Project update

Here is the lining all sewed together and waiting for the fabric to be sewn onto it.


Here's the fabric all pinned up and waiting to be sewn. It's hanging down to just off of the floor on the other side too. And this is only the fabric for 1/2 of the window--as there will be the same thing on the other side so we can open and close it.

I really need to iron the fabric again before I sew it. But I don't now how. It's 100% polyester, so I was extra cautious ironing it--had a cloth b/w it and the iron, as well as on the low low setting. I didn't damage the fabric. But I also didn't get any wrinkles out or creases in. Got to be braver!!

I haven't punctured my fingers yet!!

I'm still enjoying myself.

I've only miscalculated fabric amounts 2 or 3 times now! (Hopefully now that I've cut it, I've got the right numbers!!)

My machine is still being nice to me. :)
It helps knowing that it's me that is the problem, not the machine...

At the pace I'm going I should be done before next year. ;)
Oops, I mean the year after that. :p

Kids Thoughts

Quick, eat! Before Mom changes her mind and eats them herself!


Melanie: How can I say cheese with my mouth full?
Matthew: How many pieces can I fit in my mouth at once?
Nathan: Why did I have to sit by the corner of the wall? (It would have been better if someone else had banged their head I'm sure!)


Oh I do hope I did not just ruin a nail.


Melanie: I wonder if this angle of me would be more flattering?
Matthew: Are you going to finish that orange, or do you need a hand?
Nathan: Isn't anyone going to feel sorry for me?


I can't really believe that Mom just keeps taking pictures and is completely ignoring my severe head injury!


Melanie: I wonder how young one can be to start a modeling career?
Matthew: If I can't have anyone else's I may as well eat my own.
Nathan: I should be safe over here.

Presents

Proof that we did actually give the presents and didn't sell them on e-bay and buy clothes for me instead. (May do that later if I kept all the packaging. ;) )

Matthew's gift I had actually purchased for him and forgot after I wrapped it. I accused someone else of getting it, and then finally remembered that I was guilty. :o
Horrible me. :o



As a tangent: I love seeing the backside of a piggy-tale girl. Philip thinks that I put them in too far forward on this day, but I thought it made them even cuter being placed more prominently. A tie breaker opinion please!


Melanie is trying deciding whether or not this is something worth fighting over. Turns out Matthew is more of a problem for this floor puzzle since he loves sitting on it while it is being made, and thoroughly enjoys taking it apart whenever he sees it unguarded. He leaves "no two bricks on top of each other."
I confess that I enjoy his demolition style. :)

Now to decide if he can tackle this project or if he will ask for assistance. He did manage to do it all himself, but needed a bit of verbal prompting to get him started. In May he needed help with almost every piece of the new floor puzzle he got that time...so he's progressing I'd say!


And what could be here for the girlie girl?

At first it was only pushed together on the pegs, but we discovered that even for a couple minutes, it needed to be screwed together properly.


And what dollie wouldn't want such a cuddly puzzle box duvet? I think she was trying to put it back in a box, since it came in a box. Otherwise I have absolutely no idea why she's got that box there. Weird kid.

G'night.

A Haze in the Night

I was an adolescent again, but burdened by family, nonetheless. In the dark night I fled, chased by a fat lady. I hopped into a canoe and paddled with all my might, and thus eluded her. I followed the river for days on end paddling downstream. I slept in the trees at night to be higher than the grizzlies that had been fighting over spawning salmon earlier in the day. I had had to beat my way through the bears earlier. Nothing but brawn and bravery got me through those rough times. Whenever I was lonely a baby in a car seat could be seen strapped in the front of the canoe. Otherwise it was empty and I could enjoy the beauty of the mountainous terrain with nary a worry as I coasted along. Lonely once again the end of the river safely deposited me home again.

Nothing is left of the journey but a vague hazy memory of the night(s) gone by.

Profile

Y'all haven't seen a profile picture of me in eons, as far as I can recall. So here is proof that I still do have a profile. It may not be my most flattering pose, but I am a mere mortal after all, and not all of my photographs need to be flattering.

A Blessed Christmas Here

I sure hope that you feel some joy today too, for it was bountiful here!
What have we done to have so many gifts from the Lord?


Merry Christmas!
(If you use your imagination here he's shaking your hand.)


We had a nice quiet day at home with not too much going on other than family time. Which should not be underrated. My husband says that the lighting in this photograph makes it appear that spider webs are going onto my head. Those are just my brainwaves emanating from my think tank as I "spin" some profound thoughts to share.


I just love cuddles with Melanie after her nap. I love it when she bumbles out of bed after her sleep and is sort of only half there and wants to get cuddled. Ahhhh!
Wish my bed-head was that cute!


Nathan rarely ever cuddles anymore. He much prefers to go off and play. So many things need to be done in a day!!
Doesn't he look like he's growing too fast to you?


I didn't give the kids a bath this evening (not that I normally do-baths are overrated) so they thought they'd convert the toy box to one. Unfortunately when Nathan jumped in it he bumped the shower on and it sprayed him everywhere. Melanie splashed the curtains too.
Kids these days!!


Diligent daddy had to check on us ensure that the room doesn't get too wet. With his wife in charge, you never can tell what might happen. :o


Melanie seems like such a little mother sometimes. She didn't get that from me, I'm sure!! I have an innate sense of violence and destruction, whereas she has an innate ability to care and nurture people and dolls.


"Where's Daddy, Melanie?"
*strain, groan*
"There he is!"


Me and almost all of my cute kids do actually get along sometimes!

Old New Years Resolution Still Going Strong.

Just finished taking my yearly shower.

Many years ago I resolved to clean myself annually (a minimum amount, of course), preferably before some important event. What better choice than Christmas Eve? It sure does take a long time to scrub off a years worth of guck, but I must say the overall effect is pretty amazing. It may take my hair months to dry, since it seems to be in a state of wet-shock.

Christmas Eve

A small sized chair designed by our in-home carpenter Nathan. I like how it has arm rests, a back, and four legs. I think the detail of architecture is very impressive!

Perhaps the sizing is a bit off though! Looks a mite squishy to me!

I never imagined that Christmas Eve would be spent trying out oversize umbrellas to go tromping out in a snow covered world to splash in the rain. I sure hope that the snow holds out! We have a pretty thick layer and it's holding up valiantly!! These pictures are taken with my night time flash, and I don't think I'll try using that one again!



I had two mornings (one last week, and one this week) were in I "returned" the favour of a friend, and did some errands and shopping. Remind me never to go shopping on the week of Christmas again. The crazy drivers and harried looks of pressure plagued people is more than just mildly disconcerting.

Bedtime

There are days when this time is such a favorite time of day that it just can't come soon enough.

Those kids of mine

Could this poor tired weary mother really expect some relaxation time when there are conscious children in the vicinity? What unrealistic expectations she must have.

Nathan

Play is hard work for Nathan. He spends a lot of time trying out technical things. The other day he tied our smallest toy box up with his bead string on both ends and carted it around.

It's ever so frustrating for him when the other two interfere when he's concentrating on something particular. (I wonder if perhaps he should be able to empathize with me a little now and give me some peace. ;) )


Melanie

Ladylike manners are not a strong point in this house at the moment.

But dignity can be feigned momentarily for the masses.

"Mommy I want to come UP!"
She does not seem to get the concept of PLEASE and thinks that WANT is a term that is just as good, if not better for her purposes.

Matthew

Elf time.

Hmm...now what if I try and conquer this barrier...

"Any pointers for me Mom?"

Wuss!
The barrier is definately a necessity. I have a real gate too, but that is downstairs at the moment. I should just install a whole bunch, or else have DNA body-freeze safety system that locks his ability to crawl when he goes somewhere he shouldn't, or touches something he shouldn't. He'd be frozen most of his life I guess. :o

A word from the youngest member of the family:

My new workshop.

I have just finished transforming our guest room into a workshop. Don't plan to visit any time soon if the only reason for visiting us was to check out our luxurious accommodations...as they no longer exist.


My work table--a very important part of the set up since I'll have scads of fabric to deal with. It is indeed the boxspring of the former guest bed. Hopefully it will prevent the common lament of sore backs during curtain creating.


The "table" is propped up by 2x4's and chairs on one side, and my former scrapbooking table on the other side. It's actually pretty sturdy. I surprised myself with my ingenuity here.


Ah, yes. And the all important directions. I've viewed probably ten different kinds from the library and decided on this one as my favorite. It has lots of pictures, but more importantly very little hand sewing involved. A lot of the books suggested hand sewing at least two times per side to put the lining in place. No thanks.

Time for stir fry dinner!