In Total Denial

This is a picture from exactly one year ago.

 

 

This is from this week….

 

 

This boy has never changed so much in a single year. I’m in shock. I’m in total denial. This just can’t be. Kids shouldn’t be allowed to grow up this fast. The End.

While You Were Away

Jonathan recently went on vacation…..*ahem*….I mean…. to a conference…..for five days.

Honey, I don’t won’t you to feel like you missed any of those special, sweet moments of the chidlrens’ lives so here’s what you missed.

 

1. Listened to the soundtrack to Annie all day in the house…..Fabulous

2. Someone dropped the entire roll of toilet paper into toilet where she had just “tinkle-poopoo-ed”.

3. You know that special picture someone drew, and you were supposed to take with you????  Yeah……while I was emptying out garbage, she found it.

4. While I was taking a shower, someone decided to play with glue (left out from yesterday’s art project). Someone couldn’t get the glue to come out (since she doesn’t know to unscrew the top) and decided to take off the top proceeding to pour the entire glue bottle out onto the coffee table. Then this certain someone panicked and got a dish towel to clean it up, which pretty much just smeared it into a big circle on the table. She came to me while I was still in the shower crying and begging me not to spank her.

We are short one hand towel.

6. Myles threw earthworms at his sister, causing her to scream like a banshee. She swears she will never again where this shirt…..it has “worm juice” on it.

7. Tuesday morning, we went to waffle house. ‘Nuff said.

8. Fiona wore a red Christmas dress with reindeer accessorized by red cowboy boots (with which she kicked me in the fabric store). Ouch.

9. Elinor has decided she misses night nursing and now nurses at midnight and 5 a.m.

10. But have no fear. Myles has perfected the Hair Swoosh….which is apparently a mandatory requirement in prep school……

I know you can’t wait to get back to enjoy all this fun!!!

Sewn: Classic Picnic Blouse and Shorts

After many starts and stops, hits and misses, I have finally been sucked back into the time killing hobby of sewing. My mother taught me how to sew as a kid (when I actually wanted to learn….which was sporadically). I only recently started sewing again on a regular basis. Perhaps now having two little girls to sew for has something to do with it.

Latest completed project: Oliver + S Classic Picnic Blouse and shorts.

 

I love love love these shorts! I have another “picnic” outfit in the works, but I can imagine using just the shorts pattern on a regular basis.

And I can’t say enough about Oliver + S patterns. Worth the price. The garments are well finished, and the instructions are very clear.

 

 

I used fabric from Pat Bravo’s Carnaby Street line.

When I ordered the fabric, I imagined it a bit less BRIGHT! This is a little overkill for me.

 

 

It hurts my eyes to look at my kid.

 

 

 

But she loved it. Mostly because it’s called the picnic blouse which meant she got to haul a blanket outside and play picnic in the back yard for a picture.

 

 

You can read my blog….or not….whatever…..

My blogging is not consistent lately. There are days lately when I ask myself, “Why do I have a blog?”

Yesterday, I said to my mother that it’s starting to feel pointless and goofy. But being a mother who thinks everything I do (or more likely everything the grandkids do….) is wonderful and fabulous says, “But I love it!!!”.

Of course you do.

So here’s a blog for you – my most dedicated reader and fan.

Here are some cute pictures of your grandgirls. I can’t seem the get more than two kids in a picture at a time. So this is as good as it gets.

 

 

 

 

And a rare picture with me actually in the photo. Shocking, I know.

 

 

And pictures from Mother’s Day lunch (The boy rarely lets me take his picture these days. I have to go with whatever I can get.)

 

 

 

Sorry about the yellowy, grainy indoor pictures. It’s the best I can do (without using a flash).

 

Taking cues from her bother

 

 

 

An Accidental Party

My father-in-law inadvertently promised my daughter a Cinderella party.

At least, I believe it was an accident. You see, my little girl was playing outside and got her hands dirty. My father-in-law suggested that she wash her hands before going inside, but she was insistent that they were really fine covered in side walk chalk. So, FIL says, “But you can’t go to the party with dirty hands!”

“What party?!” says curious little girl who’s favorite thing in the world is a party because parties always include cake and ice cream.

“Oh! The Cinderella Party!” says my FIL who has just now realized that this child takes everything quite literally, and he has now found himself in a fix which will involve him having to give a Cinderella Party for real instead of pretend.

“Where are we going to have the party?” asks the expectant little girl who is now going to be completely devastated if said party does not happen ASAP.

“We can have it here,” suggests FIL now realizing this really is going to happen, and he better let his wife know that she needs to make a cake STAT!

“Oh no! We’re going to have it at Mimi and Grandaddy’s house!!!” the little girl exclaims with much enthusiasm as my FIL realizes with grave disappointment that he is now in over his head.

So yesterday we had a Cinderella party at my parents’ house which included fried chicken and a Tinker Bell costume (but not the the FIL who I believe was hiding under a rock last time I heard……)

(Being the life of the party is such hard work!)

Of course, what he doesn’t realize is that we are ALWAYS looking for an excuse for a party!!! Thanks, Abba!

Sooooo……….what kind of party are we having next time?????

The Pretender

Baby Photography…….How I make it look like I paid for these:

 

I shoot almost entirely in RAW so that I can adjust exposure easily afterward (which actually means I don’t always get the exposure right in the camera because I have no idea what I’m talking about, but doesn’t sound like I do?!).

Then I open up the picture in Photoshop. I ran Pioneer Woman’s “Lovely” action (free on her website!) and sharpened the eyes and mouth. That’s all. And now I’m going to take my photo card to the local photo place, print these off, frame them, and pretend like I paid a million bucks for them.

And while taking these pictures I looked awesomely professional while holding a camera in one hand, waving a funky Eric Carle jingly catepillar in the other, and holding back a curtain with my rear……oh and talking in that really high, scary, obnoxious voice that mommas use when talking to babies.

P.S. If you are a real photographer, please feel free to feed my ego by pretending that you like these. Thanks!

Food and Stuff

Why did I cut the orange before grating?

Because I like to do things the hard way…..

My little “helper” is ALWAYS available to assist in the kitchen.

Okay. It’s time to get real.

I’ve been attempting to eat better. I reeeeeeally enjoyed this last pregnancy…..pizza, ice cream, more pizza, more ice cream…..

Getting back to healthy eating after nine months of self-indulgence is like trying to put a cat in a small kennel to go to the vet (Have you ever tried that?!?!?!). Not impossible but rather challenging. And often takes a few tries.

I always like to read food blogs for ideas about changing up salads and sandwiches. I get bored if I don’t make food interesting. And I’m not a big salad person, which means I have to work hard to make it appealing.

Here’s what I did lately….

 

Salad with leftover veggie burger and avocado. I love a good veggie burger! You should really try some different ones if you haven’t already…..just don’t think beef when you eat it. It’s a veggie burger. Not a beef burger. It will generally taste like…..veggies. Think sandwich on a bun. With veggies. Not burger. And definitely not beef. Got it?

 

This morning I made blueberry spelt flour waffles piled atop with some yummy goodness: blackberries, strawberries, 1/2 banana, coconut, peanut butter, and just a little maple syrup (couldn’t finish it!). I love breakfast! And this big whopper of a breakfast will carry me over to a late lunch – which means less snacking. Which is where I get into trouble. Potato chips do sound yummy when you’re starving at four in the afternoon….and so much quicker than making a salad!

 

Although finding time to actually cook, assemble, and eat breakfast is challenging these days. It usually occurs in stages along with a few nursings, diaper changes, dog banishings, and trips to the potty (um….for the middle child…..trips that curiously coincide with meals, telephone conversations, and any other time she feels the sudden need to demand my attention….).

I had to banish the dog this morning. I’m scared to let her in. A burnt, high fiber, spelt waffle was involved. I value my rugs too much. We’ll just leave it at that.

 

Here’s the recipe for the waffles…..

BLUEBERRY SPELT WAFFLES

2 cups spelt flour (found in health food section of Kroger)
1 Tbsp baking powder
dash of salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk (I actually used water)
1/4 oil
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup blueberries

Whisk ingredients together and pour into hot waffle iron.

 

This boy is getting too grown up. I keep saying that. And he just keeps growing. Shame on him!