daisies

Other than highlighting the fact that we needed to cut the grass... I just think she's adorable! And I'm so glad she's growing into some of the stuff I've been making over the past year. The pants in this pattern looked kind of funny when I was making them, but put it on over her diaper and it's not so weird after all. Just another lesson in having faith in the design.

first day of 4 year old preschool

So typical. We actually got ourselves ready way too early, and the bus was a couple minutes late. Luckily that gave me time to get a couple more fun shots while we were waiting!

waiting. waiting. waiting. "Mommy, I think the bus is late!!!"
(it's hard to see, but he's standing on the sidewalk.)

one room schoolhouse

When I was little, I totally bought into the mystique of a one room schoolhouse. It seemed like so much fun. Drawing on the chalkboard, all the kids lined up in those adorable flip top desks. Then I became a teacher. uh, no thanks! I'll just take one grade, maybe two. But NO way do I want to try and teach K-12 grade kids in the same class!!!!

This weekend we went to Michigan to support a one room schoolhouse in my mother's hometown. They had an ice-cream social/ fundraiser. There were a couple musical groups playing, calves to pet, old-time games to play (croquet, stilts, hoops, etc), ice cream to be eaten... it was a fun afternoon!Aren't they cute? After I took the picture Abby got into drawing on her slate too. I'm not sure most schoolhouses had pianos, but since they use this one for 4th graders, it's wonderful to have the piano in there!!!

Conner was checking out a bunch of old cars...
and even got to go for a ride in the rumble seat!!
Here he is helping out the "Fire Brigade" - it seems the schoolhouse was on fire! oh no!He was soaked by the end of course, but loved every minute of it!

janey's dress

Check out this dress!!! I conquered something with sleeves!!Look at all that hand pleating too - across the front, at the shoulder, and where the arm band meets the sleeve.
Such a simple, classy, beautiful dress. Unfortunately, the pattern only starts at size 3 so I think I'll have to wait a couple years for my daughter to wear it!
Hop on over to Olabelhe and buy your own pattern!

take a walk

I know nature walks aren't exactly a new idea. I just wanted to share ours from the other day. We live in a Chicago suburb... how much nature can you really get, right? Well...

Grab your glue stick, a journal, and join us!

(And before you start worrying about him walking in the road, it's a VERY quiet street, and he stayed at the side of the road investigating the sewer drains. He spent most of the walk on the sidewalk!!)So, if he found leaves or flat things, we glued them in his journal.

Things that were too 3-D to glue, we took pictures of. Then, printed the pictures off & glued them in the book.

Like, I said - not every observation was nature related. These mailboxes are at the side of the road before the construction zone. He said "look - it's a pattern, white, black, white, black, white, black, white" and then he started singing a little pattern song as he kept on walking.

It really came to me as just something to do after dinner before Daddy got home. But I think this would be fun to do once a week as fall approaches... so many changes coming! He was amazed at the amount of leaves already starting to fall. "Mommy, it's not even fall yet!!! Why are all the leaves falling??!"

pattern tweaking

I really love the Peyton's Pinafore pattern that I tested for Dawn of Olabelhe... but it starts at size 3. My daughter wears size 1! So I decided to try and adjust the measurements & redraw the pattern for her size. (Dawn, if you're reading this, hope you don't mind!)

Aren't you proud of me... I didn't just use blue? The bodice is a black fabric with dark gray swirls all over. The bottom part has black swirls & small flowers with turquoise spots colored in throughout the pattern.
The bottom button is bugging me. Gotta fix that. Didn't realize it when I was taking the picture. ah well.
I'm just REALLY excited that my pattern resizing worked for my skinny little gal. There's hope for us yet!!!

chicken fried rice

What? She cooks????? Yep, every once in a while I do cook something "really" impressive for dinner. (haha on the really impressive) This is one of my favorites... chicken fried rice. It's not really anything too amazing, a lot of diced vegetables & chicken. I just feel so creative when I'm cooking it, and I LOVE eating it. I truly eat a rainbow!

Here's the quick recipe...
1. Cook the chicken. (We usually dice about 3-4 chicken breasts.) Toss in some soy sauce and/or teriyaki sauce.
2. Start cooking up some rice on the stove top. (I usually cook up about 2c worth.)
3. Toss in the veggies with the chicken (frozen peas, frozen broccoli, diced onions first - canned corn, peppers, carrots after the frozen stuff isn't frozen).
4. Add some spices - ginger for sure, and after that - well, whatever you feel like! No specific amounts, just put in a couple shakes worth. More if you're feeling spicy!
5. The rice should be done by now, so toss that in the wok with the chicken & veggies.
6. Mix it all up in the wok, and then shove it to the sides and make a pit in the middle so you can actually see the bottom of the wok.
7. Scramble an egg or two in the bottom.
8. Mix it up and enjoy!

So easy, so fun, and I'm not really following a recipe. I will NEVER claim to be a fancy cook, but I feel great when I sit down to eat!!! Even better... there's always enough for leftover lunch. AND my kids LOVE it. All around wonderful meal.

You think that's good? We made some OH-SO-YUMMY shishkabobs for my husband's birthday. I am happy to share the recipe with you, but it's not my own recipe, and I don't have any pictures cause I just plain old forgot to snap a pic. Just comment if you're interested.