Spring, of course!!!

Looks like another beautiful spring day outside. I have this patch of lovely grassy weeds right in the middle (like all over) of a flower bed I see all of the time. Everyday... Currently, it has some daffodils finishing up and some gorgeous red tulips just starting to bloom... and there is a shrub/bush of some kind in there with small lavender flowers all over it. Me, I want to get the grassy weeds out of it, so I work in it a bit at a time. I can almost see the dirt in some places. However, I know I am taking things out and other than the things which are supposed to be in there, these dried grassy weeds are just plain stubborn and a pain in the gazoo to get out. Oh well, sigh, perhaps, I will gain another inch or two today?

goals

Goals are a great thing.
Sometimes small goals are very rewarding.
Sometimes rewards are very goal centered.
One of my many current goals...finish the pink flannel,
reward--new sewing machine.

My machine is clunking and seems always to be in need of an "adjustment", the light won't stay on -it intermittently blinks on and off like a neon sign in Vegas, it's current stitching is something I am constantly checking on...skipping here and there and never staying put.

Yesterday, the only thing under my machine was pink flannel...I still am not done, but I got much closer yesterday. Today, I plan to once again focus on pink flannel, well, at least until noon...
Then Marlo and I have a different "Goal" to work on.

It would be lovely to finish before noon. However, I will be realistic...
maybe in a few more days of before noon focusing.

time

Have you ever noticed whenever you have time you have no money and when you have money you have no time?

Why is that?

Why can't we have time and money at the same time? Why not? It makes me crazy. Six weeks ago we had plenty of time, but no money. Time to plan, to think, to dream, to wonder...Now, the money is here, but time is the problem. It just isn't fair. I don't know how to fix it. Most everyone I talk to knows what I mean. I don't really know anyone this phenomena doesn't affect.

So, the project still needs...you got it...Time. And my time is forcing me to choose where to spend it. And I don't want to choose. So, here I go hoping to create more "time" by working once again on ...pink flannel.

So much to chat about!

Let me see, a phone call at 10 p.m. led to this statement. "I won first place!!!, I pinned everyone...I got a big medal." Way to go Brans. Fantastic to finish up the season with a first place win.

Another 10 a.m. phone call led to this statement. "Madi is running in the marathon, come at 11 and watch her finish!", out into the rain we went to watch her "finish". She came running in with a great big smile on her face and all of her cousins cheering her on. Wonderful run Madi!!!

We were all wet and cold after watching the amazing finish...so we came home and everyone had hot chocolate (with marshmallows) and toast! We just really needed to warm up.

Because it was raining Brino didn't have a project to do.
I have lots of projects, inside and out.
Because it was raining Brino really couldn't go outside to play. And he went bowling just last week. And it costs money to go to the movies as well.

So, Brino came over and "played" with one of my projects. He learned why we all refer to our home as "the house that Malcolm built". Hiker came in and said, "Gee, that looks like fun, can I help?", he also learned about "the house that Malcolm built". And Chaser grumbled about the parts for his tracker and being able to get them off, then having the wrong parts and good golly what else could go wrong? Occasionally, he would stick his head in and provide "technical" support. All in all I really can't complain, two trips to Scholzen's Plumbing and six trips to Ace. Not bad for a "house that Malcolm built" repair.

Then, because it was still raining I fixed dinner...
Actually, I didn't because I was driving circles for "the house that Malcolm built", I started dinner, homemade rolls
(Thanks Air and Marlo for shaping them and watching them and baking them) and they even made cinnamon rolls as well!
I also started homemade chicken noodle soup, with homemade noodles, of course (Thanks Air and Marlo and Brice for rolling them and cutting them and stirring them). Consequently, the dinner I started was turned over to Air and Marlo to finish (in reality cook). And everyone ate and enjoyed soup and rolls and yummy cinnamon rolls for dessert.

After all, it was raining.

So now, we are one step closer, I want to paint the ceiling...but I am pretty sure I will be in the way.

Baby Goatlets

About a month ago
I started watching a grassy, tree shaded field with a couple of goats in it.
One of the goats loved to stand on top of an old wire round in the middle of the field, somehow the round moved around the field quite a bit. I wondered if the goat moved it or if someone else did.
As I was watching the old Billy on his high horse I noticed the other goat was becoming a very pregnant Nanny.
Then, every time I went by the field I was looking for Billy
and wondering if Nanny had hatched yet.
She just got bigger and bigger and bigger.
I was beginning to feel very sorry for her. She was three times as wide, you could honestly put a goat on each side of what she was normally. She was walking as if it was such an effort. If goats waddled, she was waddling. She would waddle around the field like a due any day mother yet,
she still wasn't hatching and she honestly looked like she should "pop".
Whenever I went out I would make it a point to deliberately drive by to check on the goats. She was usually resting under the pecan trees. And man, she still was very pregnant.
About 2 weeks ago (while I was distracted with family) she had the "goatlets" (what Hoperdoo calls them, I know they are kids). This Nanny is a very productive Nanny, she had not one or even two, she had three!!!
A triplet set of goatlets.
The goatlets are snowy white and have the cutest brown floppy ears. They run and jump and hop and bounce all around the field. The goatlets are now walking the "plank" to get to the top of a perch built for them. Just like their parents do!
I have been thinking of a pix for you to see, but they never seem to be in the same place together. However, I will keep trying!

After "Girl Time"

When we had finished with "Girl Time" we went to "Mom, your killing me" time. No fooling... Air and Hoperdoo went home (not really into the rest of my day's plans) and Marlo and I went looking for her a dress. Shazaaammmmm, first store, thirty minute success!!!

Then....onto Mom's Quest....
I only took her to one store, I had already brought home what I thought I liked, so we wandered up and down one whole aisle. And a bit of another one, very briefly. Finding things to match is a pain. If all I wanted was one item, no sweat, we would have walked in, walked out. Finally, after much comparing and looking and discussing... I (notice I didn't say "we") made a choice. Not Marlo's favorite, but one she said "went together", purchased all of that fun tile and came home,
I was worried they might run out!
Unloaded and stacked in the nearby room, awaiting the time until the "Project" begins...

The next morning (as in yesterday) Air calls and says, "Did you buy the tile? I have a friend that needs to get rid of some..." So...for now we will wait and see what the "friend's" tile looks like and may haul everything back to the store and start the matching process again...Sorry Marlo...

Girl Time

A few years ago I took Air and a van load of friends with Marlo (tolerated little sis) down to Vegas to go "dress" shopping. There was much laughing and giggling and definitely very much trying on. Essentially, we walked into several stores, took everything off of the rack, commandeered a dressing area (all of the rooms) and tried everything on and then shared it with one of the other girls or more. Things were heard like, "this one would be wonderful if I were a foot taller....Aubrey....", and "fun, but not me". However, the most memorable was when one of the girls got "stuck".

Yesterday, Hoperdoo wanted a similar experience.
Prom is coming up you know, and she is old enough.
After trying to coordinate everyone's schedules Hoperdoo ended up with two of her sisters and me.

Hoperdoo went into a dressing room, yes we commandeered two, and happily started putting on whatever her sisters handed to her. Zips undone, off the hanger, and over the head, or perhaps you need to step into this one.

She tried on (I think) every dress the store had in her size. And then tried on a bunch more up and down from her size. We looked at skirts, fabrics, bodices and sleeves. It appears ball room gowns are "in" this season and we are still seeing the bright clear colors of spring. Not nearly as many in deep tones. However, something unusual or a bit 60ish...printed fabrics in bold designs.

She found a yellow dress she liked, only one in the store, and went to put it on. Now Hoperdoo feels very tall in our family and she thinks she is really, really tall, but she isn't...And this yellow dress showed her just how tall she wasn't. If she were 6 inches taller the hips would have hit her at her hipline, not at her fullest part of her fanny line. Anyway, a few minutes after she started with this yellow dress we heard a "help" from the dressing room. There was Hoperdoo, stuck, no up or down, stuck. We giggled and laughed and tugged a bit, all the while remembering the time when someone got "stuck" in Vegas.

The last dress she tried on was possibly her fav, but it did not fit her right. I would love for designers to figure out that not everyone is 5'10" tall and built like a stick. Some of us have curves you know.

After the disappointment of the first shop, we had to go to another to "make things better". Mistake, should have stopped at the first. I don't think this shop had anything in her size.

So, the trip did not net us a dress (to copy) that she just "loves", I wouldn't even say she found a color that was amazing. We did discover a different sleeve to try, and an asymmetrical skirt with deep inverted pleats to try to figure out, and learned that Carl's Jr. does indeed have a dollar burger, just not on their menu.

What is interesting to me...My older girls rarely got to go with me alone anywhere, they always needed to share. Hoperdoo has the opportunity to be "alone" with me and she wants her sisters with her. "She is being gypped" because she is the youngest and her sisters are busy with their families and things...funny how the grass is always greener....

as my friend says, "the quest"

Here we are continuing on with "the Project". The first step of the project is the idea or thought. Then, of course, more thinking and a bit of talking and research. However, the next step is the QUEST. My friend sometimes enjoys this part or occasionally hates it (no more sofa shopping for her). The QUEST is important because this is when the majority of the superficial decisions are made. Superficial because these are the choices you see... so yesterday the Quest officially began with a stop off at the bank...then, after almost a full day of looking at, searching for, and thinking about...I really didn't find anything spectacular. It would be wonderful to walk in, look at and say, "I love it" and never, ever ask how much something is. When a budget is set, it is like, "O.K., this one fits into the budget and it's ok". Not spectacular, definitely not fantastic or amazing, just o.k.

The best part of my almost a full day was spending an hour with my son Ticklebug who actually spent the whole time with me, without his phone...Wonderful. Truly an amazing, fantastic, spectacular event. I think he must have put his phone on "OFF" because I never heard it or saw it (and I don't think he was even texting under the table). It was great. Thanks Ticklebug for sharing with me.

Preparing for a Broken Bathroom...

How do you prepare for a broken bathroom?
Who wants to prepare for one of those?
Hmmm.....this winter the "newest" bathroom developed a "leak" of unknown proportions.
Tear into the "new" or access through the old?
Decisions, decisions.
I really do not want to tear into the "newest" bath to fix this problem, and I have no clue what will be involved, however,
water in the family hallway is just
not Ok every time someone takes a shower...
So, we will be tearing into the old bath, because wonder of wonders you can access the new bath from the old bath...
Go figure...
And we will begin by repairing the "new" shower, then we will replace,
fun word, "replace" the old shower...
does anyone know how much my hubby loves to have his home in disarray?
Yes, me too, can't wait to have him going crazy.
However, right now, I am just preparing... But, I am sure I will miss something...

Gotta love Sundays...

Don't you just love Sundays...
Sundays for me are a time for sleeping in a bit,
relaxing a bit,
visiting with family and friends...mainly family,
going to church, hanging out in the kitchen and baking something,
reading a book, and...
not feeling guilty for accomplishing nothing,
Sundays are for doing what I feel like.
Gotta love Sundays.

Pink Flannel...

There are days when I hate pink flannel. I am tired of pink flannel, pale pink, medium pink, candy pink, bright pink, dark pink, hot pink. Yes, I am tired of pink flannel and yet there is more... I feel as if I finish one project in pink flannel and then there are more, I haven't yet started some of those "other" orders because I am still in pink flannel. Flannel, gotta love it!

Reunion...

At times, I feel like this piranha...
I am "in charge" of planning the big family reunion this year.
Yippee!!! I have waited 6 years for it to be my turn again.
Five years ago I really started thinking about it.
We have had some great times so...
I thought I had it all planned out.
Now, what I thought I had planned fell through so...
I was kind of bummed.
Consequently, I went into a small procrastinate mode and...
also went into trying to find something as amazing as what I originally had planned.
I found it, a bit pricey but...
it appears most of the extended family would just like a day together. So...
I have changed the plan.
Not as amazing, but quite a bit less expensive,
not nearly as much planning, no where near the same amount of food, no where near the hassle, face it, Just plain easier.
Simplified is a good word here. So....
I have simplified the reunion. One day of family activities with a few hours before and after if anyone so chooses.
Now, I just need to let the rest of the family know.

What to do?

Here I am, lost, confused...
oh what should I do?
I was up all night so I want to take a nap,
I have pink flannel still calling to me,
I really think it would be nice to paint,
there are dishes in the sink,
and a new movie I want to watch,
I have a dress underway (I would so love to finish it),
and I really want to stitch a quilt together,
my project list is overwhelming me...my brain won't turn off...
so it keeps piling on idea after idea of intriguing things waiting for me to do...
I haven't even thought about dinner and
I'm pretty sure there is a pile of laundry somewhere.
Oh, what should I do?
I really have no clue,
but "do something" is very clear.

Spring?

Oh, it does feel like spring...
my apricot tree is still popping,
the birds have been singing
and no one wants to be inside.
It is spring break at school...
Yesterday, Marlo told me some snap dragons were coming up,
I definitely have been enjoying the daffodils scattered around the yard.
And Ticklebug also informed me to come and get some starts from his yard,
fabric has been calling to be made into something amazing...
right now pinafore dresses,
and I want to sort things,
how come I never want to sort when it is cold and rainy out?
Outside, I want to be Outside...
However... a pile of pink flannel and lace are waiting for me.

Happy Sad

Crying is for babies right?
Not right.
I think crying is for when your baby grows up.
We are a bit happy, yet sad when the baby can finally sit up on their own,
then we are happy, yet sad when the baby can walk,
again happy sad, the first day we take them to school and leave them for maybe half a day,
then...oh no, they are gone for the whole day.
Once again happy sad.
We watch them go through all different stages in their lives, for us sleep overs, friends, camp outs, going from kindergarten to elementary, then on to intermediate (good heavens, that school is big...our baby is sure to get lost), then the shift once again to middle school or junior high,
then it is even more happy sad... they go to practice and lessons and friends and you just aren't as needed anymore. Then on to high school and college and marriage and families and life...
Again happy sad...
Well, my baby passed a milestone yesterday..
Happy sad...16, driving, dating,
definitely more independent (which is hard to believe).
You teach for the moment, for them to be successful, for them to be confident, for them to be happy. So we get the happy sads
as we celebrate their natural progression through life.
Happy sad, that's me!

Raindrops and Sunshine

Raindrops and Sunshine... Discovered this fabric today, and just had to put it together. I think it turned out rather cute. I like the checks and polk a dots together, but I really like the brightness of this dress. Just had to share!

Hot Chaos

Organized chaos that is sweaty.
My description of a wrestling meet...
One gym, almost door to door with wrestling mats...
what feels like thousands of people,
but isn't, crammed in...
boys, little to big, everywhere...
and lots and lots of Dads, brothers, grandpas, cousins, uncles
(actually I think wrestling is more male than football)...all yelling, cajoling, loving, encouraging, hurrying, watching, "ref"ing, advising, eating, waiting, drinking, coaching, hugging, scoring, whispering, shoe tying, observing, teaching...boys.
Lots and lots of boys
in little singlet things, gym shorts, t-shirts, sweats running around till it is their turn.
8 matches to watch at once!
How can you do that? They reach, grab, throw, roll, pin, trip, spin, stand up, sit down, crawl...
all while everyone is yelling at them to do something...win...fight...work hard...don't quit...
All of that noise, and all of those bodies, and all of that energy....
needless to say...sweaty, hot, sauna,
and kind of smelly, too.

Great job Brans!

Toes

Toes are amazing, they
keep us balanced in the world, help us walk, look cute with paint (if you are a girl), can pinch, pick things up,
and wiggle. Toes can scratch the dog, and get your attention.
You can play tootsies with toes, you can't play tootsies with fingers, just not the same thing. You can squish toes in sand, or for a bit more fun... smoosh them into mud and leave toe prints everywhere, toes hold our flip flops on. Toes test the pool water for how it feels, swish through sand, can hold a tag (something we actually don't want our toes to do), toes can push buttons and play nintendo. You can suck on toes, bite toenails, balance on toes and dance on toes. Toes are the key element in "this little piggy" and no tickle fight is complete without toes, they just cry out to be tickled. You can kick a ball with toes, jump with toes. You can squirm around until they are tucked in just right at night and then let them peek out. They can peek out quite often...out from a nightgown, out from a pair of shoes, out from your jeans, out from a blanket. Toes are most often attached to feet, specifically bare feet. Which is what started today's blog... my hubby was talking about, tough, bare feet with tough bare toes.

Chocolate Butter Cream Daisy

This fabric
just needed to be made up,
chocolate butter cream and daisies...
As I was making this dress
the fabric colors
kept me thinking about
a box of chocolate
and the different colors inside
of the cream filled ones.
Hence, the name,
chocolate butter cream.
Made up cute, was fun to do. And spurred me on to do something similar...
Please enjoy!!!

Tuesdays

I know it isn't Tuesday,
but yesterday was.
I like Tuesdays...
Tuesdays are my day to get together
with my friend.
Years ago,like probably 30,
we would get together on Tuesdays and work on projects together.
We would load our sewing machines, children and lunch up in the red wagon and head off down/up the street to each others' homes.
Then our children would play, fight, eat, watch a movie, and take a nap
while we visited, worked on our projects, and visited some more.
Lunch was provided by the home where we were at. Sometimes P B & J, mac and cheese, or tuna, occasionally leftover spaghetti or grilled cheese (pre ramen and microwave days).
Sometimes, there would be 3 of us... sometimes more, but mostly just two.
We would work on a mini lesson, a family surprise,
teach each other something we had discovered or learned how to do,
or Christmas. Sometimes we would paint, sometimes we would do nothing.

We kind of lost Tuesdays
as we both went to work and had other things that were keeping us busy,
but a few years went by and we started up again.
Yesterday was Tuesday, my friend and I got together (as we usually do),
we talked, designed a new pattern, had lunch together,
ran a couple of errands with each other, and worked on some sewing.
Sometimes she knits, sometimes we look at design magazines together,
sometimes we shop, occasionally we are on a quest,
but usually we spend the day together doing whatever we want

and always enjoying our friendship.

Chauffering

There are days when
I feel like a chauffeur...
take this one to school, pick this one up from work, feed, then back to work, run the movies back, pick up my hubby, get the one from school, return my hubby, go to the store, go to the bank, (maybe the other way around),
go to the post office, run to the other store, take this one to practice, pick the same one up from practice, go to a meeting, come back from a meeting, take one on an errand, go to the store (for everything forgotten), run to this child's home, drop something off, come back home, pick this one up from work again and wait till they are ready to go to their other job...
and please, don't forget ...
go to the gas station.
Perhaps I don't feel so much like a chauffeur,
I think their customers would have a little polish and class,
definitely not a bus driver, they can take more than one person at a time.
I can rarely do that, it is always as I return home I find someone who needed to go almost exactly where I was just at, they just weren't ready.
Maybe, more like a taxi driver,
you most definitely don't have to be nice as a rider,
don't even need to say thank you...and a tip? Not hardly.
Being a taxi driver for my family enables me to have a forced, trapped, one on one with the individual for pretty much as long as I am driving
(sometimes I will go around the block if I need to),
I have the opportunity to catch up, chat, and find out
what is happening in their lives at that moment, consequently,
they may really want to think about if they want mom to pick them up,
take them somewhere
or maybe they could ride a bike...

Just for April

Okay April,
it is raining outside.
As of my last rain post, you positively commented,
so this is for you.
Come on by,
there is soup in the pot also.

Rainbow Sherbet

I am definitely thinking of spring,
everything I see right now
seems to need
to be made into something light,
airy and "springy".

Featuring my latest,
rainbow sherbet...

Spring Daffodils

I walked outside this morning
and look what I found beneath my window! 
I had noticed some shoots peeking up the other day, but was not expecting this burst of color so soon. Happy smiles... that is what daffodils say to me.

 

Saturday, of course

Saturdays can be wonderful.
Saturdays are so very flexible,
everyone gets one,
sometimes they can be shared,
sometimes it is nice to be ever so selfish.
They can be a get everyone together for this work project day,
they can be a let's go play day,
they can be a mow the lawn, work in the yard day,
they can be an amazing hike day,
they can be a catch up day,
they can be a baking day, cleaning day, laundry day,
they can be a watch a series day,
they can be a lazy don't even get dressed day,
they can be a busy day,
they can be a shopping day,
they can be a DQ day,
oh...they can be an anything day,
but mostly,
Saturdays are wonderful because they are most always a family day!

Family Picture Crack Up

Recently, I was perusing a friend's "blog".
She was posting her new family photos. Oh, they were great, great fun.
These pixs definitely made me think of our last family shoot.
At our last family shoot....
one child was poking the one next to them,
another was snuggling her favorite stuffed toy,
one was unhappy and frowning...
A few were looking right into the camera!

But this is what really cracks me up...
The photographer has everyone positioned,
everyone right where they need to be,
the camera adjusted and set just so...
all that is left is getting everyone looking at, near, or toward the camera with a reasonably pleasant expression on their face.
Right?
Wrong.
Not in my family pictures....
for some reason at the point of looking at, near, or toward the camera
all of the "non-children" decide it is their job to interest all of the "children" in looking at, near, or toward the camera.
Hence, the children are all confused as to who they should be listening to, following, or even looking at...
the assorted "non-children" will be looking at a child,
pointing a finger,
talking to someone,
or my favorite...all of the above.
So.... in my family pictures, some of the children are doing exactly what they should (looking at the camera, pleasant expression),
most of the "non-children" are busy confusing everyone else about what they are supposed to be doing.
A typical pix of my family would be everyone positioned just so (or close to),
the camera adjusted,
and everyone does just what they think they should do....
everyone will be chatting with one another,
telling jokes
and teasing with no regard to the fact a pix is even being taken.
So my suggestion to my family....
take care of yourself when it is time,
don't say a word to the "children" about the pix,
and let only one,
that's right just one person
be in charge of saying,

"Okay, now everyone look at me and smile!"

Head Bonking?

What happens when a brother "bonks" a brother?
You get blood.
Lots and lots of blood.
And unhappiness
And crying
And more blood
And then even later, blood
And occasionally black eyes
And bruises
And a stained shirt or two...
And then the questions...
So this is my question...When did head bonking become a deliberate, fun thing to do?
I really don't like it when I accidentally bonk heads with someone,
it hurts,
I see stars,
and sometimes the room spins around.
But to intentionally bonk heads for fun?
Hmmmmm......makes me wonder if I am missing out on something.
I haven't yet figured it out.

Hi,
I just finished this skirt.
It is a new design for me and I am trying to fine tune it for the holidays.
I think it is fun, this one happens to be very summery.
I just want to put a girly in it and put her under a weeping willow tree.
Skirt all fluffed out and her eating something red, maybe even a bit a red on those little toes?
Really liked the fabric when I found it and thought it could be amazing.
Someday,
maybe fabric won't cry out to me
to be made into something too cute?

Numbers

Does anyone realize how much we use numbers everyday?
When did you get up? numbers
How many do you want? numbers
What did you do that for? numbers
How long did it take you? numbers
You said, "It costs how much?" numbers
How is it outside? numbers and windy
What to bake this cake on? numbers
How late are you going to be? numbers

Needless to say, I got to help count inventory yesterday,
hence no complete project,
but lots of numbers....
we always begin with one, but every now and again it is zero!

Zero bins are the funnest, look inside and well, nothing. ZERO!
Nothing to count, look at, or anything...Just Zero.

So, as I was counting (and trying not to lose my place), I thought of all the different ways we use numbers...
actually I didn't think of all of the ways, but I was thinking...
children, money, time, temperature, disciplining, how many, measuring, distance (they don't run a marathon from the old bridge, around the new cabinet shop and over by the city golf course, finish line is of course, where the old red barn used to be before it burned down).
We measure so we know exactly how to describe what we are talking about. Right now, I am talking about lots and lots, millions perhaps (number again) of numbers.

Garbage Work...

I hate garbage work...
I really, really do.
You all know what garbage work is...
if I didn't fix it, you would throw it in the garbage.
Hence the name, garbage work.
Perhaps I should call it "saving" work,
or "upcycling" work (that certainly seems to be a catch phrase right now),
or perhaps "returning" work.
Returning loved ones to their family--
it almost always has to be a zipper in those fav jeans.

Garbage work takes me just a few minutes-
maybe half an hour or so, but
I usually need to thread both of my machines for every project...
time, time, time.
I really haven't "produced" anything of true value,
so I don't receive my "look what I did" reward.
However,
Garbage work
always brings me a big smile,
sometimes even a hug,
and almost always a "your the best, mom".
So perhaps garbage work isn't so bad, after all...I am recycling!


Just a thought, is this how men feel after they finish something on the "honey do" list?