the sky is pink

My oldest son, Taylor, entered his school's photography contest earlier this month. I think it was a great experience for him (and I also think it can count toward a boy scout merit badge). While we were out geocaching one Saturday afternoon, we came upon this old stone bridge. It crosses the Monocacy River. It had rained prior to our visit and the water was moving so rapidly, that it was scary. (It also gave us the opportunity to talk to the boys about water safety and to never, ever! enter water like that.) Joe and Taylor climbed down the steep embankment and Taylor took some pictures. This is the one Taylor entered into the contest. The Monocacy . He won second place. Good job, Taylor! (I want to go back to this bridge. There was a very cool antique cast-iron sink dumped by the river. It was too heavy for us to drag it up the hill.)

This series of books is very similar to The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls . I bought The Boys' Book: How to be the Best at Everything and The Girls' Book a couple of weeks ago and the kids love them. They are a smaller version, less detailed, and easier for younger children to read. Jackson (1st grade) can read them easily. Last night at the school book fair, I picked up The Moms' Book: For the Mom Who's Best at Everything . (And I see there's a Dads' Book and a Family Book coming later this year.) I'm thinking these might be the birthday presents that I give my nieces and nephews this year. ** On the health front: Sawyer is nursing and drinking well, but not eating much. He never had a fever and was never fatigue or lethargic . He had a little diarrhea, but I think it was a one-time " flukey puke," as Miss Chris said. I, on the other hand, have a quivery belly today. Maybe I just need to eat something...

A few weeks ago I received an email from Yvonne saying that she found something she thought I might like and wanted to send it to me. I didn't know what it could be until yesterday when the package arrived. Remember when I said I liked pendants ? Well, Yvonne sent me three ! They are so me! I can't wait to wear them. I might have to plan my outfit around the necklaces. And, if that wasn't nice enough, she also sent a bag for Spenser! It is so stinking cute! I love it. Seriously love it. It is exquisitely made. I would try to use it myself, but Spenser has proudly claimed it and loves it. Can you blame her? Thanks, again, Yvonne! You made my day. In other news, I'm fearing Sawyer is sick. It might have been a fluke, but he threw up in the middle of the night. He is not feverish at all. He nursed well this morning and is sitting in the high chair now. Except, he's not eating his beloved Cheerios and bananas. That's not a good sign. My poor baby.

Yesterday afternoon I attended a baby shower for my cousin. She is expecting twin girls in April. I knew immediately that I would make some kimonos for the babies, but I didn't know what else. I had so many ideas, but sewing in multiples takes longer. (I'm used to spreading out my multiple projects. Skirts. Shirts. Etc.). I finally decided to make some receiving blankets. The blanket idea came from this book . They are flannel with handmade cherry fabric bias tape. Yum! I wasn't going to make a diaper/wipe case, but when I found some of my all-time favorite diaper rash ointment in sample size at the town pharmacy, I knew I had to make a matching diaper carrier. I wanted to make a little pocket on the front for the ointment, but I forgot. And these red swirly buttons just complete it! *** Spenser went to the baby shower with me. We called it a "baby party." On the way home she sang a new song. It was to the tune of the Alphabet Song, but she substituted the word ...

Soapmaking is a learning experience. Some scents work better than others. And some oils have better moisturizing abilities. It's kind of a trial and error, even if you use a soap recipe. A month ago, I embarked on a new adventure. Lard soap. I had never made it before and I thought it might be different to try. I read everything I could find. At first the soap smelled so good and lavendery. I added dried, crushed lavender and even though it was very speckled and mouse-poopish , it smelled like a winner. Fast forward four weeks. The time it took for this soap to cure. I decided to try the soap yesterday. At first, all was well. Then, something went awry. After the soap was wet and lathery, it started to smell like meat. I wasn't sure if it was an olfactory malfunction or in my head. But I started to smell like meat. The more I washed, the more I smelled it. I was afraid to go outside. What if all the neighborhood dogs could smell it and they wanted to sniff me or eat me? I had...

Remember this guy ? I had plans for him all along. It's just taken me this long to figure out what to do with it. The plan was to make an on-the-go carrier for a sippy cup, some bibs , a toddler fork and spoon, and some Fun Chops to keep in the car "just in case." I originally planned to make a drawstring bag, but was afraid of the linen fraying around the string. Then I thought of a zippered pouch, but I thought it might be wonky. Then I started thinking that a wristlet might be easier to carry with a strap. Then my idea morphed into a zippered tote. Then I realized I don't want to figure out a zipper and a handle (it was more than my brain could handle) and it turned into a regular tote. That, my friends, is why it took over a month to make. The actual execution of the bag took very little time. [Notes: The outer shell is linen and it is lined in little polka dots that are either navy or black. We bought the Fun Chops on eBay, after Carter got the blue pair f...

I've only been a little crafty lately. Just a little . And that little bit is secretive for a baby shower, so I can't share it. So, instead, I'll show you some soap from my last soapmaking experience when Joe was out of town. Chocolate peanut butter soap. It smells like Reese's . I haven't made it in years, and I can't remember why. It smells so good. I just have to wait another two weeks until I can try it. (The honey blossom and lavender soaps have completely cured, but I haven't tried them yet.)

Remember when I was on my pants kick ? And I had cut out nine new pairs for Sawyer? Well, somehow, these pants were never sewn. They have been sitting in my WIP basket for months. Seems I lost my mojo. And I'm happy that I did. You see, Sawyer's legs have gotten longer and all the cute little pants he was wearing in the fall are now high-waters. Poor baby #6. I finally decided if these pants had any hope of being made and worn, they needed to be longer. So I cuffed them. In polka dots. And, while the shirts to match his high-waters still fit, they are getting a little stained. He still wears them, but I thought he needed more options for church. He gets " faux ties" to wear.

Today may not be an official Family Day like it is in Canada, but we are enjoying our long weekend together as a family. Today's plan: more geocaching and an indoor soccer tournament for Taylor. Enjoy.

It started with flowers and ended with jewelry. I gave Joe the Hong Kong Phooey DVD set , some Three Musketeers bars (he recently claimed they are his favorite, although we've been married almost 13 years and never knew it), and a cherry pie (his favorite). I probably got the better end of the deal.

This was the scene at our house last night. The oil lamps were not for ambiance. They were a necessity. Due to the ice yesterday, we lost our power for five hours. Five hours with six kids. it got a little wild at the end (just trust me on this one). It was too nasty to send them out to play. It wasn't bad until it got dark. Open flames and children scare me. (My father is a retired firefighter and my brother is a firefighter , I can't help but be extremely cautious.) They were getting excited thinking about sleeping together, in sleeping bags, in our family room near our gas fireplace. I was thinking it was a night that was never going to end ... It ended and our power was restored around 6:30 p.m. And not a minute too soon. Thankfully, I was a little prepared for Valentines Day. I made the felt fortune cookies a few weeks ago, they just needed their fortunes, candy, and assemblage. I made Rice Krispies treats last night and drizzled them in red melted chocolate. Hearts fo...

This warms my soul. It makes my spirit smile. It's Carter (9) shoveling the sidewalks of our elderly and widowed neighbors. He doesn't do it for praise. He doesn't do it for money. He does it to be kind. He does it voluntarily. No one ever thanks him, except for me. And it's not easy work to shovel brick sidewalks. They are jaggedy, old, and uneven. You can only push for a foot or two before the shovel handle hits you in the gut. Over and over again. It snowed yesterday. The children had off for Election Day. The snow turned to ice last night. And school is closed again today. So, here we are ... with a little lady I like to call "Little Red Riding Hood goes swimming at the ballet." She had way too much fun with her dress-up clothes yesterday.

I cut out two additional pairs of baby lounge pants for Sawyer a month ago. It's taken me this long to actually sew them. Obviously it was not a priority. It became a necessity when I realized Sawyer didn't have any clean shirts. Sew or do laundry? Hmmm. I think I'll sew. I love the flannel on the right. Squirrels and acorns. They are killing me! They look Japanese to me. [And before you think that I don't do laundry, I do plenty of laundry every day. And I am almost always caught up on laundry. It's just that I still have some leftover Dreft baby detergent and I'm using that for most of Sawyer's clothes. (His dark corduroy pants and jeans go in with our clothes, so I didn't realize I had clean pants and no clean shirts to match.)] On Sunday afternoon it was so windy that a large limb from our neighbor's tree cracked and broke off. Thankfully it missed both of our houses and my neighbor who had just walked under the tree a few seconds before it happ...

will spring come? I'm ready for winter to be over. I just want warm weather. My mind can't help but think of springy clothes. This shirt may be a little premature (with highs of 29 today and blustery tree-limb-breaking winds), but I couldn't stop myself. Last week I ran into the fabric store, for one thing, when Spenser and I spied this fun cherry print. You know how I feel about cherry fabric. Spenser screamed, "Mommy, I love it!" so I knew it had to come home with us. And I knew it would be a shirt, but there are too many options . I decided to go with Simplicity 4206 . I have only made this pattern into dresses , so it was my first attempt at the shirt. I lengthened the shirt a bit, but it looks wide, but we'll see once she wears it. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Mama needs a new cherry shirt.

It occurred to me the other day that my children have never really played hopscotch. Why, you ask? Because we have a brick sidewalk. The bumpiness of the bricks makes it nearly impossible to draw on, shovel, ride a scooter, etc. I felt almost as if poor Spenser was being denied one of my fondest childhood memories. Hopscotch. My sister, neighbor, and I would play hopscotch all the time in front of our house. I remember even playing in the rain (running up to the front porch in between turns) before the rain washed away our game. Thus, I decided we needed indoor hopscotch. I used regular pre-cut craft felt (two layers) and hand appliqued the numbers on and the blocks together. And, if you can see in the top photo, matching "rocks" or bean bags. The felt is "sticking" to our carpet very nicely. I will just have to warn the children of taking it to dangerous, more slippery, hardwood floor areas in our house. I just finished late last night and the children hav...

... hidden "geocaches" around the house for each other to find. ... late-night soapmaking. ... homemade lavender aromatherapy rub made with homemade non-petroleum jelly . ... a "fortune teller" on top of a cub scout uniform. Also around the house: Last night before dinner, Spenser announced she wanted a haircut, which she has never had (besides cutting out a few twisted knots). She was very adamant. I asked her if she'd like her hair cut like mine. At first she said "yes," then she said, "no, like Daddy's." Hmmm. Thinning on top would not look so good on her. Then she said, "no, like the boys." Again, a flat-top is probably not the best look for her. During the conversation I promptly got up and started hiding all the scissors. Who knows what she might do. It was so sudden. (The last time I got my hair cut, I asked her if she wanted hers cut, too, and she declined.)

Yesterday I had a few moments to craft and I took advantage of it. I made the bird from this book . He is made from red wool felt and my beloved white with red polka dots . I have been unable to find cotton stuffing locally (and even not locally), and I just can't justify the shipping costs to buy it online yet (almost as much for the stuffing as it is for the shipping). So I used polyfill. I know. It kind of negates the whole wool felt goodness. I can see making more of these in the future using scraps. In fact, I already have them planned in my head. (This morning my FIL took my boys to "Dads & Donuts." Joe is out of town and I really didn't want the boys to miss it. I sent my old camera with them. I can't wait to look through them.)

I have been focusing lately on teaching my children about compassion for others ( each other) and compassionate service. We have been thinking of ways to show compassion towards others through service. We are still doing Operation Service and are getting blessed in many ways. One neighbor called to thank me for a meal recently and told me that she had just gotten out of the hospital. The boys told me later that she answered the door while she was receiving oxygen. She was very grateful for their visit and the meal. She especially loved that the boys delivered the meal all by themselves. Just last week I took Spenser and Sawyer to the library for a quick trip. Then I remembered that Joe had a bunch of old, prescription, military-issue glasses from his pre- eye-surgery days (that he found recently in an old filing cabinet) and that the library has a Lions Club eyeglass donation box . I explained to Spenser why we were doing it, and she was happy to help. We donated eight, brand n...

The dress from Friday's post did not prevent me from attempting the pattern again. In fact, if you know me well enough, you will know that I will not be defeated. "If you're like me ," you make it again. ( ... and again ... and again ... okay, you get the point.) On Friday night, I was determined to conquer the pattern. The sizing had to be accurate, I was sure of it. Yet, the neckline was just too big. (Actually, I don't know if Spenser tried it on because she announced, "I don't like that," when she saw the dress. All I know is that the dress kept slipping off a children-sized hanger. Maybe in two years, when it fits, she will like it.) Anyway, I had remembered that there were a few others in blogland who had used this pattern and, surely, they would have found a solution for this problem. And right, I was! I found this shirt with notes that she put pleats in the sleeves to compensate for gaping neckline. And, what do you know? It totally worke...

... you're always looking for your next "fix." Craft fix, that is. You're scouring books looking for the next project. And then you find it. In a Japanese book . And, if you're like me, you will go through your fabric stash looking for the perfect fabrics. And then you find them. And they seem "meant to be" paired together. And, if you're like me, as soon as you find them, you can't wait to start. So, if you're like me, you have to wait until the kids are sleeping before you can begin the project. And you're so excited. And you're not sure if you're doing it right because it's all in Japanese. And then the sleeves look a little funky. And the neckline is a little too big for a three-year-old girl. And you feel defeated. And, if you're like me, you're not gonna let it stop you. You forge ahead and hope for the best. It's cute. It's wonky. But it's finished . And, there's handmade polka dot bias tape! I...