Dressmaker's Workshop

We have spent the week with sick little girls, and my self trying for some rest and enjoyment with my sewing machine. I made skirts for the girls. 

This is with Fret's and Lou Lou's new skirts. Kay Kay is holding up an article about the last shuttle launch. She was so excited because we are learning about space in school. She had to share it. 

All three new skirts. They were so surprised and didn't know I could sew. They sat and watched a lot more than I would have thought. The best part being the winding of the bobbin. Apparently that is fascinating. 

Kay was very disappointed that her skirt did not twirl as much as Fret's. It is all about the twirl. She had asked for this pattern, had even picked out the fabric with me since she couldn't go to Awana. She had been the only one sick up till that point. But, to her dismay it didn't spin as well. We finally convinced her how beautiful it was, and that it more rang like a bell. All was well with my emotional little girl after that. 

Today they all got twirly skirts. They also got hair cuts. Just trims mostly. Kay's is almost even, still fixing the job she did on her own hair. These are little lady bug prints. Very adorable and on sale. Even more fun that way. 

Kay Kay thought it was hysterical to come out wearing Fret's skirt. Her sister did not find it at all funny and ran after her to get her skirt back. They have plans to wear them to MOPS on Tuesday. What fun.

Crafting business

My sister in law gave me the greatest Christmas present this year. She made me a holder for all my knitting needles. This was so needed! I get compliments on it when I go to MOPS or book club (Or Knitting Club as Jo jokingly calls it). She also gave me a gift certificate for my favorite yarn store. I finally got to get down there. Due in part to finishing other projects. The girls came with and LOVED it. They were so sweet and well behaved I might have thought they were bribed. They loved the yarn and all the buttons. Seriously large amounts. So, this is the beautiful yarn. A bit more green in real life, less teal. It is so soft and I adore it. 

We took a fun picture today of the girls' new bedroom arrangement. Fret Fret was so cute and sweet. Happy to show it off. We almost had to take the bunk bed apart after two falls from Kay Kay, but after fixing a poorly designed ladder and adding anti slip to the rungs we think we are okay.

So, onto more fun... I made these fun totes today! Haven't had my sewing machine out in ages. I used to sew, quilt, and love it. But after having kids it seemed to retire. Too much mess, too much worry and too many busy quick little fingers. The girls were so good today though. They were so interested, excited and then let me do my thing. I think I needed that. Kay was sick last night, Jo left for Chicago this morning and I was in need of a day out of the ordinary. This was it. I used scraps, old jeans and even a loved old pair of Kay Kay's pants with cute "details" as the girls call them. They turned out better than I would have thought. Now they are on the girls' dressers with their jammies in them. Well, other than mine. :)

My tote

Kay Kay's Jammy Basket shown next to mine.

All three completed!

I actually got something accomplished today. Other than dishes, feeding people, bathing people, laundry. Well something accomplished that will stay accomplished. 

Leap Day!

I told the girls they could chose what we did for Leap Day. They were so excited! They wanted to do things that involved frogs, games, pictures etc. They also really wanted to play outside. So, with all that, I suggested to go learn about frogs by seeing them. Since Kay Kay's suggestion of going to a pond and trying to find them was out, we went to the zoo. Where the girls proceeded to tell everyone and most of the animals "Happy leap Day!" Very adorable. All following pictures were taken by Fret Fret. She has been wanting to get out her camera (which only works outside) Hers had a battery leak, and we found my old one works. Which is always off and on, but good enough for her.

Ice Skating with Uncle Noah

Uncle Noah wanted to take the girls ice skating. Ever since he told them that, there was large amounts of conversation about it. They had a countdown to "Skating Day" as well as questions of how to skate or where we are to get the skates. It was a constant thing in our house, they were so immensely excited. On Saturday morning Lou Lou sat on my bed and the first thing she told me was "Last night you said that tomorrow we get to go ice skating..." and just gave me that look. The one that says I better not go back on my word. 

Getting instructions from Uncle Noah

 All of us ready to go out onto the ice. 

Kay Kay trying to skate for the first time!! Had to do it her way, and without the buckets uncle Noah brought to help. Brilliant idea by the way. worked great.

 Fret Fret just starting to get the hang of it.

Kay Kay still getting the hang of it. She wanted to do more stomping, which was good, but had a hard time moving onto the gliding and holding her legs further apart. She did better once she got double bladed skates.

 Uncle Noah and Lou Lou having loads of fun.

Lou Lou and her bucket. She was all over the ice with it. Her cheeks were red and huge with smiles all the time. Just as happy as could be. 

Uncle Noah was so quick, he would swoop in and catch the girls and saved them from quite a few falls. They still did quite a bit, but between him and the buckets the girls had a much better skating time.

Fret did so good with her buckets, and after a while was all over the place without them as well. 

Warming up for a bit. 

She was this happy the whole time. The kid who always has some ache or pain to complain of never cried, or whined. She just smiled and loved it.

Hot cocoa makes it a perfect day.

It was fun and beautiful. 

I'm sad I got no pictures of Noah pushing the girls on the buckets they loved it. He was a lot faster than I was , so they much preferred when he pushed them. It was a very fun way to rest their feet. 

Good Old Egg In a Bottle

Always one of my favorite Science Experiments with young children is sucking the egg into the bottle. The best part by far is having them brainstorm how to get it in the bottle all in one piece. I was a little worried with this egg, which seemed a bit smaller than the previous ones I used, it had me concerned that some of their suggestions would work. The popping sound was not as loud with this egg either. Which makes me think we might need to "show dad" this one, so they can get the true sucking and popping. This egg slipped in rather easily. 

They were all more than eager to put it in their science journals. I was so glad to see they got the sequence right as well as no problem with the concept. Very fun!!

Kay Kay's picture of the fire in the bottle with the egg on top. 

 Kay Kay's picture of adding the vinegar and baking soda to get it back out.

 The bubbles as the egg was pushed back out. 

 Fret's was detailed down to every step which she did make me take pictures of every page, but as it was 10 pages long, here are the highlights.

Very Specific about putting the paper on fire in the bottle.

Lou Lou's egg on the bottle with the fire in the bottle. The egg was red because coloring white eggs is just plain boring. 

And that would be another fun school day at our house! Gotta love science. It makes me so cool to my little girls. 

Yarn Along

First time joining Ginny at Small Things for a yarn along. Since two of my favorite things are also reading and knitting, I found it a perfect fit. Right now I am knitting up a Little Red Hood for Lou Lou. Being proactive on her Birthday in April. I am excited that I am already onto the increases for the hood. It is moving along quickly. I am reading Parenting With Love and Logic and really enjoying it. What a difference even the small changes we have made are. Less arguing and power struggles are always a good thing in my life. I have even asked Jody to read it. It would be his first parenting book, so we'll see. I don't agree with everything in it, but it has been very helpful! I also just got the The Book Whisperer from the library and am really looking forward to it. 

After just finishing up my big Shalom Cardigan I was really in the mood to knit something smaller and on some double points, so I picked up the socks I had put off for a long time. They are for Jody and I can at times find fingerling socks tedious. I prefer to make them with thicker yarn both for warmth and speed. But Jody really liked the one he tried on, because it didn't get his foot to warm, so I may be stuck with some fingerling socks. Variety is the spice of life as they say. I picked up and finished the first on Monday when we were all sick with a cold and cast on the second one. Amazing what being sick can do for these kind of projects!

Only need a button!

I am so excited that I finished my big knitting project! I love it. I now just need to get the perfect button for it. I had originally started this Leif Slipover, which is admittedly gorgeous, but as I was not the only one having problems with the pattern, after 3 tries I ripped it out for the last time! So, I switched to this Shalom Cardigan which is a lovely knit with no problems with the pattern. I finished it up during the Super Bowl and am very pleased. Fret Fret tried to help me get pictures, and did a decent job in my opinion. 

I do wish the picture showed better the texturing along the shoulders. Very fun. Never did a lot of knitting through the back loop before, and really like the effect. 

The girls got it in their little heads to "go camping" this morning, so I helped encourage it by getting out their tent castles. Nothing like camping in style. They played in them all morning and even ate lunch in them. They cleaned up for it first, which is why mommy was more than happy to let them.