra minutes braiding their hair knowing it would make us a little late to kindergarten.  Instead of running around like a mad woman and barking at them to get out the door, we just went as a comfortable relaxed pace.

Once we got to Pumpkin's school, we still didn't rush even though her door was closed (the sign that she is tardy).  I got to enjoy walking across the parking lot with her little hand in mine.  I enjoyed watching her skip along as happy as can be to go to school.  I love watching the way kindergartener's walk/dance/prance/jump/etc into school- they are joyful!  In we walked and discovered there was a sub.  My sweet girl who a year ago would have been in tears with a sub gave me a hug and kiss and was off to put away her things. 

Sweet Pea and I then went to her preschool.  She was talking a mile a minute on the 1/2 mile trip to her school.  She then RAN into school, but promptly got shy once inside her classroom.  She always gives me the best snuggles before I leave.  I always leave her holding her blanket and whatever lovey (today it was a baby) she brings to school, usually on the teachers lap or as close as she can get to the teacher.  Once I snuck into the observation room that allows me to see into her classroom to see what happens after I leave.  Once she gets her snuggles from her teacher she looks around and observes what everyone else is doing.  Then she runs to her cubby and puts away her blanket and lovey.  Most of the time she will rejoin the teacher to help them or she will find something to play with.

As my girls will learn someday- once I got to my school I learned of a terrible tragedy that took place at an elementary school across the country.  It consumed my mind for the rest of the school day and all I wanted to do was to come home to my girls and hold them. Pumpkin as always noticed I was a little down- I told her some day she will understand but for now my job is to keep her safe.  I want my girls to stay in their safe world as long as possible without having to know the evil that surrounds us in this world.

 Even though my girls are safe and home I am so grateful for those extra few minutes with them this morning.  The extra snuggles and little things make a difference and I treasure them.  I know children are blessings, but I also truly being children are miracles.  I'm so amazed to hold these sweet girls daily and know that they are here as a gift from God and living miracles.

They are just so sweet.  Nothing could have made me happier than watching them sleep together tonight.

Really Random Thursday

Finally a blog post! Here is a brief highlight of our last week!

My beautiful kindergartner! We received her school pictures. She is growing up so much and has had such a good start to the school year.


My sweet 3 year old. This doesn't happen very often! She really did not want to wake up so I enjoyed holding her. My baby is starting to act more like a little girl and less like a toddler. Makes me sad! She is still silly as ever and keeps me laughing!


The girls and I enjoyed a girls only cabin weekend. It was wonderful! So relaxing for all three of us. I worked on Sweet Pea's Ariel quilt. She has been waiting and waiting for it! I've never been so excited to baste a quilt! I know she will give it lots of love once it is on her bed.


While at the cabin I finished some smaller sewing projects. First is this little thread catcher that I received the pattern for during a quilt shop hop last year.


Second was another lipstick skirt (sorry the picture is upside down!). I still need to insert the elastic and it will be all ready for school!


The girls and I drove up to Camp Keola at Huntington for the afternoon on Saturday. Several friends were there for Quilt Camp. They were working on individual projects as well as this amazing quilt. This quilt is for an amazing couple who was married this summer. (I'm a little jealous no one made me a wedding quilt!)



Back to work! We are studying cells which I always enjoy! iPhone's can take pictures through the lense of a microscope which is so cool! These are cheek cells from a student!


It must be time for another weekend. My girls were so tired this morning that neither wanted to wake up! Love them so much!




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Lipstick Lessons

About a year ago I received a pattern to make a skirt from a friend. This week I decided to make a skirt for myself since most of my craft projects are for my girls. I found two fun fabrics at Joanns and decided the black print would be more forgiving since this is my first time making clothing.


After cutting the fabric I had a quick lesson with my newly acquired 1970 Better Homes and Gardens Sewing Book to learn how to do a gathering stitch properly. I was pretty happy with my first attempt and now would love to make a ruffle dress for my girls!



While attaching the skirt to the waistband my daughter was very concerned that I was sewing it on backwards!


As I inserted the elastic for the waistband and finished the seam I was getting excited! It was actually looking like a real skirt!


It fits! Now it was time to hem the bottom. I went out to my MIL to get her opinion and decided to hem it above my knee. I'm on the shorter side so hopefully it will help me look not so short!


The finished project!!! I'm super happy with it and I learned a lot. I'll be honest that it has a few flaws but will definitely be making another with my other fabric. More skirts are in my future now that I have had some success!


Pattern is "The Lipstick Skirt" by Bananafana
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Diamonds!

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend!  My beautiful 6 year old had her dance recital this weekend.  She has been practicing her dance since March and was so excited for the BIG recital. . . .Until she got there!  Thank goodness for dress rehearsal, a GREAT teacher, and frozen yogurt!  She did amazing!  My pictures from the actual recital didn't turn out well since I could not use flash photography.  

Pretty girl!

A Kiss!

On the hand!

The girls in her class!

Posing for mommy!

Weekend in the City- Day 2

On Sunday we woke up to a beautiful view of the city from our hotel.  We stayed in Union Square on the 29th floor of The Westin.  It was a very nice hotel and would have been a great nights sleep, except we both had to share a bed with wiggly little girls!  The girls LOVED looking down from the window and seeing the city.  Pumpkin loved the American flags on top of the buildings.

After breakfast we headed to the cable cars.  I haven't been on a cable car since I was very young and so I think I was more excited than the girls.  We had a bit of a wait in line, but the girls were entertained by watching how they turn the cars around.  We decided to ride the Powell & Hyde Park line- it gives you a glimpse of curvy Lompard street, goes past Chinatown, and drops you off right next to Ghirardelli Square!

Mommy and the girls rode on the front of the cable car, while Daddy got to hang off the side!  Pumpkin loved watching out the window and watching the man work the levers.  Sweet Pea thought she wanted to sit by herself, but one street was enough for her!  

We made it!  Yummy chocolate for everyone!  I learned that I haven't been to SF in over ten years, but as soon as we got off the cable car I knew exactly where to go to find chocolate! 

We explored the Hyde St. Pier.  It had a clipper ship, old tug boats, a paddle wheel boat, and more to explore.  The girls liked climbing on this large anchor.  This will definitely be on our list to come back to when the girls are older so we can go on the ships and explore them.

After we finished our exploring by the wharf, we rode the cable car back up to Union Square and had lunch.  We hopped in the car and got to drive over the Golden Gate Bridge.  Pumpkin loved the bridge and was excited to go across it.  We then went to the Bay Area Discovery Museum.  It is designed for kids 0-8 years of age and was PERFECT for our little family.  

The view from the parking lot of the Discovery Museum.  (Not bad for a picture taken on a timer!)

Our first stop was the Tot Spot.  It is for babies and toddlers under 42 inches.  Pumpkin isn't a toddler or baby, but is under 42 inches!  The loved playing in the ocean room, seeing the water come through the tunnel, laying on the water beds, and making the animals make noise.

Next up was Discovery Hall- perfect for this Biology teacher!  The girls got to use some kids versions of science instruments: microscopes, centrifuges, etc.  There were healthy cooking stations using recipes, germ demonstrations, and their favorite- using gloves into a sterile environment and trying different techniques.  Pumpkin was trying to fill test tubes with the confetti.  She quickly discovered that the funnel made it much easier!  Fun Fun!

On to Lookout Cove!!!  This was a fantastic outdoor area with lots to do.  I wish I could post all the pictures!  The loved climbing on the spider web, climbing on the boats, going through the willow branch maze, hearing sounds different animals make, and more!

My little pirate!  See Sweet Pea running to the next thing. . .that was typical of their time here.  So much to do they felt they had to run to everything!

On to Sweet Pea's favorite. . .the Art Studio.  She was so excited to be able to go and cut paper.  She loves craft projects and would have been happy to stay here all day.  Pumpkin stayed busy playing with building shapes that were also magnetic (sorry no picture!).

The Wave Workshop was probably Daddy's favorite.  We got to assemble different types of ships out of foam shapes and then send them down this long water table that had a fan.  Some ships went faster than others, some fell apart, but we all had fun!

After we had visiting nearly everything, we decided to play these wood xylophones that were outside of one of the buildings.  The girls loved it and took turns with the mallets.  

On the way out we returned to the Tot Spot so the girls could play in the water feature. They had fun makes the fish swim down the stream and jumping frogs from rock to rock.

Once we left the Discovery Museum we went back over the Golden Gate and to UCSF Medical Center.  I visited a friend and her son who is currently inpatient.  They were a big reason for our quick trip up to the city.  It was good to see them and see his progress.  Prayers go out to their family daily.

The girls crashed on the way home and I ALMOST stayed awake the whole time.  Good thing Daddy is such a good driver!  It was a wonderful weekend and one that we won't soon forget.

Weekend in the City- Day 1

We decided last week to take the girls up to San Francisco for a quick trip.  We loaded the car up and left early Saturday morning.  We knew we were in a for a long drive, especially with Pumpkin asking when we got on the 41 "How much longer?"  We couldn't believe it!  Miss Sweet Pea wasn't feeling her best and slept most of the way.  Once we got to the city and were driving to the wharf she started complaining that her tummy was hurting. Bad news for us- I quickly saved her blanket before she threw up.  Poor girl!  As I was cleaning her up and her car seat up she started asking for food!   She was instantly better!  So on to Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39!

This was much of our weekend!  They wanted to hold Daddy's hand!  It was so strange for me to be walking without holding onto a girl or a purse!

Fun at the Musee Mecanique (The Mechanical Museum).  They have a collection of arcade games dating back to the 1800s.  The girls each got to make a stretched penny and loved the silly mirrors!

The day before we left for our trip, Pumpkin and I visited some friend's.  One asked if we were going to get ice cream while we were there so OF COURSE the entire trip there she was asking when we were going to get ice cream!  After walking along the wharf for awhile we stopped and got an ice cream treat!  She was one happy girl!

Playing around while waiting for it to be dinner time!  Daddy was excited to eat at the Hard Rock!  Yummy!

These cute little puppies started following us around!  They loved these hats- perfect combination of hat, mitten, and stuffed animal!  We melted the hearts of every grandparent we passed!

Family picture.  I little sad the lighting wasn't better.  The Bay Bridge is behind us.  Next time I'll bring the better camera.

Watching the Sea Lions.  They were stinky, but the girls loved watching them.  Several were playing around and wrestling.

Of course we found a little park to play at!!!  The girls did so well walking along the wharf with us!  I was surprised they had the energy left to run around!

After dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, we found our car and headed to our hotel. We all were so exhausted!  Once in our room we found Cars playing on TV and snuggled into our comfy beds on the 29th floor!  Day 2 post coming tomorrow!