May?/ Project 52- 18

I'm not really sure what happened to May!  It's... gone.  We did spend 2 weeks away so that didn't help.  As for blogging though, it's been quite the silence. Here are the week 18 pictures!

Make Way for Ducklings?

Why yes, we live in a suburban neighborhood.  Why, no we don't really live close to water.  Not terribly far, but not terribly close either. In the children's book Make Way for Ducklings a pair of ducks make a home in a pond in the middle of Boston, and then the mama duck has to take her ducklings to the river.  Quite a walk through Boston.   It's a cute story, and I felt sure that we were going to get to see it happen sometime this summer.  After a few particularly rainy days in April, I got a call from Sid.  He told me to bring Stella outside, that there was a pair of ducks in front of a tree next door. So, out we went to see the ducks.  They waddled around, ate some... i don't know actually, but they were definitely eating, and just watched us watch them.  They didn't stick around too long though.  I guess they needed a real water source.

52-17 is Easter!

 

Stella's Easter Basket

 

The good picture before church.

 

The keepin' it real picture, before church.

 

Bruce and Daddy enjoying the Easter Egg hunt.  

 Stella did all the hunting and the rest of us watched and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

If you choose to...

read the paper for 2 more minutes and let your 3 year old entertain her brother, when you go upstairs to get him out of his crib this is what you will find:

 

Project 52- 16

 Sleepy Pictures this week!  Stella had just woken up from a nap on my bed.  She was looking so sweet, and had such rosy cheeks that I couldn't resist a few shots!  This is my favorite. 

And Buck-man here was all excited because A. I had come to get him, and B. because his sister decided to get into his crib to play with him before I got upstairs!

New Toys

Well, as my mom and I were discussing earlier, I don't need to buy my kids toys to keep them happily entertained, as evidenced by the bins upon bins of unused toys and the overworked plastic-ware drawer.  But that's another post for another day.  This is about Stella's new-to-her Dress up clothes.  That's right, folks.

We are now proudly in posession of 1 fairy dress, 3-5 princess dresses, 1 witch costume, 1 High School Musical costume, and countless accessories.

  Thanks to my friend Trisha (no, really, THANKS!!!)  we have already had hours of fun with these.  These pictures are all from day 1 (fairy outfit and purple(!) high heels). 

Week 15

These are the pictures I usually choose to leave off the blog.  But really, She's a very good big sister.  He didn't want to sit like that... or at all... for that matter.  Just thought I'd do a "keepin' it real" post.

Stella's Hairscut

Several weeks ago Stella and I decided it was time for her to get a haircut.  She informed me that I could get "haircutting scissors" at Walmart the next time we went, and I could cut her hair.  I figured that if I would have taken her to a salon to get her hair cut it would be $13 or so.  Or I could get the $8 scissors.  I chose the latter.  If it bombed, I would only be out 8 bucks, and if it worked... I saved 7, and I get to do it again.  This sounds like a good plan.  So Stella's hair is cut.  Short. 

Before

    

After

I love it.  She loves it.  I'll be cutting hair again. Sweet.

Week 14

At the "March Birthday's" Party at Aunt Sue and Uncle Tom's.

Week 13

My latest project

Bruce likes to try and eat things.  Anything he can get into his mouth. Like shopping carts.  It's gross, makes me gag.  So I decided he needed one of those cart covers.  You've seen them.  They go over the seat and you plunk your kid inside to keep them all germ free.  I had one for Stella.  I used it one time and decided it was too much work and that the people who used them must be germ-phobic.  But, then again, Stella wasn't trying to eat the metal on the side of the basket.  So anyway, Bruce was trying to eat the metal, so he needed something. Well, I did anyway.  

So like anyone with a sewing machine, I took my measuring tape to market with me and measured the cart. In the parking lot. While getting strange looks from people. I determined that I needed a 40" x 40" square. (Having now made it I would probably go with a 40" x 42" rectangle in the future.) Armed with my measurements I went to the fabric store and bought myself 4 feet of two very cute fabrics. Polka-dots and stars. Blue and brown.  Cute, but boy-ish enough for a baby.

 

Now begins the semi-tutorial.  I used no pattern.  I'm a rebel like that. Actually, I thought "how hard can it be? It's a square of fabric with some elastic and leg holes." Ha. 

It really wasn't too hard. I trimmed my fabric to 41" x 41", to leave room for seam allowances and the (very narrow) elastic I chose. 

Sew fabric right sides together, leave a hole for turning.

Turn right side out.  Iron seams.  Top stitch very close to the edge.

While you have that iron out... find the longer strip from where you trimmed your fabric.  Use it to make the binding you'll use for your leg holes.  There is a great tutorial here, if you need it. (One half of the 48 in. strip of fabric will bind one leg hole. Just. (Measure twice, cut once applies well here)).  

 

   

Now it's time to make the leg holes.  

Lay your fabric down and find the center point of an edge. Preferably not the side where your hole is.  Measure 2 inches (you could get away with 1.5" but I wouldn't go any less than that) toward the outside. Then measure 12 inches down.  This point will be your top inside corner of leg hole #1.  Make the leg hole 5 inches wide, 6 inches deep. Mark and cut out.  Repeat for leg hole two.  

Take the self-fabric binding you just made and sew the binding onto the leg holes. 

Now mark the hole where you turned your fabrics right side out, both sides of it.  Measure in enough to fit your elastic through. I used 1/4"  Sew a seam around the entire cover.  This will make a channel for the elastic to go through.  Thread elastic through.  (This was the single hardest part! Sid laughed at me.)  Sew elastic ends together.

Close up the hole, being careful not to get the elastic.

Finish binding the leg holes (if you haven't already).

I added some rings that I had on hand, so that I could attach toys (or my keys) to the cover.  I used some leftover scraps and some D-rings. Do a very tight zigzag around the edges, fold over the very edge, then just enough to make a loop for the ring, and still be able to sew it on.  Sew on to the front, wherever you want!

 

The last part is to measure down 5 or 6 inches (on the back) and put in some large buttonholes.  Mine are about a foot apart, and more or less centered.  These will enable you to strap your cart-eating baby in so he (or she) can't  climb out.  Not that they would try of course.  But there's something about wanting your kid to be safe, just in case.  Falling headfirst out of a cart just doesn't sound like a real fun idea to me.  I know, I'm a fun-sucker.

I got a 6 foot strap with a buckle at Walmart, because they didn't come in shorter lengths, and most of the carts at market don't have straps .  There I go again with the falling out thing.  

Put your cover on your cart on your next shopping trip and enjoy!

Isn't he cute?

A Mini photo-shoot and Week 12

These pictures turned out so well.  My kids were unusually cooperative, and we had a blast taking pictures in their bedroom the other day.  I just wish the background was better!  That last one is obviously not in the house, but at the playground!

A girls day with my cousins!

Caroline

Yesterday I spent the day at my cousins house, with two other cousins (four total), plus our kids (four total).Jane

It was way fun.  Caroline

  We hung out and talked, ate, laughed at kids, read books, and took a walk to the park.   Bruce and Jane sharing a swing

Stella entertained everyone with her songs and random sharing of stories.  Or should that be sharing of random stories? Megan reading to Stella

My cousins girls are both 1 year old, and give my kids a run for their money in the "cutest kids in the world" competition. Stella

My kids still win, but I guess I am a little biased. 

  Bruce and Jane, Don't worry he didn't hit her.

Week 11

At the a park in Wayne, PA.  It was a fun day with my cousins!

Week 10

Yes, I skipped week 9.  They were sick.  It wasn't pretty.  Here's a week 10 shot (or shots rather).

Daddy and I have a bad feeling...

That's what Stella says to me every time they have a pillow fight!  

But does this look like a "bad feeling" to you?

 

I love my family!