Success

It fits and looks better than I could have imagined! And in the midst of being really sick she even managed to pull off a smile for me.

transformation

I tackled my first sewing project outside of class tonight. I took the sweater on the right and turned it into... this!
I've been searching around for practical sewing ideas and found a tutorial online for turning old sweaters into toddler sweater dresses so I decided to give it a try. The arms are a little shorter than planned due to a mistake but I'm hoping it will still qualify for 3/4 length. Madeleine's sleeping right now so I don't actually know if it fits but fortunately I know quite a few little girls smaller than Madeleine who might want it if Mads is too large. It took me way longer than it hopefully will next time but it was a fun way to spend my Saturday night. I'll see if Madeleine can model it for you tomorrow.

Castaway

Justin's had a nasty cold for over a week now and his coughing through the night has left the other three of us who sleep in the bedroom temporarily bed-less. This has been our nightly sleep haven for the past 4 nights. I'm experimenting with using the boppy as a pillow tonight. My regular one takes up too much space, not giving me much leg room with the dog at my feet. I continue to get fabulous use out of my mom's knit afghan and the quilt my Aunt Janet made for me upon graduating high school. No wonder I've been inspired to take crafty classes :)

Black kitty. That's his/her name (gender changes with each day). Madeleine insisted he/she live in her shirt for part of today, giving her lopsided knockers. She kept asking why I was laughing and didn't seem to grasp how funny she looked.

The ol' Parker flop and stare. His technique for trying to distract me from noticing the wandering fingers so eager to push any available button.

Parker will likely learn to climb into Madeleine's crib before she ever attempts to climb out. Her highly sensitive nature has definitely set us back on some things...like moving to a big girl bed. But all in due time.

Enjoying the crafting table and chairs from Papa and Mimi. And yes, Parker insists on wearing hair clips and necklaces. You'd think Madeleine would be the one to enforce it but she's usually trying to get them back. I imagine Parker thinks "finders keepers," regardless of gender association.

Project 2

We tackled another project in class Wednesday night and here's the result: a zippered bag. This was a great learning tool for me to expand into making reusable snack and sandwich bags. Not bad for my first time.

Yesterday was warm enough to enjoy some time outside before dinner. Madeleine drove for a bit but then decided it would be just as much fun to let Parker have a turn.

Moon sighting. It's been a while since we've had clear skies.

Bound to happen

Every kid does it so it was only a matter of time before Madeleine snuck into my makeup bag. My makeup took the biggest hit but she managed to smear herself with foundation, eyeliner, and some mascara before it was all said and done. Of course she waited until only dad was around (I was at pilates) so I didn't have to witness the carnage. She's a smarty. I leave you with a parting Madeleine picture. I've never seen a better picture of a Cheerios box.

Resolutions

Justin and I have decided that 2010 is the year we start putting ourselves at the top of our priority list. It's not like someone else has occupied that spot...we've simply been in survival mode for the last two years. 2009 was managed with caffeine and beer (not always in conjunction except for some "cowboy coffee porter" we had...it was awesome!) but there are no excuses for 2010. The 3 W's (white hair, weight gain, and wrinkles) have caught up to us. Parker now practically sleeps through the night, allowing me to contemplate doing something other than turning on the espresso machine first thing after waking up (did you think I was going to say cracking open a beer? there were days I was tempted).


Justin's pursuit of the fountain of youth led him to join the YMCA. The last few weeks he has committed to riding a spin bike, swimming in the pool, and lifting. I, on the other hand, have decided to try something new and take a pilates class. It's only once a week and through the adult ed. program in town so it's not aggressive or intense...just an introduction. So far I really enjoy it and I haven't been too sore so I'm either doing it wrong or not as bad of shape as I thought.


My other indulgent endeavor has been a sewing class, also taught through adult ed. Justin calls it home ec which is appropriate considering a former high school home ec teacher teaches us but she's great and I've already completed the first project: a pillowcase! Tomorrow we'll learn about adding zippers and hemming garments. I hope to proudly post pictures of everything I make in my class and maybe even a few projects I take on outside of it.



I may be 30 and Justin's on his way but we're not giving in to aging just yet. Here's to living life to the fullest in 2010!

Do your part

I'm amazed at how oblivious I can be to world events. Sesame Street and Clifford aren't great news sources. But my eyes and heart have been opened to the needs of those in Haiti. Please take time to find ways to support those in need by whatever means you can manage. www.oxfamamerica.org is a great place to start. And whenever you visit this site, please offer a prayer for provision for those still waiting for aid. Thank you.

More from our visit with Papa and Mimi

Storytime at the Clines

Madeleine loving her new mixer

Puzzle time with Mimi

Big man and little man

Crawling through the tunnel of her new tent.

Watching Word World with Papa (their flight got delayed a day due to fog so Papa and Mimi experienced what a "normal" weekday morning is like when Justin's at work).

Thanks so much for coming to visit us! We miss you!

No more excuses

2010 has arrived and there's nothing else I can blame for my lack of posting. The holidays have passed, our guests have left, and I've caught up on laundry. Except for the decorations that I've been reluctant to take down, our home feels just as it did before Halloween.

Here's a synopsis of our holidays in photos and words.

Christmas morning skyping with Justin's mom.

Awesome hooded towels and bathtub crayons from Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jess! The kids ran around with the towels on for 20 minutes straight after opening them. They look like Jedi knights.

I appreciate being called out by Stacy regarding the gift I braved Black Friday to buy for the kids. Here it is:

Madeleine acted excited when Justin brought it outside but she quickly decided it would be more fun to have Daddy push it instead of driving it herself. Maybe she'll get more interested when she doesn't have to wear 4 layers to keep from freezing in place while sitting in it.

I was all cooked out until a few days after Christmas when Madeleine agreed to help me make then eat sugar cookies. It's hard to explain to a not-yet-3-year-old that it takes 5 hours to go from mixing ingredients to eating cookies. She was a great helper.

My parents arrived for a long visit on the 30th. We were kept housebound for most of it with the kids taking alternating naps (Parker just needs one more tooth to have a mouthful!) but we managed one trip to the carousel. There were enough of us to ride with Madeleine that we managed not to get motion sick. How do kids do it?