Banana's Bread

Healthy Bread In Five Minutes A Day -A Review

2012-01-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

I bought Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day just before the holidays, and I love it! It is a wonderful book full of recipes for a "wet" bread dough that is made in large batches and stored in the fridge. It takes a bit of pre-planning for resting and rising time, but that is expected with all bread making. Where this method really stands out is in the ease of making a large batch of dough and pulling from it through the week.

The book is laid out well. The recipe pages are black and white, but there is a section of the colored photos in the center of the book (and really if you are familiar with bread it's not too hard to figure out what it's suppose to look like in the end).

Honey Wheat bread dough

All of the recipes I have tried made enough dough for five loaves. The dough is mixed in it's storage container (less dishes!), left to rest for two hours, and then kept in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks.

Pumpkin Pie Brioche dough

When it's time to make bread you just cut off a piece in the size you want and form it. This takes maybe five minutes.

Cover it and let it rise, about 90 minutes.

I also have to mention that when I made my first batch it was rising like crazy. I had a question about the resting time, so I left a question on the website . The author answered my question the next morning -Thanksgiving Day! I felt bad that I may have pulled them away from family on Thanksgiving, but was still really impressed by their obvious passion for bread, and thankful they took the time to answer my question!

The loaves can be free formed and cooked on a stone, or cooked in a pan. I cooked this one in a stonewear pie dish because I didn't have a loaf pan.

Braided Challah bread

I made up 10 loaves of the Braided Challah to give out at Christmas. The most challenging part of this was trying to wrap and bake them the day they were to be delivered. Since they are not full of preservatives the Challah goes stale after one day. I felt a little strange giving bread that was not wrapped at all, so I tried wrapping half of it in wax paper. This trapped the moisture too much on the covered side and the sugar topping melted, while the other side went stale. Yeah, yummy. They were so pretty I hated to wrap them completely, but I ended up wrapping the loaves in large sheets of tissue paper, and they seemed to fare better. I may have to work out a better wrapping system next time.

King Cakes

I also made five King Cakes for Epiphany using the Apple Strudel dough recipe from the book.

So far I've made about 27 loaves, in various shapes (rolls, rings, etc.). The dough is pretty easy to work with, once you get used to it being a little "softer" than a typical kneaded dough.

Over all the bread is really easy and enjoyable to make, easy to gift, make my house smell amazing, and best of all, taste so good. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in making bread at home.

Pier Day with Immy

2011-12-10T23:43:00.001-08:00

Sew Organized

2011-12-02T12:19:00.001-08:00

I need a big binder to keep our life organized, the kind you can slip school and activity papers into without having to recopy everything down. So I got a normal one of the three ring sort, and I was very organized; but things would fall out when I went places. So I moved up to the zippered binder, and life was all good. Then I tried to go out again and realized that after carrying a purse and baby, or more often pushing the stroller, I had no hands left to carry a binder everywhere. I tried to make it work for a while, looking like a juggling bear the whole time, but after dropping the enormous binder on the babies head for the third time I realized it was just not gonna work.

Down-sizing was not an option; I needed a binder with handles! For some reason though moving up to handles comes with a big price tag. I guess there are just a select few of us who actually need this level of organization. Since I'm a very ~~cheap~~ frugal, and I didn't want to shell out the big bucks, I decided to try my sewing machine at making some handles.

Here's what I had to start with.

Finished project!

Luckily it worked perfect! I made the handles out of ribbon, cording, and rings. Sewed them all up and then stitched them to the binder with a denim needle. It turned out so cute! I decided to remove the logo from the front too, and make it look more purse-like.

I can now slip the handles over my arm, or the stroller handle, and be off to every appointment/activity knowing I have everything I need. Hopefully this should keep me organized for a while; because the next step is wheeling around a filing cabinet.

Black Cats, ghosts, and Mummies oh my!

2011-11-22T22:08:00.001-08:00

I did a little Halloween sewing this year.

Immy's costume was just assembled, and PT's costume was purchased (they looked so cute!), so I had a little more time to focus on the homemade ones.

We started at the Goodwill to pick up some cheap pieces to chop-up, and I found this little dress for Lulu.

I cut out all the shear pink fabric from the top piece. Then I chopped off the outer layer of the skirt; short in the front, and longer like a little bustle in the back.

I used the cut off skirt to make the sleeves, and I used the bottom part of an old T-shirt to make a little white pointy hat. She was so cute and looked just like a Victorian ghost! (There are no good pictures of her wearing the dress, because I am still pathetic with my new camera. Sorry.)

For JP I dug into my old pile of white T's again. I made his hat just like Lulu's and then used the rest to cut lots, and LOTS of 2" strips.

I found the perfect Egyptian collar on an old costume at the Goodwill, so I bought that and fixed it to tie around his neck. The costume also came with ugly shoulder "adornment" which was perfect to cut off and turn into Egyptian cuffs!

I hot glued all the strips to the hat and a cotton body suit we picked up at the Goodwill. (ok, it's technically not sewing, but I was still up until 1am two nights in a row.)

It turned out really amazing, and he was so excited!

It was a great Halloween, and again, no good pics. We were just too busy having fun. ;)

Little Ghosts with Lulu

2011-11-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

Lulu is really into ghosts right now since she wanted to be one for Halloween, so while Immy and JP were at school Lulu and I made up these little ghosts to decorate the house for our Halloween party.

We used a bunch of coffee filters. Then turned them upside down, stuffed them with paper, and tied them off with some quilting thread.

Lulu helped draw faces on each one.

We used a large craft needle to run thread through the top of the ghosts.

The craft needle was perfect for little fingers, and Lulu was able to thread it all by her self!

They were so cute! We hung them from the chandelier and in the front windows for our party!

Halloween 2011!

2011-11-10T16:59:00.001-08:00

We love Halloween! A little mystery, a little scary, and a lot of fun.

It's also marks the yearly "Night we met" anniversary for me and Dh (11years!), so that adds to the fun. This year we celebrated like, well like parents, and had a party for the kids.

It started out with a little party and some friends.

Sir Pumpkin PT

Then the Trick-or-Treating prep was finished.

Black Cat Immy and Little Ghost Lulu

Monstrous Mummy JP

We all went out Trick-or-Treating in the best neighborhood in town, ours! There were literally hundreds of Trick-or-Treaters in our neighborhood. They cleaned us out of the candy!

Well, most of it, and our goblins tried to eat the rest.

Mmmm, candy. The sugar high lasted well past 10pm.

But it's only once a year, so it's ok. ;)

Our August 2011

2011-08-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

One Last Summer Field Trip

2011-08-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

Our family loves to go to the National Naval Aviation Museum, so when I realized there was time for one last field trip before the end of summer I knew it was time for a trip back! We also were excited to see the Light House, located just down the street, was open after it's renovations. It has been closed every time we've come to visit in the past, so we jumped at the chance to take a tour of that as well!

Front Entrance

Lulu was scared to be in the cockpit

Book Worm

Offering Rides?

Me and the munchkins

Photographer Lulu!

Our lunch at the Cubi Bar Café

I let the kids use the camera while we waited for our food

This is so cool!

Yep, I was totally made to be in a jet.

Get me out of here!

JP sat down to watch the old war footage. "That ship has really big guns!"

Look who can point now!

WWII Exhibits

1940's Home

The Kiddie Hawk

My Blue Angels

Pensacola Lighthouse

See any ghosts?

The kids got to touch a "real" lighthouse.

PT!

I know I went over board with the pictures, but it's my blog, so I can do that. ;)

What a doll!

2011-08-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

Immy was given this doll from a friend who no longer wanted it, but the little thing was in need of some clothes, so we set to work making her a dress. Immy picked out the fabric from my stash, and we cut out a very simple pattern by tracing around the doll. It took few tries, and after a bit I realized this was becoming my project instead of hers. It was a little more involved than I thought it would be, and since I was figuring it out along the way there really wasn't much Immy could help with. The dress came together pretty quick, and after about an hour it was all done but the hand sewing.

Dress inside

A pink bead on the front

I finished up the hand sewing while waiting for the kids at gymnastics.

The bottom of the dress has velcro, but the top of the dress would not meet up (I'm definitely a beginner at the whole pattern drafting thing!), so we used a pretty clasp instead. Kind of a happy accident!

That night after Immy went to bed I took the doll back to reenforce some of the seams on the dress sleeves, and the doll seemed to need a little something extra, so I made a head band out of elastic, green ribbon, and left over scraps from the dress. Immy was very excited when she woke up the next morning, and now insists that the doll needs a pair of socks. I think I will let her work on that. ;)

Ponyo Dinner!

2011-08-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

HAM!!

My kids love the movie Ponyo! It's like the Japanese version of The Little Mermaid, and I have to admit, I love it too. The illustrations are so fun, and the characters are so cute!

To have a little fun I decided to try to recreate the Japanese soup from the movie, and have a Ponyo Dinner; the kids were so excited!

To be totally honest, the broth left a lot to be desired, but the rest of it was pretty good. The kids ate it up!

We will have to try it again later, it's always fun to throw new recipes in to the rotation. Maybe next time we will actually use HAM!! ;)

Nom, Nom!

Garage Saling, or How To Clean Legos

2011-08-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite hobbies is garage saling (Google said to spell it that way), because I am able to find so many goodies for my family at a fraction of the price that I could buy them -if I could buy them at all. We live in a military area that happens to be wonderful for garage saling, so I am lucky for that. I estimate that it saves us close to $2000 a year on clothes, toys, and household goods.

Every other Saturday at 6am I drag my poor friend out of bed (she really does have a good time after I feed her a little coffee.), and we head out on our treasure/scavenger hunt. I even have a "shopping" list of things to look for, and we usually find them. The only catch is that most of the time I get the goodies home and they need a thorough cleaning before I will let my little ones touch them. With clothes it's pretty easy, and Clorox wipes are awesome for the big stuff and books, but sometimes I have to get creative to clean things like, say, Legos.

So here is my solution for cleaning a big box full of ridiculously-little plastic toys:

First, get a laundry bag like the one pictured below, that has a very small netting, no holes, and a tight closure at the top.
Next pour all the little pieces in the bag, close it tight, and put it in the washing machine.
Set the washer to the quick-wash with hot water, detergent, and bleach; and let the Legos wash as if they were an old towel. Speaking of, if you want to cut back some of the noise you can add a few towels to the wash -it is very loud and you would probably not want to do this while the baby is sleeping, husband is home, pope is visiting, etc.
When the wash is finished put the bag of Legos in the dryer and set it to a quick-dry on medium heat. Let it run for as long as you can stand it -it is very noisy, see above for tips on that.
When the dryer is done the Legos can be poured out onto a towel to dry further; and if you got these from a garage sale, this is also a good time to pick out all the non-Lego pieces that you really didn't want to pick out before they were cleaned.
Done! Now you can give them to your kids and not be completely grossed out later when you find them in your baby's mouth.

Laundry bag with draw-string closure; zipper would be even better.

Babyhood...

2011-08-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Going,

Gone!

It's official, he is a toddler now. Our little guy started walking about two weeks after his birthday. He looks so cute on those shaky little legs! I was so glad Dh was home that month, so he didn't have to miss it.

He has started imitating things like trying to brush his hair, color with a pen, eat with a spoon, etc; and his temper is fully developed now. If we take something away, or are not fast enough with his food, he will throw the most awful fit; but usually a distraction or a quick reprimand is all he needs, and he is right back to being a sweetheart. Then he will start to babbles in a sweet, gentle little voice as if he is telling me all about it; it just charms me every time!

Lavender Eye Pillows

2011-08-07T22:57:00.000-07:00

Yikes! It's been so long since I've posted anything creative, and I do still create, even when I am really busy. So here is something I finished up a while ago, but am just now getting around to sharing: Lavender Eye Pillows!

I made ten of these darling little pillows to include in Thank-You gift bags which were given to the board members of our local MOMS Club.

I started by making a basic patten out of paper. The top is straight and the bottom is notched in so it lays across the nose comfortably. I cut my pillows out about 1/2 inch smaller then the "pillow cases".

I had these perfect-size white cotton rectangles in my fabric stash (that were from another project I have long since forgotten about), so I ended up altering my original design and going with straight sides, but rounded side are very pretty too.

The filling station.

I decided to make my pillows with little removable "pillow cases" so that the moms could wash it if needed. (This was a suggestion from my sister who said her son put hers outside in the dirt, and it just didn't smell as nice after that...) I stitched up the three sides, leaving the small side open for filling, and filled it half full of rice. Then I added 2 tsp of lavender, and pinned the side closed. I tested this all along the way to check the comfort, that it was big enough to block out the light, not too heavy on the eyes, and that the scent was not too strong.

Three of my pillow cases ready to be sewn.

I sewed the sides of the pillows closed (not shown), and then started on the cases by putting the two sides of my cases right sides together and folding down 1/2 inch on one end and ironing it down to create a hem. I then unpinned the hem end and stitched the hem on the front and back pieces separately. I repinned them together (right sides together still) and sewed all the way around leaving the hemmed side open for the pillow to slide in.

No hand sewing needed!

A fancier closure could have been put on the cases (zipper, button, velcro, ribbon), however I liked the simplicity of these and just left mine open like little pillow cases.

Ready to sooth some tired mommas!

I put a pillow in each case and finished them of with a pretty bow and tag.

To warm put in the microwave for 20 seconds.

To use just lay back, place it over your eyes, and breath deep.

Try to relax.

Think happy thoughts...

and try not to laugh too much.

Thanks go to:

My beautiful model, Immy.

A friend from the MOMS Club who donated her beautiful quilting scraps for the covers, and

My darling husband who helped me pick the lavender in CA.

The only part of this I had to buy was the rice, so each pillow cost me around .50 cents to make!

Thank you!

Little book worm

2011-08-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Immy learned to read this past school year, and she has not stopped since.

It has become a regular scene this summer to see her lounging around with her eyes intently on her book.

I love it.

She has been very interested in "chapter books", and says she is too old for baby books. I got her some at garage sales, and my mother gave me all the American Girl Books that I read when I was little. She has blown through them, sometimes reading two AG books a day.

Take a picture of me too!

When we read at bed time does not come over to listen anymore, she prefers to read her own book. I don't mind too much, it's good for her and the little ones. Now I can read more of the books JP and Lulu enjoy to hear.

Liony is also her constant companion. There's a little bit of my "little girl" left in there.

So pretty!

July 2011 Highlights

2011-08-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

I have been keeping up with everyday life and not getting to my computer as much as I'd like, but I figure that's ok; everything has a season, and posting is on a back burner right now. This month has been busy. My Grandmother died on July 2nd, that was difficult and quickly followed by the funeral, visits from family, DH returning home, birthday parties, and the disappointing news that DH was not selected by the Reserves. Life goes on, though not exactly as we had planned. Right now we are working on plans for the future, and deciding whether or not we should move back to California. Nothing is set yet, but I'm sure it will all work it's self out soon. Here are a few highlights from our busy month.

Immy's actual birthday

The birthday was a really big deal this year. I had kind of forgotten what it's like to be SO excited about your birthday coming. She had a whole list of things she wanted to do for her day. I usually don't indulge the birthday wants too much, reminding my kids that the party is coming; however, it had been a hard week for all of us and a fun distraction was just what we all needed. First on the list was "Going shopping at the mall". (Is she that old already??) She had birthday money burning a hole in her pocket, so we went to The Children's Place to buy shoes and trinkets. Then she wanted to ride a big bouncing ride we had seen at the mall once before, but it was gone so I suggested the merry-go-round. She was thrilled with the substitute, and even more happy that her brothers and sister could ride it with her.

I had to stand with Lulu, so even PT got to ride.

Smiles all around.

After the mall Immy wanted to go to Pizza Hut, but we switched that out with Wendy's eaten in the car. (Close enough.) Then we did a surprise stop at Dairy Queen. Each of the kids got to pick their treat, and I shared my favorite, an Oreo Blizzard, with PT. We tend to draw a bit of attention wherever we go, and this was no exception. Immy ate hers carefully like a big girl, but JP got his all over his face -on purpose. This was met with loads of giggles and encouragement from the girls. PT was pretty clean, because I fed him, but he kept turning around to give irresistible baby smiles to the ladies behind us. And Lulu was doing more talking than eating so she had to share her drippy cone with PT before it turned into a puddle. They had fun, and so did I; mission accomplished.

Sweets for my sweeties

Here I am after a night out with the ladies. I am related to all of these fine ladies, and lucky for it too. We were all in town to say our good-byes to my grandmother, an amazing lady herself. After a week of expecting her to pass at any moment, we stole away for a little time to catch up. She actually passed away while we were out, and we quietly ended the evening. It was a strange mix of emotions, and bitter sweet to get "the call" while we were all together. She waited to pass on until the last grandchild had shown up to say good-bye; well, almost, the last one was actually in Germany and could not make it back. But all the others made it, 57 total -I think, I rarely stop to count, but there's a lot of us. It certainly isn't the only thing she contributed, but it's a fine way to leave, having given so much love to so many people.

The party!

We had a lovely party for Immy at the splash park, and we were able to invite all her school friends that we could hunt down. The hard thing about having your birthday during the summer. But she has so many non-school friends it's nice not to have to invite the whole class.

I'm meeelting, meeeeelting..

It was a cooker of a day, most of us parent were eyeing the water, wishing we could run through it too. The kids had a blast, and we were able to do the cake and presents just in time before a thunder storm hit and sent our guests scattering.

Big smiles from the birthday girl!

Who is this toddler, and where did my baby go??

I snuck out of bed a little early one morning, and when I turned around to tuck the baby in I nearly gasped! Did he get that big over night!?

Another day at the beach.

The storms had churned up a lot of seaweed, and it was everywhere. Yuck. It was inconvenient to me and we left early, but I always feel bad for the people who had to drive a really long way to get here. They don't have the option to just come back another day, and it really is so much more fun when the water is clear.

AAAAHHH, there's seaweed on me

I took Immy in for a chop. Her long hair was beautiful, but a lot for her to manage. Unfortunately I took her to a kids salon and got a pretty poor hair cut. I don't know why, but I never seem to get a good cut from the cutesie kids places.

She is so cute though!

Best kept secret in Solvang!

2011-08-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

We found this sweet little thrift shop while we were in Solvang. Most things in town are a bit pricey, but at this shop and the custard stand next door you can walk away happy for just a few dollars. If you find yourself in Solvang be sure to stop by!

A thrift shop with just fabric and sewing notions.

ALL fabric .99 cents a yard!

look at those prices!

You pay for the Thrift Shop goods at the custard shop next door.

All the food and treats are $1 to $2 at Custard's Last Stand.

Look for Custard's Last Stand and Buttons 'N Bows on First Street, in Hans Christian Andersen Square!

Happy Birthday, to my July darlings!

2011-07-19T13:36:00.001-07:00

Happy #7 Miss Immy!

Happy birthday sweet Immy! Your seven years have flown by. You are so smart, kind, and a natural leader. You make me laugh. You have a wonderful understanding of how to get people to do things -good or bad. You love your brothers and sister, and you are talkative and quick to make a new "best friend". You are also often happy to just be alone drawing or reading. You taught me how to be a momma, and everything you do will always be new to me. I love you, and the "new" that each year with you brings.

Big #1!

Happy birthday PT! Your first year has flown by, and it would break my heart to think that you are growing so fast were I not enjoying it so much! You are driven and determined. You are a bit particular, but you love to see new things. You have a temper, but are also quick to smile and laugh. We have so much fun with you, and you adore your brother and sisters. I love you.

Happy 27!

Darling, I laugh because we are starting to feel old- though we are far from grey. Life feels a bit more fragile than it did before, and we are starting to realize just how fast it goes. We have been together for eleven years, with good and bad, and lots of time apart; but I am thankful for all of it and how it has taught us to treasure our time together now. I love you for your dreams, and determination. For your sense of humor, and the amazing way you make friends everywhere. Thanks for the everyday; you have my love always.

California

2011-07-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more highlights from our trip.

Casa De Soledad

PT and I spent a few days just chillin' in DH's man-pad, and I am in love! Well, of course I'm in love, but not just with DH; also with the simple, small space! Is it time to move yet?

PT's first trip to the SLO Farmers Market!

Mmmmm, cheddar garlic bread. Nom, Nom!

Hiking at Gaviota

PT and me at the Hot Springs. I picked up a little poison-oak rash to remember the trip.

A visit to the amazing Salvatore's espresso machine shop.

Solvang!

Flower Fields in Lompoc

Train Station at Surf Beach

San Francisco

2011-07-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

On the way back home from our visit to the base we decided to drive through SF. I had flown out of the there before, but never really driven through the city, so it was a treat!

San Quentin

It was so cold and windy!

We stopped at a vista point over the Golden Gate bridge, and found that it was also the sight of an old military battery; so cool!

Still foggy

The wind was blowing really hard and it was so cold that it kind of took your breath away, so we took a little shelter down in the battery.

Battery Spencer

PT was so good, and really enjoyed getting out of the car for a bit.

Officer's Quarters

Golden Gate Bridge

Alcatraz Island

In the city

Our good little traveler munching on some bread.

SF!!

Head West Young Man

2011-06-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hh has been working in CA on four week rotations, four weeks out then one or two back home, so this time when he went back out for work PT and I tagged along for a visit! The other kids got to spend the time with Noni and Popi (Thanks Mom and Dad!), so they had fun too.

PT's first plane ride

PT is an awesome traveler and loved to look out the plane window, maybe a future flyer??

Soaking up the attention

We were excited to receive a last minute invitation to come out to the base Dh will be working at, so after we flew in, we hopped in a rental car and drove five hour to the base. It was a long day of traveling, but PT was a real trooper, and I was so thrilled to see the Reserve base and everything we have been working so hard for. The people were so kind, and after our brief tour and lunch, we set up plans to meet up with some of the families at the local festival.

The fest was at a waterfront park

It was an absolutely gorgeous day!

There was food, vendors, and music; and of course ice cream!

Little PT

After the fest we drove over to Napa to look around.

So pretty!

Napa!

I wish we had had a day to just look around there, but maybe another time.

Hey Handsome!

The next day we were given the privilege of a touring the airplane Dh will be flying. Such a thrill for our plane-lovin' family! And, it was wonderful to see what we have been working towards for the last two years.

The Plane!

A cool inside view from the upper window

PT and I in the future office. :) He was so mad I wouldn't let him touch the controls!

It was so wonderful! The hardest part was that we have to wait two more years to get back out there! That being said, the one thing moving a lot teaches you is to enjoy every bit of where you are. Everything in life is temporary, so I will still treasure being near my family for as long as I can!

The Near-Perfect Beach Bag

2011-06-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Since it's mid summer and hot, hot, hot here, I thought I would share my advice for the Near-Perfect Beach Bag!

I have seen, and been, one of those parents that have over prepared for the beach, just to have a miserable time toting it all out, and in, and keeping up with it all; so this summer my goal was to see how little we could get by with. It turns out we don't need much to have a wonderful time!

The contents of our ONE beach bag.

In our bag was: a blanket, a paddle (mama's strict about beach rules), a camera, snack for the baby, a phone, baby wipes, one diaper, water, (and unseen) keys, a sun screen stick, and a banana. The bag was very light and easy enough for a child to carry, leaving me free to carry the baby.

Also, I brought and left in the van: one towel for each child and extra diapers. I had $10 in my back pocket for ice cream, and we brought a small bucket of sand toys.

To the beach!

I had the kids hold hands, Immy carried the bag, and Lulu carried the sand toys. I carried (only!) the baby. We didn't pack food because I planned our trip for 8am; we ate breakfast before we left, had ice cream at the beach around 11am, and we were home for lunch. Very, very simple, and the most fun I have had at the beach in a long time!

Moments of May 2011

2011-06-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

PT's cast is off after three weeks

Construction paper hats. Lulu looks like a little Dutch girl!

Harvested more herbs

Immy's new boots

JP's paper replica of a Navy Tomahawk. Totally his idea, design, and construction; I love that.

Gymnastics

School Spring Carnival

Last Day of School

PT at the Park

Big Kahuna's

New tooth and banana spiked hair!

Lulu at swim class

Immy

To the Beach!

2011-05-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

All Set!

PT and me

Lulu

The girls

JP and his Sand Turtle

Ice Cream!

Me and My Beach Babies

Bug Jars!

2011-05-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

The kids have been fascinated with bugs recently, and have been interested in collecting and inspecting every little creature they find, so a few weeks ago we set to work to make some happy homes for our new guests. After that we laid down a few rules so we could all live together peacefully: #1 No bugs in the house unless they are in a jar, #2 Bug jars are not allowed to be opened in the house ever, and lastly, #3 No bug jars in the beds (this one we had to add later).

Immy's rock jar, Mole Cricket home, Wood Beetle terrarium

The small jar came first, but when the Wood Beetle started to become a long term resident we set him up with a roomier pad. An old applesauce jar was perfect, and a cork screw put nice little holes in the lid. We looked online to see what the bugs are called, eat, and need to survive; then we try to set up each home to make our guests comfortable.

Now we are all happy. Luckily for the bugs they get switched out regularly, and we are learning all sorts of great lessons like don't pick up your millipede with pliers, and wood beetles don't like to take a bath, and pincher bugs actually will pinch you.

Yep, good times.

Favorite Bits of April 2011

2011-05-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

No front teeth!

Snoozin' with Happy Doggy

Chicken Pox!

So happy!

Daddy and JP

My herbs

Field Day!

Flyin' a Kite!

Lulu

Fabric Easter Egg Tutorial

2011-05-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

These are a sweet addition to special Easter basket, and can be used year after year!

To make a Fabric Easter Egg you will need:

A large oval to trace as your pattern

1/4 yard of fabric

Needle, thread, and hoop for embroidering (optional)

Sewing machine and notions

Stuffing for filling

Scissors

Step 1: Trace two ovals onto your fabric for the front and back of the egg (the pocket will be on the back of the egg). Then trace one more oval that is 1 inch longer (but not wider) than the first two. This will be for the pocket.

Step 2: Center the traced egg that will be your front piece in your hoop and embroider. Finish all your embroidery, and then cut out all the traced eggs.

Step 3: You will have three pieces; a front, a back, and the pocket. Fold the pocket piece in half, iron, and then decide which side you want to show on the finished egg. That will be the front of your pocket (the right side).

Step 4: Pin the pocket to the bottom half of the egg-front piece, right sides together.

Step 5: Sew the pocket onto the front piece. It will look backwards.

Step 6: Pin the egg-back piece on top of the egg-front w/pocket piece, right sides together.

Step 7: Sew all the way around leaving a 1-2 inch opening at the bottom for turning.

Step 8: Turn right side out through the hole in the bottom, and iron. The pocket will still look backwards and be on the front side of the egg.

Step9: Stuff the egg with filling, then hand stitch the hole at the bottom closed.

Step 10: Flip the pocket over the bottom of the egg so it's on the back side, this will hide your stitches inside the pocket. Slip in your special treat, and you are done!

It's so easy JP even made one with his special bug fabric.

JP's, Lulu's, PT's, and Immy's

Easter 2011!

2011-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Easter morning

Dh was in charge of getting all the gifts for the baskets, since he was out of town for all the Easter prep. He did an amazing job, and each one of the kids had (several) special things to discover Easter morning!

JP and Immy got started early, while Lulu was sleeping in.

I even got a special Easter gift!!

New camera!

After mass we had an egg hunt with the cousins at my parent's house.

Ready, set, go!

Lulu

Immy

PT and Daddy

Laying down on the job?

Looking for the Golden Egg.

Immy: I will find it! Lulu: I'm never going to find it!

JP: I have to find it before Bper! Bper: I have to find it before JP!

Good job Immy!

Happy 1st Easter PT!

Banana

Fabric Easter Eggs

2011-05-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am so late with this post that I thought about not even putting it up, but I still like to record what we did this year just in case I (or someone else) want to do it again next year. So here are the fabric Easter eggs I made for the kids this Easter.

Here is the Secret Pocket Easter Egg I made first using the tutorial from Sew, Mama, Sew. A couple of the moms in my MOMS Club got together and we made these, but I didn't think it turned out very well. We were all experienced sew-ers, and the eggs turned out looking more like beach balls. The pocket was also too small to be of any use.

My second attempt was much better. I drew up a simple three piece pattern that has the pocket on the back. I think it is much easier to make and has a good size pocket for treats and candy.

I will try to post a simple tutorial soon.

My Peeps (Easter Marshmallows)

2011-04-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to try my hand at homemade marshmallows for a while, so for Easter; instead of getting my favorite Easter candy, Peeps, I tried out this recipe. It was surprisingly easy! I followed the recipe exactly until the end; I sprinkled on the colored sugar after it had cooled for about an hour. It had to have some of that pretty, sweet sugar coated Peep goodness!

A boys side and a girls side.

Dusted the bottom with powdered sugar

I dipped the cookie cutters in powdered sugar between each cut.

I only cut five bunnies, to give to my kiddos (one messed up), and the rest were eggs. The egg shape was so much easier. I rolled the cut edges in powdered sugar after each cut, and dipped all the extra bits in powdered sugar at the end. None of this deliciousness was going to waste!

My finished "Peeps" and the extra bits.

They are so pretty!

Sadly I haven't gotten to try them yet! I gave up sweets for Lent, but this Sunday I will have to test them out to make sure they're good. I think PT will need help eating his too...

Strawberry Time!

2011-04-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

We went strawberry picking again this year! We went a few weeks ago; I think mid April would have been much better timing, because they were not quite as sweet as I like them, but we still bought a couple pounds to make into jam and, of course, eat!

Out picking with the MOMS Club

Sweet as a strawberry!

Picking with Aunt Cricket

Pretty little Lulu

He loves to be outside!

Homemade Canner

I don't have much storage space, or very big eyes on the stove, so I didn't want to buy a huge pot for boiling my canning jars. Instead, I set five wide-mouth canning rims and a silicone pot holder in the bottom of a tall stock pot, and used this to boil my jars of jam. Worked like a charm!

(You can see the pot on the stove behind the kids below.)

My big helpers

This was a perfect time for JP and Lulu to help out in the kitchen. They loved cutting the berries, and it was ok that some of them where mangled or had bites, since they were all going to be boiled down anyway.

Lulu and JP

Strawberry pop?

PB&J here we come!

I'm So Blue

2011-04-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Tired baby after 7hr of running around to doctor's offices.

Poor little PT, he had an awful fall yesterday and broke his leg. I was absolutely beside myself with worry when he got hurt, I tried all my mommy-tricks and when he didn't calm down I knew something was really wrong. I didn't see him fall, so I was thinking the worst, and in that respect it was a relief to find out it was just his leg. It's so hard to see his cute, chubby little leg all wrapped up in a cast, but I am thankful for all the wonderful care he received. I'm thankful to live in a time with x-rays and water-proof casts; and to know that it's just the next few weeks that will be hard, not the rest of his life. He has been so good about it too, he is one tough cookie. He is already trying to crawl on it, just having trouble sleeping and moving about, because it's so heavy. Hopefully by the end of the week he will be scooting around and pulling up again, I don't think it will keep him down for long.

Still smiley!

PT: No More Pox and Crawling!

2011-04-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Chicken Pox are gone! For now.

JP and Lulu haven't gotten them yet, so that's a waiting game, but PT's are done and gone!

Here he is about half way through his first week.

Itching like crazy and still so smiley!

Here he is after the itching was over, but still covered in pox.

Look what I can do!

You can see it didn't slow him down much, he learned a new trick. He is now pulling up and crawling!

Exploring

Here he is at two weeks. He has a few light spots left, but other than that he is totally back to normal.

Still smiling!

What a busy two weeks!

He is so happy he can crawl into the playroom now.

St. Patrick's Day Gold Hunt for Preschoolers!

2011-04-10T21:36:00.000-07:00

First station of the Gold Hunt

I wanted to teach my kids about the saint behind St Patrick's Day, as well as celebrate all the other fun traditions of this special day, so I rolled them all together in to a fun Gold Hunt!

Gold Hunt stations: #1 Leprechaun, #2 Boat, #3 Pig, #4 School, #5 Shamrock, #6 Pot of Gold

First I researched a little about the life of St Patrick and the reasons behind the traditions, then I picked out six points that I wanted to use for the clues. (I held the Hunt as a MOMS Club activity, so I kept it secular; however it could have been done with a much more Christian focus.) I tried to pick simple items since our little ones have short attention spans and cannot read. I chose pictures that would work in black and white and color (I will explain that next) and then I wrote a short bit of information to tell the kids about the days significance (sneaking the teaching in there!) followed by the clue telling them what to look for next.

Little Clue Books with six pages

I needed something to keep the little ones busy before the hunt, while we waited for everyone to show up, and to help keep them focused during the hunt, so I created these Clue Books. I took each of the "clue" pictures and made them black & white then printed them out and turned them into little books. When the kids arrived they got a Clue Book to put their name on and color.

Putting up the stations

We held the hunt at a local park that had a playground, soccer field, and picnic area. I, and some great helpers, arrived early to set up. I took the Gold Hunt Stations and wire-tied them onto the fence going around the soccer field. The first five stations were evenly spaced around the field, and set up so that we would end near the picnic area. We set up the Clue books and food at the picnic area and let the kids color and play on the playground until it was time to hunt.

My little Good Luck charm!

First Gold Hunt Station

When it was time to hunt I collected up all the Clue Books and walked the kids out to the field. We stopped for a minute and I talked to the kids about what Leprechauns were and how they love to play tricks and had set up this gold hunt for the kids. I don't have that part written down, I just made it up on the spot when I realized most of the kids were so little that they had never heard of them before.
One of the tricks with keeping the attention of this age is asking lots of simple questions as you teach; the kids love to feel smart and show off what they know. There was lots of excitement and yelling as the kids joined in with their answers!

First Station

When we got to the first GH station I passed out the Clue Books and read to them from the page. I read them the first clue and showed them how to look in their Clue Book if they were stumped for the answer. The clues were very simple: "What did the pirates use to sail across the water...". Answer: a boat. This corresponded to the boat picture in their book and on the next Gold Hunt Station they were looking for.

Hunting

When they had all shouted out the answer I pointed them in the right direction and we all ran to find the next station. All the kids were so excited by all of the finding and running and looking. One of the little girls actually screamed "I am so excited!! This is the most fun ever!!". (That's pretty great coming from a three year old.)
While we were out in the field hunting I had a helper set up the last station and the "gold" at the picnic area.

Fifth Gold Hunt Station

Six stations was perfect, because by the fifth one the littlest kids were starting to wander, and we made one last run to find the Pot of Gold!

Run! Do you see it?

Sixth Gold Hunt Station

The last station was put up over the picnic table with the Pot of Gold (yellow popcorn), Gold Bags, and all the food and goodies!

Pot of Gold and Gold Bags!

The Gold Bags were filled with Werther's and Hershey nuggets

I passed out one Gold Bag to each child, then we had snack and let the kids play.

Which one will I choose?

This hunt took a little planning, but it was so worth it for the children's reaction! Everyone had so much fun, even the moms, and I think the kids enjoyed learning a little bit about this special day!

Aaaaah! Chicken Pox!

2011-03-31T22:38:00.000-07:00

Poor little PT has come down with them. They don't actually look that bad yet, but he is pretty uncomfortable, and I know the other kids will get them soon. Bummer.

It's kind of strange to think that just one generation ago Chicken Pox were very normal. Everyone got them; now it is an oddity. I'm not against vaccines; we get most of them for our kids, but not all of them. Chicken Pox is something we decided to let our kids get naturally, and now they have. If I could go back I'm not sure I would choose the same, I hate seeing my kiddos in pain, but I still feel strongly about all the reasons behind our decision, so I guess I probably would do it again. I'm hoping in three weeks it will all be behind us, the kids will have their natural immunities, and we will be glad to have it over and done. We will see... I will keep you posted.

Happy Birthday Little Lulu!

2011-03-31T22:06:00.000-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet little Lulu.

You are sweet and tender hearted; charm everyone around you with your goodness, and you light up our lives. We love you.

Make a wish!

Decorated Sandwich bags

2011-03-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

I love the idea of Bento Boxes, the lunch box Japanese women send with their loved ones. They take time to create edible works of art to make the recipient feel special and express their love. I would love to be able to do that each day, but I don't have the time or skill, so my simple American alternative is to decorate the sandwich bag! (I did say it was simple)

Traced with Sharpies in three colors.

I usually draw a picture and a note that tie in with what Immy is learning at school for the week. This past week they were reading Dr Suess and Olivia books, and I realized that I could just set the bag over a page in the book and trace away! I think they turned out pretty neat, and it encourages her to work on her reading skills.

One part of the story each day.

I usually make up her sandwiches ahead of time and put them in the freezer; she gets one each day.

We looked! And we saw him! The cat in the hat!

But our fish said "NO"! Make that cat go away!

Sally and I did not know what to do. So we had to shake hands with thing one and thing two.

This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things. (Book title: 40 VERY LOUD SONGS)

This is Immy's favorite page.

I'm so lucky.

2011-03-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Homemade Fabric Cupcakes

2011-03-20T23:48:00.000-07:00

Here are some sweet (hehe) little fabric cupcakes I made as a gift for my niece back at Christmas time.

Yummy!

I bought a 1/3 of a yard of this cupcake fabric and evenly circled the cupcakes all the way around with a sharpie marker.

Then I cut out all the cupcakes, put the matching ones right sides together and stitched almost all the way around leaving the bottom open for stuffing.

Watch your fingers, it's hot!

I stuffed them so they were pretty firm and hot glued the bottom edges to the stuffing. Then I hot glued a round piece of felt to the bottom making it hard and flat so they would stand up.

So pretty, and they're low-fat too!

Done!

The fresh batch ready to go!

Felt Shamrock Hairclips

2011-03-10T23:29:00.000-08:00

We made some felt shamrocks for St. Patrick's day!

My lovely models

Hair clips for the girls.

Shirt pins for the boys.

However unwilling

Mine could slip on a clip or headband.

Immy's, Lulu's, and JP's

I used a different stitch around each one, they turned out really cute.

No pinches for us on St. Patrick's Day!

Felt Mardi Gras Crown

2011-03-10T23:12:00.000-08:00

We made another King Cake for a Mardi Gras party on Fat Tuesday, and this time I made a crown for the one who found the bean in the cake. Want to guess who found the bean??


Queen for the day!

Lulu!

Meme

2011-03-10T23:00:00.000-08:00

Me and Meme with the babies.

Rain

2011-03-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

Rain, rain come today. All my kids will want to play.

Rain, rain don't be blue. Little Lulu will run through you.

Rain, rain drip and drop. In your puddles Immy will hop.

Rain, rain come on down. JP would like to splash around.

Rain, rain don't be shy. Come a fallin' from the sky.

Look who's sitting up!

2011-03-10T22:39:00.000-08:00

PT 7mo old!

Valentine's Day Crafting

2011-03-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

I did some fun stuff with the kids over the Valentine's week. First we made some cute little garlands from Whisker Graphics.

I replaced the hearts with the kids finger prints.

Lulu's

This was a fun craft the kids could do mostly on their own.

JP's

Then we made V's day cookies, and the kids got to decorate.

There were lots of sprinkles!

And lots of tasting!

Everything is cute with a heart marshmallow on top!

Then we made lots of valentines for the parties coming up using this clever idea we found in the Crafty Crow.

hanging to dry

Immy painting

We printed on one side and painted on the other.

We punched a hole and tied a candy to each one!

Baby Woodland Elf Hat

2011-03-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

I made this darling little hat to go with a friend's baby shower gift. It turned out so pretty I really had to talk myself out of keeping it. That wasn't too hard considering I have a boy baby, and his giant brain has already taken his head well beyond newborn size, but I just liked looking at it. I loved how it was modern and kind of Victorian at the same time. I got the feeling like when you look at your child and think "wow, I made that."; in a lesser sense of course, but still very satisfying.

Anyway, back to the hat. (I shouldn't blog at night; all sorts of randomness comes out.) I got the pattern from Amy Karol's book Bend the Rules Sewing. I absolutely love this book, and her blog Angry Chicken.

The hat was really simple and was easily finished in a couple of hours. I used a fleece fabric since I didn't have wool, and it turned out beautiful. I really like how the ties curled up, and look like little ringlets. A lovely little gift for a lovely little girl.

More of my beautiful models!

Yellow, Pink, and Green Baby Shower!

2011-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower for my sis and her darling little Lysi back in January. Everything turned out so beautiful and we had so much fun!

We set up a crafting/sewing table with a stack of baby items for the guests to pick from, and we asked that everyone re-fashion at least one thing. We had paint, a glue gun, ribbon, sewing supplies, and more!

The food was wonderful! I was so lucky to have great help in the kitchen.

These Martha Stewart tissue balls were perfect over the table and bar, and they are so easy to make!

Here is the beautiful cake my mom made for the party.

We had a Mommy Suggestions Board where guests could pin their best mommy advice.

And candy dishes everywhere!

My mom had these wonderful 64oz mason jars, we filled then with candy and put a jar candle down the center to make lovely decorations.

The baby bath made a perfect ice bucket to chill the "milk"(Pina Colada!), juice, and sprite.

The guests stayed busy at the craft table, and the creations were amazing! We also kept them busy with several games: Drink the Bottle, Mom Memory, Diaper Draw, Guessing baby's weight (since she was already born), and Sock Match.

Every guest did something unique and special!

Epiphany Jan. 6, 2011!

2011-03-02T15:56:00.000-08:00

Epiphany morning!

This year we continued our tradition of opening the stockings on Epiphany, but since we were out of town for Christmas we decided to give the kids their gifts from us and Santa on this day as well.

We also had some gift exchanges planned with the family here, so it was the perfect occasion to have a party!

Princess Lulu

We had my parents, sister/brother in law, and all the kids over to open the gifts and share the King Cake!

Homemade King Cake, yum!

PT and Popi

Immy

Immy, JP, and Banana

(Almost) Everyone had a wonderful time!

Happy Three Kings Day!

Cuteness!

2011-02-28T22:23:00.000-08:00

She calls this sleeper her "doggies".

Chocolate milk monster

He is just so cute!

Colorado 2010!

2011-02-28T22:11:00.000-08:00

Buckled in and ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's!

Christmas 2010!

Happy 1st Christmas PT!

No time like the presents!

Legos!

Petshop!

We loved the Denver Museum of Nature and Science!

Reindeer kiss!

Dinosaurs!

Immy

Mummies!

The kids were so excited about every single thing! Mummies, dinosaurs, animal dioramas! Everything! They had watched Night at the Museum the night before, so they were convinced that everything comes to life after dark. "Better not stay to late, mom."

"Take our picture in front of this!"

This is Immy's "I wanted my picture in front of the Llamas." face.

JP was so excited about the cheetah! I think he thought it was Baby Jaguar from Diego.

Aunt E, Grandpa, and Grandma

SNOW!

Lulu

Immy

JP and Uncle T

Headed home after another wonderful visit!

No-sew Nursing Tops

2011-01-11T22:11:00.000-08:00

I have been making these no-sew nursing shirts for myself since my first baby was born.

I realized right away that nursing in public was sometimes a necessity, and pulling my shirt up not only showed way too much belly, but also made it obvious that I was nursing; two things a shy new mom didn't want. At the time I found lots of lovely nursing shirts and dresses online, but they were out of my budget. I started making these as a cheap alternative to the expensive ones I saw online, and after a while I found these to be so convenient and versatile that I wore them nearly everyday! I hope this idea helps you as well!

This is a really easy project and requires no sewing, so it is very fast! I often end up making one of these on my way out the door in the morning!

*This post does contain (modest) pictures of the nursing shirt on, just so ya know.*

Grab an old tank top out of your closet and put it on.
Take a pen and mark a dot at the top outside edge of each breast on your shirt. Then mark the bottom inside edge the same way.
Take the tank top off and cut from top dot to the bottom dot. -This does not have to be perfect, no one will ever see it, and the baby doesn't care. When you are done it should look like the picture below.
Put the shirt on (with a nursing bra underneath, not a tank top as seen in the pics.), and layer it with a shirt that has either a low cut neckline or buttons down the front. This also works great with low-cut and button down dresses!
You are done! When you need to nurse/breastfeed just pull the top shirt to the side, and feed the baby through the "new" cut shirt. Your chest and stomach will stay well covered (Though you may still want to throw a blanket over your shoulder for a little bit of privacy.), and you can focus on your sweet little one without feeling like you just put on a show!

cut shirt

What it should look like finished (minus white tank underneath)

Layering example #1

Example #2

Example #3

Pull aside to nurse/breastfeed

Thanks Aunt CC!

2010-12-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

November 2010!

2010-12-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

Happy boy!

JP took his birthday money and picked out some toys at the store; he got a bubble gum machine, flashlight, motorcycle man, and chainsaw!

Immy's Johnny Appleseed Play!

Immy was so excited about her play, she was singing all week!

In costume

I made the apron out of a vintage pillow case from my great grandma.

Here is a short video of the kids singing the apple song.

All the kids looked so cute!

Immy got to stand right up front.

PT. He is getting so big!

JP thought it was great to stroll around the baby, PT was not so excited.

Look who has gotten his thumb!

PT

2010-12-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

I'm

not

happy!

Happy 5th Birthday JP! Oct. 2010

2010-12-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

October 2010

2010-12-29T19:03:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe the year is coming to an end already; I better get on it!

At the end of each year I have all my blog posts from January to December printed out into a book, but due to the arrival of our latest pride-and-joy, my posts are only up to October! Sooo, prepare yourselves for a bunch of really long posts while I get caught up!

October 2010:

What do you do with the kids when it rains almost every day of the week?

Quick disclaimer: It was a really warm Oct, and there wasn't any thunder or lightning. I haven't completely lost my senses. Yet.

Also, look at my herbs in the background! My 1st attempt at gardening was a success! Not all of the plants survived, but I ended up with eight potted herbs. The kids also planted watermelon and beans in the side yard.

PT, Noni, and cousin Mew

First Smiles!

Corn Maze outing!

Me and the kids.

I forgot the sunscreen, so I made all my kids wear these dorky hats. They will thank me when they're older.

Me and PT

Kids in the corn maze.

We are done having fun.

The kids were good sports, but Oct in Florida isn't exactly winter; it was so hot! I didn't know they could grow corn on the surface of the sun.

Immy

A. F. Armament Museum outing

My kids love planes, and going to the museum is a huge thrill for them!

Lulu and cousin Bper looking at the AIRPLANES!!!

Lulu stopping to pick flowers

They were all a bit scared they were going to fall off.

Me, cousin Bper, Lulu, and JP in front of the new monument honoring service dogs.

Me and JP checking out a butterfly.

Lulu and Bper checking out a tank inside the museum!

"Flying" in the F-15 cockpit.

Pumpkin Patch outing!

Lulu is making her craft.

Lulu and JP watching to see if pumpkins float.

Cute Cousins!

Me and PT.

I'm glad my sister hangs out with us all the time, because she is a great photographer and I get to be in front of the camera for a change. Oh, and I like her too.

How cute is this!?

Lulu picking her pumpkin.


Tinker Bell, G.I. Joe, and Cheerleader.

Happy Halloween!

Skeleton PT. It's not easy being this cute.

Lulu, PT, and me making a caramel apple.

Immy, very proud of her face painting after the church picnic!

Swollen face after a fever.

2010-12-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

Histamine reaction to a fever.

Ok, strange picture time. In mid Oct my kids had a histamine reaction to their fevers. At the time I could not find any information about it online, and when I called our doctor the nurse just told me to bring the kids in to be checked (Yes, I would love to drag my four sick, throwing-up kids to your office, pay you over $100, and then have you tell me "Give her some Benadryl". Gee thanks.). So I am putting this info up for my reference in the future, and for anyone else who may benefit from it.

Mid Oct all my kids caught a bad case of the flu, and JP and Immy both had a fever for about five days. JP was sick first and after his fever broke his face swelled up, so I gave him some Benadryl right before bed and in the morning he was fine. One week later Immy was getting over her fever and when it broke her face swelled more than JP's. I gave her Benadryl before bed, but in the morning her face was not better. It stayed very swollen for three days, and kept me very worried, but there was no fever so I just waited and watched her closely. The third day she looked good enough to go back to school. Later I mentioned the incident to my parents and my dad said "Oh, they had a histamine reaction to the fever." as if it was a very common thing. Apparently during the fever toxins build up in the body and when it broke their bodies reacted as if to an allergy. Once the toxins cleared out of their systems they were fine. Their symptoms were swollen face, puffy eyes, and runny nose.

Airplanes!

2010-11-18T23:06:00.000-08:00

We absolutely love to get over to the National Naval Aviation Museum for a visit. It's a bit of a drive, but for a plane love'n family like us it is so worth it! Here are a few pics from our trip in September.

Bper and Lulu driving the USS "Kiddie" Hawk

I spy...

Smooth sailing

JP, Immy, Bper, and Uncle B

Lulu and Daddy

Ready for take-off!

Bail! Bail! Bail!

Snack Time

The Crew

Weigh Anchor, and head for home!

PT's Baptism Day!

2010-11-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Blessing with water

Only a small fuss, he was tired.

Lighting the Baptismal candle

Presenting him to the church

Baptismal font


Welcome, little PT!

Sewing, Strawberries, Skirts, and Skorts

2010-11-17T22:43:00.000-08:00

A little bit of crafting is getting done in between moments of chores, kids, and baby snuggling.

I did a little midnight canning when our freezer gave us fits and defrosted all my frozen strawberries.

Literally midnight, look at that clock!

The berries actually defrosted earlier in the day, but when you start canning after the kids go to bed you don't get done until the wee hours. The jelly is so good though!

A little refashioning; I bought this size 14 skirt for $1 and stitched down the sides to make it my size. I also followed the lines from my other favorite skirt (that doesn't fit yet, need to lose a few more postpartum pounds) to give this a "tulip" shape. It turned out cute.

There were a few more small sewing projects completed; Immy made a pillow for her teacher, and I made two laundry bags to hang on the side of the changing table.

Darks and Lights!

Here is a more recent refashioning project Skirt turned Skort.

1$ skirt

1$ shorts

I cut off the short's waist band and pockets.

Pinned it inside the skirt.

Sewed all the way around except for about two inches in the front where the zipper is.

inside out front

inside out back

I left a little slack in the front so the button and zipper could still be undone. I also left the old tags in so I could see what size the skirt is.

In about an hour it went from skirt to skort, really simple and really cute!

No panties here!

Nap Time, Aug 2010

2010-10-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

I found her fast asleep.

A whole lot'a first's. Aug 2010

2010-10-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

JP's first day of school!

Teachers watch out. :)

Kids first recipe creation. It tasted as good as it looked.

What do you see, my little one?

First lessons

First school project

Play time!

2010-10-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

Soap building blocks...

hand mirrors...

and headbands,

Oh, my!

Who needs toys and a playroom when we can just play in Mama's bathroom?

First Grade!

2010-10-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

First day of first grade! When did she get so big?

OK, everyone smile quick, we are going to be late...

Come on, smile!

OK, how about a silly face?

There's that smile! Darn glare. Let's try it one more time...

Now where did JP go? Oh, never mind; just run to the van. We are going to be late!