the sky is pink

Today is Tuesday, which means no preschool for Jack! Yipee! I get to stay home and catch up. My goals for today: "movie morning" for Jack and Mason (just realized family room dvd player is not working) cut and repaint toenails cut and file coupons from Sunday's paper cut and label boys' school pictures and Spenser's 1-year pictures sew "sisters are forever" pillow for myself (like the ones I made for my sisters in 2002) start "home is where the heart is" plaque for Andy's girlfriend, Melanie start new handbag go to library get Personal Pan Pizzas for boys using their "book-it" vouchers Sounds like a lot? huh??? Oh, boy...

Oh -- it's just Spenser after her pasta dinner!

Hey! It's working now! After about 20 attempts! This morning I awoke to some suspicious feelings in my eyes. My eyes were a little tacky and Joe said they were a little red. Please, please don't be pinkeye!!! I decided to go sans eye makeup today, so I have no visible eyelashes! I actually feel really self-conscious. Actually, my eyes feel fine. But it's better to be safe than sorry. And boy would I feel sorry for myself if I had pinkeye!!!! I stopped by Mom's house today, after dropping Jack off at his pajama party at preschool. She was making homemade bread in her standmixer. I decided it seemed simple (thus the recipe is "simple bread") and would try making it. It was simple alright. Let's just hope it tastes okay. Spenser is very loving today. She keeps hugging and kissing me. I love every minute of it. I think I need to go get some more from her ...

This is the drawstring bag I sewed for myself. I always have issues with fabric selection. I finally found three that I liked that had similar colors. The lining is the same as the middle fabric. I intended to make the drawstring and the handles using that same fabric, but I didn't have enough. I decided to use what I call the "Oprah O" fabric that I used on the top, however it all blends in together. I didn't think it through enough before sewing. I also had beaded-trim issues. It wouldn't stay put in the seam and is not up and much as it is. I guess this is just a trial run. It may wind up being Spenser's in a few weeks (or maybe after she's out of the putting-everything-in-her-mouth stage -- she can't be trusted).

Spenser in the pants that I "made" for her. Actually, they are made from an old shirt of mine. I was about to donate it to Purple Heart and read online how someone made baby pants/pajamas/shorts out of old t-shirts (and used the original shirt hem as the pants hem). I decided to try it and grabbed this shirt out of my donation pile before they came on Friday. They turned out cute, except -- I forgot to change the stitching when I sewing the waist-elastic casing and it looked to noticeable from the outside (pink zigzag-overcast stitch). I was afraid that the fabric would "run" if I removed the stitching, so, I decided to cover it with pink chenille rickrack. I think I should have left it alone... (I don't know if you can see it, but it has a silver, metallic thread running through it. Very cute.) So, sisters of mine, if you have cute old shirts that are stained or whatever that you want to part with, I can use them!!!!!

This is how Mason dressed for church today. Seriously. He wore his "boat-tie" (bow tie with boats), cowboy boots and Burger King crown. Good thing he's #4. Taylor would have never gotten away with wearing the crown to church. (I heard a few snickers as he proudly walked around.)

Spenser in her personalized onesie.

Hello again! I've been locked out again. For some reason, I have a difficult time logging in. It seems to never work while Joe is at work, but miraculously starts working when he's home (not very often). He must be my good luck charm. lol I've been sewing a lot lately. I've now made another embroidered drawstring bag for Spenser, three for my oldest nieces, a curtain for our computer room door (which I don't think I really like), another bib (embroidered this one), a drawstring bag for myself, a Superman pillow for Mason, and a pair of pants for Spenser. I haven't put my sewing machine away yet. I've had it less than a week, and I can't believe how much we've bonded! I haven't sewn anything today. In fact, I don't think I've even touched it today. We might be going through withdrawal. I better pay it a visit before long. Carter had his regular 9:00 a.m. basketball game on Saturday. I think they lost. Joe wasn't there (he was working a...

We are having a thunderstorm in January! Can you believe it? It's thundering and lightning out there! Well, at 3:15 p.m. Monday my new embroidery/sewing machine arrived. Because I had to read the thick owner's/instruction manual (and take Taylor to basketball), I wasn't able to try it out until 10:00 p.m. that night. It worked beautifully. So far I've made a pink, fleece drawstring bag for Spenser; a monogrammed pillow for Carter, Jack and Mason; and I "embellished" one of Spenser's pink onesies with her name and a flower. Very cute. I can't say that my work turned out perfect, but it was nice getting to know my machine. Mason's name on his pillow is off center. He wanted his pillow to be orange and green. I did his name in orange and made a scalloped edging with green. Jack's name was green. No other embellishing (it was my first). Carter wanted his name in blue and red stitching around the outside, but *no* fancy stitches for him....

Our linden tree. We hated to see it go, but it was too much of a hazard to keep it. The safety of my family comes first, trees last. Sorry -- I would have been a tree-hugging woman (I really, really liked this tree), but when a limb fell last summer and took out 5 birds with it, I knew something had to been done. (Truth is, I don't miss it too much, yet. Maybe I'll miss the summer shade from it, but I like looking out my window and seeing the boys' bus coming down the road.)

Bud (our generous neighbor) and Joe in front of the tree's large, rotten base.

Alas! I have returned!! I have been having trouble logging in, so I had Joe help. Turned out, it must have only been ME -- he logged in without any problems. So, I'm happy to be up and running again. So much has happened. First, I found my stroller (at church). That's where I left it, in my hurry from basketball to scouts to home. I was kind of disappointed because I saw a cute pink Jeep stroller months ago that I liked and kinda hoped I wouldn't find mine so I'd have an excuse to buy it! Taylor's basketball team FINALLY won it's first game on Saturday! Well, I guess they had to. His team lost every game in the first set and were pushed down to the 2nd division. At least it was a victory -- no matter how you put it. Carter is working on his 100th day school project. He has to collect 100 things and make something out of it. He wants to do something with Army men. I'm sure we have *at least* 100 of them around here! Jack is still Jack. Being nice and all. Las...

This morning was busy. Joe had to work. Carter had a pee-wee basketball game at 9:00 a.m. and Taylor had a game at 10:15 a.m. Luckily both games were at their elementary school. After getting into the school prior to Carter's game, I realized I should put Spenser in her stroller so I wouldn't get so tired holding her for both games. I ran out to the car and the stroller wasn't there! I'm sure no one would steal it because it's only an umbrella stroller (and there are more expensive things in the car to steal). I couldn't figure out where it was. Finally, I tried to remember when I had it last. Wednesday night. Carter had basketball practice at the school and Taylor pushed the baby around in the hallway to keep busy. We had to leave practice early to get Taylor to Cub Scouts. I thought maybe I left it in the school parking lot, so I checked the "lost and found" at school. It wasn't there. I'm now thinking that maybe I left it at church from Scou...

A sisters' picture! We have always loved taking our pictures together. This one was taken in front of the Washington D.C. Temple on September 9, 2005. From left: Lisa, me, Emily, and Kate.

Here is most of my family in front of the Washington D.C. Temple on September 9, 2005. From left: my father (Ron), my mother (Debby), Lisa, me (holding Spenser), Emily, Kate, Andy, and Peter. My brother, Craig, could not make it that day. We went to the temple to find peace and solace on the third anniversary of my sister, Kristen's, death. Kristen (22) died in a car accident on September 9, 2002, and we miss her dearly.

Joe and Spenser, our angel.

From left: Mason, Spenser, Jackson, Taylor & Carter.

A visit from St. Nick on December 23, 2005. He wanted to make sure that the children were still on his "nice list." Mason, 3, told Santa that he did not want any dirty rocks (coal)!

This is my *older* sister, Lisa (right) and I (left) at my annual New Year's Day party. She's only 18 months older than I, but I enjoy letting others know that she is older. We were often asked if we were twins growing up. She's my "twinsie" and "bestie."

This is Spenser in her New Year's Eve party dress. We hosted our annual NYE party and she was all decked out, with a disco ball above her head!

January 6, 2006 I have decided to try blogging. I don't know why I think I have time for this. As the mother of five children (ages 9, 7, 5, 3 & 14 months), I am usually busy running around. I have a few spare minutes now, as my children and husband are enjoying our weekly Friday "family movie night," and I'm not much interested in the movie selection tonight, Fantastic 4 . My name is Lera. I grew up in a small community in Maryland. I always thought I was a city-girl. I never thought I would want to live in a small community, especially since I was "punk rock" in the 80's and 90's, through high school and college. But, that was before I got married and had kids. I married, Joe, in June 1995. Since that time we have had two homes, a few fish, and five children (and a few annoying, unwanted mice). Together we have four boys: Taylor (9), Carter (7), Jackson (5), Mason (3) and one girl, Spenser (14 months). Okay, please don't comment on the choi...