the sky is pink

I always knew you guys were smarter than me! Thanks for letting me vent yesterday and for all of your comments and emails. I got an education, indeed. Hopefully I did not offend anyone with my post. It certainly was not my intention and I apologize if I did. I think it all boils down to this: be nice . Be nice to others. Whether it is a public service worker, military personnel, or the bagger at the grocery store. Be nice and show respect. Everyone agrees that we all deserve it. With the overnight rains, I feel everything has been cleansed again. Let's start anew. (Because this is a family blog, I will probably unpublish this post in a few days so that search engines do not include that post. If you are interested in reading all of the comments, you might want to do it sooner rather than later.)

What happened to being nice? What happened to common courtesy? I'm beginning to think they ran off together. This past Saturday, while Joe was working with some recruiters at a local fair, people were rude to him. Why , you ask? Because he was in uniform and apparently the whole reason for the War on Terror. While at the fair, one woman (I cannot use the term lady) came up to Joe and started to mouth off how disgusted she was by him and how he was causing their children to be killed. She kept ranting and raving about things and taking out her frustrations on Joe. Personally. Joe told her that she should thank the veterans in this country that she can talk the way she does because if she lived in another country, she'd be shot for talking like that. You know, blaming (and yelling at) Joe for the war is like me blaming fast food restaurant cashiers for obesity. Seriously. I'm learning that respect, appreciation, and even simple common courtesy are too much to ask from ...

Thank you for all of your birthday wishes for Sawyer. Y'all are sweet. Yesterday morning I took Sawyer (in his new fall outfit ) to have his portrait taken. He didn't want to smile. He smiled one-half of a smile in one photo. In the rest of the photos he just stared at the crazy lady trying to make him smile. Oh well. I bought him a soccer ball while we were out (because I forgot to give him his present in the morning before the kids left for school and Joe left for work). Last night to celebrate we had blueberry muffins, Dibs (just because they were in the freezer) and Combos (just because they were in the cabinet). Then he opened his present . We're having a little family get-together on Sunday afternoon at our house. Today I'm getting a new stove. Our "old" stove is only six years old. In the above photo you see an empty spot on our wall. There used to be a kitchen cabinet there (a KraftMaid custom cabinet) ... until Sunday when it broke apart and fell...

My baby is one today. How did that happen? I know he was just born yesterday. (Soccer on Friday night, courtesy of Nikki.) My blondie-blue-eyed boy who turned into a blondie- brown -eyed boy. (Soccer on Friday night, courtesy of Nikki.) He's as sweet and dear as they come. One of my six miracles. It must be official, because he's wearing the finally finished, important project . (birthday crown) (This morning when he woke up, being showered with love.) Sawyer, I completely adore you. I love the few wispy blond hairs that reach your eyes. I love when you put your arm around my neck. I love to hear your laugh. I love your smile. And your eyes. And your chubby, most-kissable and munchable cheeks. And your determination. I love that you pick up dirt off the floor and hand it to me. (You used to try to eat everything, and you still try sometimes.) I love when you clap your hands. I love your playfulness. I love playing hide and seek with you, even if you get upset when yo...

On Friday, while Spenser was at the fair with Joe , I took advantage of Sawyer's afternoon nap time. He needs some new fall outfits. I found some long-sleeved onesies on clearance over the summer and stocked up. I even splurged and cut into my Japanese stash , and it felt good. The fabric is Counting Kids from Superbuzzy . The pants are linen (in natural #30). I bought the linen this summer, but the color was little darker than I wanted for the intended project. I think it's a perfect shade for autumn. The blue vintage button is a cover up. As I was using my pinking shears to cut the seam allowances, I clipped a big hole in the front of the pants. Déjà vu . Using stitch witchery, I adhered a scrap piece of linen to the front and the back (to prevent raveling) and then satin-stitched around the scrap. The button is used for camouflage, but I think I like it. Feeling cocky, I started another outfit for Sawyer, out of brown corduroy from my stash. I killed my machine. Loud noi...

Today was a normal soccer Saturday. Jack had an early-morning game (they tied). Carter's team played last night (they lost). And Taylor's team played this afternoon. It was hot. But it was good. I have been waiting for this day for years. Years. Let me explain. My boys have been participating in soccer since Kindergarten. Each boy. They usually play defense positions (fullback and the occasional goalie, which flips me out). And they are good playing defense. They used to call Taylor "The Wall" because nothing would pass by him. For part of today's game, Taylor played midfield. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a lot of experience in this position and it makes me nervous for him. Anyway, Taylor's team had the ball down towards their goal, someone passed it to him, and he made a goal. My boy made a goal! Not just a goal. His first goal! I always thought I would be the loud, cheering mama screaming for my boy when he scored a goal. Today, I couldn'...

Yesterday, during Sawyer's nap, Spenser and I sewed. We made a bag. But it's not just some ordinary bag. It's a portable DVD player bag. With pockets for the AC adapter, the cigarette-lighter adapter, and other wires. The DVD player and headphones just sit inside. It's even big enough to hold some DVDs, too. There are so many wires and gadgets with this thing, I was terrified we would lose something. Now everything is contained in one spot. Soon to come: bags for the Pixter and VideoNow . They need to be contained, too. (Spenser went to work with Joe today. He was going to a county fair with the recruiters in that area and decided to take her along.)

I had an off day yesterday. Let's see. First, I was so engrossed in watching Emily Yeung that I didn't realize the diaper I was changing was messy until after I had finished. In my defense, he already had a messy diaper and I thought the faint odor was either a residual smell or one coming from the trashcan. (After all, I had just nursed him and didn't smell anything at all.) Then I was called to spider-killing duty. Not one of my favorite jobs. In fact, it probably pulls a close second to cleaning up barf (or being in the same room with barf or anything barf-related). The spider was on the screen of our French doors. As I tried to kill it, it fell and the crunchy body hit my hand on the way down. I screamed bloody murder. And the door was wide open. I'm sure I scared a few innocent bystanders. I know my children were frightened. And then I went to Bride's Night . To keep Sawyer quiet, I stuffed him with Cheerios (which he dumped no less than five times). At the ve...

I wish I had some sewing to show you today. But I don't. I have spent the past few days (and nights) working on a slideshow DVD for a Young Women's church activity. Tonight we are having "Bride's Night," complete with guest speakers (a young married couple), a special musical number, and wedding cake. We came up with the idea of making a DVD of all the girls in our program and putting their pictures to music. So, these are our "wedding favors." 30 in all. It was time consuming, but, alas, they are finished. It was worth the effort. And, I hope, at least the girls will think it is worth it, too.

Is it a smock? Is it a jumper? Is it a dress or a shirt? I'm not quite sure. What started out to be another smock , morphed into this. A wrap smock of a different style. I played around with my pattern and, instead of doing side seams and ribbon ties, I constructed it from one piece of fabric. It is made from part of the leftover sheet I used for my wrap skirt , and lined with yellow gingham. I used two white, vintage, flower buttons for the front closure (which are crooked, so don't look too closely). And because I used buttons (on the front only), it is not reversible. When she put it on, it was very A-line. It totally reminded me of the 70's, especially with that fabric!

Saturday was a soccer day. It was freezing . Last week it was almost 100 degrees. Complete opposite this week. It was cold ! We were wearing sweatshirts, covering with blankets, and huddling together (at least for the early-morning games). Sawyer is a future soccer star. We're starting him young. This has to be every boy's dream (and Capello's ). Batman made from Legos. There were entry forms to guess how many Legos it took to build him. What would you guess?

I had been fiddling around with ideas for different smocks. I had seen some cute wrap shirts and dresses around. Like this one. And this one (if only I could knit). And this one. And this one. Oh, and this one ( love that one!). And then I saw this one. And then I decided it was time to do it. While this is my prototype, I'm happy with how it turned out. I used fabrics I already had . And the basics of a dress pattern that I had made before. (It looks a little wonky on the hanger, but it's not so bad when she's wearing it. Overcast skies = no sun = not-so-good photos. Sorry.) It is lined in green gingham, so I suppose it is reversible, too, if a little Spenser desires.

Last night we went to my niece's 10th birthday party. You may remember a similar set I made for her sister's birthday in August. These sisters are close in age and love to do things together. So, in August when I gave the first set to my niece, the older one said, "I want one, too!" Alrighty then. Thanks for making it easy for me! And, I am not responsible for this: I was running someone to soccer and Joe was "watching" the kids. Poor neglected baby.

Jack (goalie). Every night of the week someone has soccer. When I say "someone," I really mean some one, because I can't keep them straight. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember who has what when. Seriously. For instance, the kids had off of school on Monday, which would normally be Mason's soccer practice. Because there was no school, there was no soccer practice. It had been rescheduled for Tuesday. However, it rained on Tuesday (yesterday, I think ), so the coach pushed practice back to today (Wednesday). The whole day-off-of-school-already-in-the-year has really thrown me through a loop. At least that's what I'm blaming (and my old age). So yesterday (Tuesday, I keep reminding myself), "Jack" has practice. I called his coach to see if they were still planning to have practice because it had finally stopped raining, but was soggy. After I didn't hear back from the coach for awhile, I decided it must still be on. Five minutes be...

On Friday I went to a flea market. Now I can stop boo-hooing that there aren't any around here. I haven't been to a flea market in years. Years. There was an annual local antique tractor show with a flea market. I have missed it for the past few years because of soccer games. This year I learned that they are open on Fridays, too, which I never knew before. My favorite find of the day was this tin picnic basket. I have wanted one for years and I found a stall that had two. The other was the red & green plaid, which I had seen before. I had never seen this yellow one, so I was drawn to it immediately. So far I have used it twice. I filled it with snacks for soccer on Saturday and filled it with snacks yesterday when the boys had off of school and we took a little trip. At the same stall as the picnic tin, I found a box of vintage Christmas ornaments. I was happy to find some Tupper Toys (made by Tupperware ). My grandmother had a set that we played with as children. I had ...

Thank you for your kind comments on yesterday's post . Each one touched me and I sincerely appreciate the time you have taken to boost my spirits. Thank you, dear friends. Last week as my thoughts were continually turning towards my sister, I decided I needed a little "sewing therapy." I was actually trying to clean up my sewing area (which is a lost cause, by the way), when I decided I would rather be sewing instead of cleaning. I was digging through my notions hatbox looking for bias tape. Spenser walked up and in her pip-squeaky voice asked, "Mommy, whatcha doing?" When I told her I was going to sew something for her, she became totally excited. She picked out the fabric. She stood next to me as I cut the fabric. She sat on my lap as I sewed. We did this together . Some good mommy-daughter time. (Baby was napping and the boys were in school.) It's another "Swing Swing Smock" from the Bend-the-Rules Sewing book. I seem to work in sets. Sets ...

Five years ago today, my sister, Kristen , died tragically in a car accident. She was a young mother of two. I miss her dearly. Sometimes it seems that it was yesterday (when I feel the pain). Sometimes it feels longer (when I try to remember the last time I saw her; the last time I talked to her; the last time I heard her voice). All week, my chest has felt a tightness when I thought of her and the impending anniversary. Actually, most times I think of her my chest tightens and I feel sad. Sometimes, when I think of her I smile. But most times, I'm sad. She was a wonderful girl. A wonderful mom. Very sweet. And funny. And many more wonderful qualities . She died on my parents' 35th wedding anniversary . She died when Mason was two weeks old. Mason, Spenser, and Sawyer have never met her. Taylor, Carter, and Jackson vaguely remember her. Yet, they all know her. From the photos. From the stories. From her children, Alana and Timmy. I try to keep her memory aliv...

An "Artsy Clutch" from the Bend-the-Rules Sewing book. Using leftover fabric from the skirt , I lined the inside and made a little flower (or tree or whatever it is, trying to match the design on the fabric) for the front. I found a navy blue vintage button for the closure. This was a very simple sew. I think there will be more. ::::::::: You're gonna love this. Last night a salesman came to the door to sell magazine subscriptions "for college." Joe, being a former Army recruiter, answered the door. The person starts off saying he is earning money for college, he's from Mississippi, etc., etc., Joe pipes in and says, "You need to earn money for college?" And then goes into his whole recruiting sales pitch . . . The guy nearly ran down the street trying to get away from Joe. (Of course, the guy says he'd rather live in Iraq than join the military. What's up with that ?!?) It was hilarious!

Really, I couldn't help myself. I've been wearing skirts all week and I'm tiring of the ones in my stash. You know, I can only wear the new skirt for so many days until I start running into the same people. Actually, I've only worn it twice, but have run into two of the same people. I want to wear it more. It's comfy and roomy. So, I decided to make another one so I could switch them out. This one is made from some vintage cotton fabric . It's the same style as before ("Breezy Beach Wrap" from Sew What! Skirts ). Very quick and easy. And I think the stitch in the ditch is improving. It's not actually the technique that I am having trouble with, it's the catching the back of the waistband in the stitch in the ditch (from the front) that is causing me some problems. That waistband is not being cooperative . I must warn you: There will be more ...

You guys rock! Seriously. I received so many wonderful and helpful suggestions on my library tote. Thank you! I can't wait to work on it again. I will let you know the progress. I've been asked a lot how things are in the house since the boys are in school. The truth is, it's still very fast paced. I would have liked to believe that the house would be quiet and still (and it is, to an extent), but I'm still as busy as ever. It seems we have hardly been home long enough to enjoy the peace. The reality is that I'm still a mom of six. I still have laundry to wash and fold for eight. I still have the dishes (although less dishes for lunch these days). I still have to cook for eight and shop for eight. I guess I'm boy-wrangling less which is freeing up some time for me, but is quickly filled with school forms, homework, soccer, soccer, soccer ... And did I mention soccer? During a rare down moment, Spenser pulled out her dress-up clothes. She put on every smock s...

I started a new bag last night. A library tote. I wanted something big enough to hold the books and strong enough so that it wouldn't rip. I interfaced the exterior and used white canvas for the lining ... and it's still flimsy. I haven't sewn it completely together yet. I still have a small five-inch access hole at the top from where I turned it. What should I do? Should I try to use fusible fleece? I normally don't like that stuff, but I'm not liking my bag as is and it needs something. Any other suggestions? (I'm not planning on taking the entire bag apart. In fact, I reinforced the handles about 9 times so they wouldn't rip off.) HELP!!! [I think I should mention that it has a boxed bottom.]

September 9, 1967 On Saturday night my siblings and I threw a surprise 40th anniversary party for my parents. 40 years + 8 kids + 17 grandchildren (so far) later: They were surprised. And even more surprised when they were supposed to dance to "their" song ( Cherish by The Association) and the DJ mistakenly played Cherish the Love by Kool and the Gang. My parents were confused because the DJ announced the song was specially picked by the children. We were laughing so hard but had to wait until the end of the song to explain it to our parents. Floor dancing ... or break dancing (?). I call it floor cleaning, which results in children cleaning. Apparently the preferred dance move amongst the two- and almost-two-year-old age group is sliding on your bottom towards each other.