Sikes Family Blog

Marshmallow Igloo

2012-01-25T03:10:00.000-06:00

Sophia was Super excited when I told her she could build a Marshmallow Igloo. I usually try to discourage playing with food and eating sweets, but since we have had very little snow this winter so far, I thought I would let her try this fun indoor winter activity. I think using normal sized marshmallows might be easier for future reference but I had already bought these giant campfire marshmallows so we used what we had. We also ran out before we were able to build the doorway but Sophia loved making this so I didn't tell her anything was missing.

Here Sophia is spreading icing on the marshmallows to "glue" them together. My only part in this activity was to hold the marshmallows that she placed on each row.

She is concentrating here trying to place the next marshmallow.

You might wonder how a four year old knows what an igloo is. Believe me, she knows how to build one because of "Curious George". We watch that show faithfully every single morning while "we wake up." She has watched the Curious George episode so many times where he builds an igloo out of snow that she knew exactly what to do. I can honestly say I like the show because it focuses on math and science skills on a preschool level that I think is so important.

Here she is painting the icing on the marshmallow.

Notice the intense concentration look on her face.

She is looking to see if we need to make an adjustment to secure the marshmallows a little more.

She completed it.

"Can I eat it now, Mommy?"

"Do you want a marshmallow?"

Admiring her work.

The best part is she was allowed to eat one whole giant marshmallow which was her dessert this evening. She may ask to build an igloo again someday because it was so much fun.

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Painting suncatchers

2012-01-14T19:32:00.000-06:00

Sophia loves to paint so today I let her paint some sun catchers. Notice the little multicolored sun and unicorn in the middle of the newspaper that she painted.

I love these little crafts kits that have everything included in them. I just open it up and Sophia will sit and do them. I need to get more of these. They are great for when she is bored and needs something active to keep her occupied.

Note to self: buy more paint kits for busywork for Sophia

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You create it from a paper bag "GO!"

2012-01-13T23:43:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was a snow day for my four year old and I decided paper crafts would be fun. She made the Princess Crowns and we had a bit of the paper bag left over. So around dinner time I asked her if she wanted to throw the bag away or make a puppet or hat or something out of it. I tossed some google eyes on the table, a bag of colorful Pom poms, some random scrap paper and threw in a few paper plates straight out of my craft bins. She wanted to make something so I said, here are some raw materials, design what you want. You can use anything or everything I have given you here and if you need scissors or glue, I will let you use those too.

Can I say how impressed I was when Sophia created this little dog completely on her own. She first cut out the paper plate ears and set to making this little guy. Can you believe it? I am amazed at her imagination and creativity. I didn't give her a hint of what to make at all.

I might just have to save this one for awhile. It is just too cute to part with.

Happy Snow Day little puppet dog.
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Heating or Cooling Pack with a tie.

2012-01-12T13:28:00.001-06:00

I have been planning to make some hot/cool pack for some time but just finally got around to it last week. If you have aches and pains you need one of these. This is an obi inspired hot/cold pad that I found in the book "One Yard Wonders" with ties to hold the pad in place. I love that the ties are really long so they can work for anyone.

Here it is with the ties on as a back pain comforter.

You could use it for neck and shoulder pain too.

Snow day activity with glitter and glue

2012-01-12T12:11:00.000-06:00

"Wow! I can make a crown! Yeah!"

Sophia glued, glittered, Pom pom and sequined her paper bag crown.

Sophia had her first school snow day so I tried to keep her busy doing things. First, she played outside in the snow this morning. Then, she made Princess Crowns out of cut up paper bags. She loved the activity and it kept her from fighting with her little sister.

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Damsels in distress in the larger than life castle

2011-12-27T11:50:00.000-06:00

Santa Claus brought a huge castle to Grandma's house for the girls.

Kaylee waiting for her Prince to rescue her.

The frog/prince waiting to be kissed.

Sophia waiting for her Prince to rescue her.

Kaylee

I love watching children use dramatic play to learn and thanks to Santa Claus we are now the Proud owners of a HUGE piece of property called a castle. Nice. I can see this castle and the children will be spending a good deal of pretend play in our basement. Anyone need any furniture, I need to get rid of it so there is more room for toys, not. :p

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Kaylee dragging her NaNee

2011-12-23T08:25:00.001-06:00

Kaylee checking out Santa in Handy Manny dragging her NaNee.

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Frosty and Jingle Bells pals

2011-12-15T23:42:00.001-06:00

Frosty and Jingle Bells were playing music on the little piano together on top of our baby grand piano. Sophia and Kaylee loved this spot and squealed with delight when they discovered the pals together.

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Kaylee's Video Email from Santa

2011-12-14T03:52:00.001-06:00

http://www.portablenorthpole.tv/watch/g-t1uCbpJ7yETIJDpSx-vrg

"A Marshmallow World" My husband and girls Marshmallow Dance / Snowball Fight

2011-12-13T15:02:00.001-06:00

Looks, like I am about ready to,get marshmallowed.

Kaylee cuddling the marshmallows like babies.

OOooooh! I got the whole bowl!

snowman ears

Amazing balance.

MMM! So much better than eating snowballs.

Sophia and Kaylee Putting the Ornaments on the Tree with Daddy

2011-12-13T14:22:00.000-06:00

Wow!

Look Kaylee, isn't it pretty? Don't touch though.

Sisters together looking at the ornaments.

Kaylee

Sophia

Most people put lights on their tree but can you make your lights look like miniature snowmen?

2011-12-10T21:34:00.001-06:00

Look at how cool the Christmas lights actually look like miniature snowmen on our tree. How did we do it? You will have to ask my husband.

Socks what socks? Jingle Bells is up to his usual antics

2011-12-08T19:59:00.003-06:00

Sophia was better yesterday so Jingle Bells came back. Wearing Sophia's socks on his head, hands, and feet were his silly antics today.

"Mommy, uh, Jingle Bells must have been sewing on your sewing machine because we didn't have those ladybug socks or these other red ones before."

I answered, "Really? Do you think the Elf used my old sewing machine downstairs?"

Sophia replied, "Yes, because your other machine is at the shop. I think he stole some socks out of my dresser too."

I asked, How can that be? Did you see him or hear him in your room?"

"No. He must have been really quiet and sneaky.".

Sophia noticed that Jingle Bells made an "S" for Sophia out of the ribbon ruffled I sewed for her.

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Our Elf, JIngle Bells did not come back and will stay at the North Pole until further notice.

2011-12-07T13:40:00.003-06:00

Note from our Messenger Elf, Jingle Bells.

Mommy, I can't find my Elf, Jingle Bells. Where is he? Here is a letter to

Sophia from Jingle Bells.

Mommy is reading the note from our Elf.

He suggested wasys she could get off the Naughty List.

Feeling sad about her bad behavior.

Mommy, could we write Jingle Bells a "sorry" letter.

Look where Jingle Bells our Elf landed yesterday.

2011-12-06T06:21:00.000-06:00

Sophia and Kaylee squealed with delight when they finally found their Elf yesterday. Here is Jingle Bells hiding in the horn. Sophia told him about our rule that no one except daddy is allowed to touch this so he should be very careful.

A few random smiles from my girls

2011-11-26T17:18:00.001-06:00

Sophia is wearing the hat they made at school.

Kaylee playing dress-ups with a bucket for a hat and she is putting on a tutu.

Sophia made this darling candy cane ornament with her Grandma and she was so proud of it she was showing her dad and asking to put the Christmas tree up today.

What is everybody looking at?

2011-11-22T17:35:00.001-06:00

We awoke this morning to Tickle Me Elmo, Elmo Live, and a stuffed Puppy Dog looking inside the kids' Washer and Dryer.

"Daddy, Jingle Bells is here! He is hiding in my dryer and the Elmos are watching him."

Wow! What is he doing in there? I guess he arrived a little early because Sophia kept asking when he would get here. We were expecting him after Thanksgiving but I guess Santa sent him out a little early because he was missing the kids.

Sophia is pointing to how surprised Elmo is that Jingle Bells, our Elf on the Shelf is here.

Cuteness is all in the details - making ordinary socks into extraordinary

2011-11-18T19:04:00.001-06:00

Today I decided to challenge myself to see if I could turn an ordinary boring white pair of socks into an ordinary cute pair of socks on my serger.

Here are my results:

First I took some random strips of red with white polka dot fabric I had leftover from another project. I serged a rolled hem on one raw edge of each. Next, I put the ruffling foot on the serger and ruffled and serged the sock edge and fabric edge together. Ta Da! Kaylee has a ruffled pair of socks.

Next task make ruffled lettuce edged socks on serger. These turned out okay but next time I try it I will use wooly nylon instead of regular thread. It makes a fancier edge and spreads out better. This was just a first trial, I wonder if I can do this test.

The third trial was Ribbon ruffle socks serged up in a minute with the ruffling foot. These are my favorite so far. I sewed these sock with bright pink with black polka dots grosgrain ribbon.

My challenge for today was fun. I knew today was going to be busy and I didn't have a lot of time to sew so I decided I would finally try a few quick things i had on my mind.

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A bib fit for a princess in training

2011-11-18T10:16:00.001-06:00

Putting Princess stickers on her Princess bib.

I hate that these pictures are so blurry but Kaylee never stands still, ever!

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Kaylee wearing some giant shoes

2011-11-18T10:13:00.001-06:00

-Kaylee is putting on some shoes. I wish she would hold still for a second so every picture wouldn't be a blur.

Trying to put them on again.

Notice the tiny ruffled socks I made for her on her ankles.

She put both shoes on now.

Before I asked her she said, "Cheese!". Too funny!

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Coat trick

2011-11-16T21:09:00.001-06:00

My children make me laugh every day and today was no exception. Sophia showed me a cool trick she learned at school where she lays her coat on the floor in front of her and she somehow flips the coat up over her head onto to her back. I thought nothing of it until I was driving her to dance school and realized her coat was on her upside down. I laughed so hard when I realized it my cheeks hurt. Yes, the hood was hanging down the back covering her bottom.

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Santa Purse

2011-11-15T15:00:00.001-06:00

I just added this Santa Purse to my Etsy shop SnuzzlesnMore. I serged this cute little Santa purse to help get everyone into the Christmas spirit this holiday season. Check it out as a possible gift for someone you love in my shop to the right of this post.

Blue Tote with Red Ribbon

2011-11-11T06:09:00.001-06:00

I serged this cute little denim blue colored tote with red bow accents and red inside.

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Red and White Polka Dot Pleat Skirt

2011-11-09T17:03:00.001-06:00

Sophia is wearing a new skirt I made for her this past weekend. She loves loves loves polka dots so this little skirt was a huge surprise for her. I tried a technique which I really never tried before.

I made this little starboard style pleated skirt. It has one simple pleat down the front and is gathered in the back. She loved it since it looks different from all her other skirts that I have made for her. It also has an adjustable waistband so she or her little sister could wear it.

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Zebra Print with Pink Bow Large Purse/Tote Bag

2011-11-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

I serged this zebra print tote this morning. It has a stiff lining which makes it durable for carrying somewhat heavy stuff inside. It also stands on its own because of the stiffness of the lining.

Zebra print large purse/tote bag

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Serging some quick Christmas gifts for my shop site

2011-11-07T13:28:00.001-06:00

These are my favorite little hairbows and the newest ones I will be adding to my Etsy site.

Sophia my daughter's exact words were, "Mommy, you can't sell those I want them!".

No worries. I made several so she can have her own set too. I guess that meets the little girl product testing phase. She loves them so I believe other girls will love them too.

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2011-11-06T17:21:00.000-06:00

This weekend I serged a whole bunch of little girls hair accessories on my serger for Christmas stocking stuffers. If you are looking for ideas for your favorite girl, here are some cute hair barrettes. Check out these and more Christmas ideas on my Etsy site, SnuzzlesnMore at www.etsy.com

Fleece flouncy skirt

2011-11-04T12:57:00.000-05:00

Kaylee loved this little flouncy skirt I made from a scrap of fleece I had in my sewing room. She insisted I put it on her.

This little skirt is also made with an adjustable waistband so either of my girls could wear it.

I love this idea of making skirts for both of my daughters but not needing twice the space to store one for each girl. I love adjustable button waistbands.

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Need something Brown to wear for preschool

2011-11-04T12:37:00.001-05:00

Although Sophia doesn't look happy in this photo, she loves her new little Brown skirt. Her preschool wants them to wear the color of the day that they are learning about that day and we didn't have anything brown. So what's a mom to do but whip up a quick skirt on the serger out of some scrap fabric and fancy trim.

So in fifteen minutes or less without a pattern, I cut the fabric, serged this skirt, added giant rick rack trim and an adjustable elastic waistband with buttons.

Sophia magically had a brand new outfit for school.

The good news is with the button adjustable waistband either of my girls can wear this new little skirt. It fits either one. This is what the elastic band looks like when I adjust for skinny mini Kaylee.

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Trick or treat on Halloween

2011-11-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

I caught a cute little Kaylee ducky.

Trick or treating

Kaylee waddling in her big webbed duck feet

Sophia as Olivia skipping down the sidewalk and singing.

Trick or treat.

Can't wait until she gets inside.

Mmmmm!

"Kaylee look at all this candy."

Hat?

Wow! Look at all this candy!

Yummy!

Eating too much candy can make a little Kaylee ducky quite Thursday.

My girls had so much fun trick or treating in the costumes I sewed for them.

Olivia was my biggest challenge to date. I made this costume without a pattern. I just looked at Sophia's plush doll and designed the head in the shape of a hood with a pig snout. I wasn't sure I could make it look like Olivia the pig, but I think I succeeded in coming relatively close.

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Pumpkin carving part two

2011-11-02T22:56:00.001-05:00

It is time to carve the pumpkin.

Daddy made dotted lines

Sophia traced the dotted lines with a write on wipe off marker

Daddy used the knife to cut the top open.

Then, Sophia says she wanted to take all the insides out of the pumpkin.

She called the guts of the pumpkin and I quote, "the Goober Lubers". She made that up all on her own.

More"Goober Lubers"

How does that feel?
Sophia says, "These Goober Lubers feel slimy and stringy.

"What is inside?" I asked

"Goober Lubers" was the answer I was told.

This is fun.

Dotted lines for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Happy Halloween!

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Seven little luxurious Santa Toy Sacks

2011-11-01T19:47:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine needed some cute little Santa Sacks for seven little girls for a Christmas program. She and I went to the store and chose beautiful crushed velvet, luxurious white fur, and holiday rope with gold twisted into the strands.

I made these large Santa Sacks similar to the little Christmas Santa Sacks I make for gifts, but these were much fancier with all the fur. They are approximately the size of a regular pillowcase.

Although fur is not my favorite fabric to sew due to the shedding and mess it makes of the inner mechanisms of a sewing machine, they turned out Super cute. I will be tearing both my sewing machine and serger apart in the next twenty four hours to clean out all of the fur and re-oil all the parts so it is ready for all the upcoming sewing projects I have planned.

After all the work from Halloween costume sewing and Christmas gift bags my machines are needing some loving cleaning and general maintenance so they don't break while I hurriedly start making Christmas gifts.

If you need me to sew up some magical Christmas gifts for you, let me know.

I better stop blogging and get working on my next project involving blue jeans and zippers.

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It is getting a little spooky in here

2011-10-30T15:54:00.001-05:00

Sophia was bored and claimed she was lonely. So I ran to the kitchen and cut up a tall white plastic kitchen bag into squares. I grabbed the grocery bags rolled them up and stuffed them inside and tied with a piece of yarn. I told Sophia to draw faces on them. Booooo! The ghosts have arrived.

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Olivia (from the show on NickJr) and her little friend Quack Quack the duck

2011-10-27T03:56:00.000-05:00

Every year I keep the costumes a secret until they are complete. So if you ask me in September or October what my kids will be for Halloween, I will never give you a straight answer until I am ready for the reveal. It is fun playing this little game I started years ago and it makes the reveal day much more exciting. Today a few days prior to Halloween was the reveal the secret costume day. Sophia will be Olivia from the show on NickJr and Kaylee will be cute little ducky.

I am sure by the expression I see here Kaylee is thinking, "Mommy, what kind of crazy feet are you putting on me? These are huge puffy duck feet.

"Look mommy, I am Olivia! I love Olivia!"

Mommy, you even made hands and feet that look a little like hooves."
"See, her ears swing around like this! You even made her favorite ear ribbons like she wears on NickJr on the show!"

Sophia is so excited she is jumping around the living room and singing the theme song to "Olivia." "Olivia, Olivia, Olivia. Olivia!"

Olivia is dancing.

She is dancing around with exploding energy. Where do children get so much crazy energy?

"What is this strap doing under my chin?"

Kaylee is probably thinking, "What is on my head?"

"Hat!" Kaylee exclaims.

Sophia says, "Kaylee you are a cute little duck."

"Show the camera your costume."

Kaylee was trying to say Olivia. She exclaims"YA YA!" That is what she calls the Olivia character and was overjoyed to see her dancing around in her house.

"I love you little ducky Kaylee!" says Sophia.

"Here, I will help you fix your hat."

Look at the sweet little Trick or Treaters getting ready for their dress rehearsal for Trick or Treating day at my mom's work.

"Dog says Woof Woof!" says Kaylee.

Where is Sophia?" Olivia is yawning.

Oh, there she is.

My favorite thing to make each year is Halloween costumes. Every year I go crazy trying to figure out what to make the girls for costumes and this year was no exception. I literally hibernate away from everyone for about a month figuring out how to make whatever their little hearts desire. I love sewing for my little girls and feel someday they will understand all the love and thought and time put into making costumes for them like my loving parents used to make for me as a small child.

I can now fully appreciate as a mom how stressful having a "fun" costume for my kids can be. I just think that Sophia is a princess everyday so we had to come up with something a little more original. When I asked her what she wanted to be she said, "Well actually, I was a butterfly last year so I want to be a caterpillar!"

"A caterpillar, really? That is really what you want to be? Isn't there anything else you would rather dress up as?" I questioned.

"No mommy. You can make a caterpillar."

"Well of course I can sweet pea. Let's see what mommy can do."

Obviously, Sophia has no faith in me or idea of what I can make was what was going through my head. I could CERTAINLY make a Caterpillar costume, but why not something a little more well loved, why not make Olivia? Oh no! What am I thinking? Maybe that is too ambitious! Maybe I better see if I can make a mock up sample before I open my mouth, tell her, and fail. (By the way, there are no store bought Olivia costumes that look like this, they just sell a package with some ears on a headband and, well, a dress so even if I failed, I couldn't go buy one somewhere to make her happy. They didn't even have a pig snout with the costume.) So, I told her she could be a caterpillar and even made a quick mock up of it to throw her off the master plan. When she was sleeping or at preschool, I would frantically hide in my office working on the Olivia pieces and serging them together to see if I could really make this work. At some point after making several items out of scrap felt, I decided, "Yes! I could make this work and set to it with some furry pink fleece, and a bit of red stretchy knit fabric. The above pictures show almost the final product with just a few loose threads and a few adjustments I made tonight after one wearing and some elastic that needed a bit of tightening.

I know one can buy just about any favorite kid's character costume in the big box stores and if I didn't have a little knowledge of sewing I would have to do that too as most other moms. There is nothing wrong with that at all, I just really enjoy the whole process of figuring out how to sew something and make it work for my little girls.

Over the years I have graduated from using a pattern with a few modifications to create the darling little ducky costume Kaylee is wearing in the photos above to completely designing the Olivia costume in my head and drawing up designs to make a pig's head fit onto a preschoolers head. Yes, there is a lot of geometry in making a pig's head shape. I will admit making a pig head was the biggest challenge so far. I spent lots of time just trying to figure out the dimensions without any fancy computer-aided design programs they have now to make the head of Olivia in the triangular sort of shape and still fit onto my daughter's pretty little head. The worse part was she wouldn't try it on at all. I had to make it on my own head and then tweak it to fit her. My husband just laughed hysterically as I would emerge out of my office with a pig head on my head to look in the mirror and see if the shape was coming together. Afterall, my sewing dress form I have, does not have a head feature to make hats and, well in this case, Olivia head pieces.

I am very excited about this Olivia costume because it makes Sophia so happy. She was bouncing off the walls and absolutely insisted on wearing it everywhere we went today to show her friends. It was all I could do to get her to take it off to go to dance class tonight. She loves Olivia and watches her every single day and now she can be Olivia too.

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Trinket box made from craft sticks

2011-10-26T14:48:00.001-05:00

Building trinket box with craft sticks and glue.

Mommy, look it is done.

Sophia painted it.

Here she is showing me that she made it colors of the rainbow.

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More Halloween crafts with craft sticks

2011-10-26T14:19:00.001-05:00

Sophia made this basket out of craft sticks and pumpkin foam.

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Tutus are for wearing on your head when you dance.

2011-10-26T04:50:00.000-05:00

Kaylee, my funny girl, understands that you are supposed to wear tutus for dancing. She swiped this one from her sister's room and began to dance around the room. She sees her sister wear tutus all the time to dance class but never on her head. Yes, once again Kaylee is a tutu head. She seems to believe that is where they go.

Some holiday craft fun making milk jug ghosts

2011-10-23T21:11:00.001-05:00

Sophia is drawing the scary ghost faces on the milk jug.

Sophia and I borrowed an idea from "Disney Family Fun" magazine and made spooky milk jug ghosts.

She loved making the scary ghost faces and I won't feel bad discarding the re-used/recycled milk jugs when Halloween is over in a week. Happy haunting!

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Rombach's Pumpkin Patch -Part 2

2011-10-09T21:23:00.001-05:00

Playing in the huge pipe.

"Come on Kaylee, let's go!"

Ha ha ha!

A big hug for mommy.

Sophia riding Boots, the pony.

I stood next to her because she was a little scared.

"Hi Daddy!"

Kaylee's turn to ride the pony.

She seems to be liking the pony ride.

Thirsty Kaylee sips my lemonade.

Sophia sips her glass of lemonade.

Sophia pumpkin sitting.

Kaylee pumpkin sliding.

Sophia searching for the perfect pumpkin.

Kaylee pumpkin sitting

"I can't find the perfect pumpkin!" exclaimed Sophia.

Maybe there is a good one over here.

Look at this one.

Pretty big.

How about this one?

What about this one?

This one is big and beautiful.

The kids wanted to ride the train.

Lucky me, I had to ride with Kaylee.

Here we go.

Hi!

Rombach's pumpkin patch visit 2011 - part 1

2011-10-09T21:19:00.001-05:00

My little pumpkin riding in the pumpkin wagon.

Silly faces little monkey

My girls are taking a ride.

Smiles.

Look at us.

We are on the bus!

Pumpkins and gourds

Perfect little seat for Kaylee

Kaylee and Sophia searching for pumpkins.

Look at this cute little pumpkin.

It even has a handle.

My pumpkin.

Look, there are more.

Two. Which one should we pick?

This one looks good.

Got it.

Uncle Mike and Kaylee

Uncle Mike taking the girls on a wagon ride through the pumpkin patch.

Sophia trying to pull the heavy wagon.

It is very heavy.

Maybe if we take the pumpkins out, it will be lighter. She tried that and the wagon was still very heavy.

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Kaylee checks out the Dardenne Prairie City Hall Park

2011-09-27T11:31:00.001-05:00

Swinging with our good friend. Kaylee is in back of our friend's arm.

Kaylee's expression looks like she is thinking "Now What?"

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Sophia's fourth birthday

2011-09-25T18:52:00.002-05:00

Sophia opened a couple presents on her actual birthday. She really loved the Fredbird baseball cap her dad got for her.

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Princess birthday party fun

2011-09-25T16:14:00.001-05:00

Sophia's fourth birthday party

Toys everywhere.

Playing

Dress-up dramatic play

Kaylee in the wagon

Princesses putting on their crowns

Friends playing together

Kaylee climbing as usual

The girls ready for cake

Blowing out the candles on her fourth birthday princess cake

Cake and ice-cream

Just pick that big scoop of ice cream up and shove it in your mouth.

Messy face

Yummy cake!

Friends checking the fun toys

Grandma helping Sophia read birthday cards.

Opening birthday presents

Barbie has a bike.

Kaylee holding the Hawaiian babydoll.

That will be HOW much?

Kaylee shopping

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A Princess Birthday Cake fit for a four year old Princess

2011-09-22T15:42:00.002-05:00

Sophia had a birthday party this weekend. She told me exactly which friends she wanted to invite. At almost four years old she told me the names of Fourteen kids she wanted there. I thought that was pretty impressive that she could recall all those names. So, we had to bake and frost a cake. She chose the Princess idea and I thought we could do that, just needed to buy the doll top and used my Pampered Chef large mixing bowl. I baked the cake dress form in the bowl at 350 degrees for about 55 minutes and the other round cake pan for the normal round cake time.

I demonstrated that Sophia could spread the bright pink icing with a butter knife. Sophia was so excited to spread the icing on the slightly frozen cake so it wouldn't crumble.

Here I am helping her smooth the icing around a bit.

Here, I asked her what else was needed. Flowers of course was the answer!

So I taught Sophia on wax paper how to make icing flowers with the Wilton icing bags and tip set I had. She thought the best part was eating the mistakes. Oops, she licked her fingers.

Here is the finished cake.

Sophia was so proud of her Princess Cake we made.

She is naming her Ariel in this photograph.

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Hemming dresses that is all I got

2011-09-16T10:22:00.003-05:00

My life has been a little crazy lately since I have decided to pursue an absolutely crazy goal of wanting to complete a triathlon before I am forty years old. This amazing feat which I have decided is going to help me lose the baby weight requires constant training. Unfortunately for me between chasing Kaylee and keeping her out of trouble, answering Sophia's stream of conscience questions, doing all the normal household chores and mom stuff; training for my long term goal is making me drop into bed with exhaustion each night.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I tend to be a bit of an overachiever. I feel a goal isn't worth it if it can be reached easily. I believe in working hard to get an end result. Laziness is not an option. The harder you work, the more you appreciate the outcome.

Many who have known me for awhile know that I usually bite off more than I can chew, work a job or three, pursue a Major in college or two. Workout twice a day studying martial arts while learning to ride a mountain bike. Yes, even studying for my Master's Degree several years back while working full time job. Deciding to learn to sew but not just with a sewing machine, learning how to use a serger at the same time. Yes, my history of pursuing interests and hobbies and learning is a bit overwhelming to most but what can I say, I don't want to be a "boring" person and I will have loads of memories and stories to tell my children and grandchildren someday, maybe. I am rarely ever bored and don't sit still for long unless I am asleep. Zzzzzz!

So once again Debbie has taken on the seemingly impossible mission of wanting to complete a triathlon before 40 as a long term goal to my short term goal of losing weight. The only problem is, I don't "know how to run". I mean "run" properly like runners do in a race. So on June 8, 2011 I started a new endeavor. I started running. On off days from running I have been riding the bike and even took a few spinning classes. With all this going on. It has not left a lot of time in my day for my other favorite pastime of sewing. So I am settling for "hemming" dresses. With the weather changing, I expect I will once again have regular dates with my sewing machine hiding away from everyone in my (relaxing oasis, no, just kidding) office and being able to create fun with material and thread. I sure miss sewing with my machines but with everything else, being a wife and mom there just isn't enough hours in the day. A mom my age needs at least a little beauty sleep because I sure am not getting any younger.

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Wishing the rain would stop so she could go for a bike ride with mom.

2011-09-09T17:24:00.003-05:00

Poor Kaylee put on her bike helmet and is looking out the patio door at the rain.

Running around trying to get my attention yelling, "Bye Bye!"

I feel so sad for her. She wants to go bike riding. She is also saying, "Hat, hat, bye, bye!

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Bicycle riding lessons

2011-09-06T16:19:00.003-05:00

Sophia told me she wanted to learn to ride her bicycle again so out we went. Can I say, this little bike is sooo heavy.

Her first crash. She rolled off the cart path near our neighbor's house.

Kaylee wanted to try to ride her little bike too.

Wanna race?

Kaylee telling me she has a hat.

Look mom, I can do this just like Sophia, right onto the grass.

This is right after she fell off the bike and landed on the concrete. I told her, to just shake it off, and I acted like it was no big deal. She needs me to act like that to teach her "No Drama." Everyone falls off but that shouldn't stop her. The difference between a winner and a quitter is the "winner never quits". The "quitter never wins" Get back on that bike! She got back on the bike after a kiss and hug and started trying again.

Smiling.

There we go....

Here we come.....

Focus on making circles with your feet and don't forget to steer the handle bars.

Keep going!

Back the other way....

Okay, now make sure you point the handle bars the direction you want to go so you don't hit a house, a golfer, or a tree my darling.

Starting to get the hang of riding.

Kaylee was tired of riding so she began practicing climbing steps.

Here we come. Guide the handle bars where you want to go.

Sophia was just starting to get the hang of it when she said, "Mommy, I am tired of riding. I want to go 'run' now!". And she hopped off the bike and started running while I put her bike back in the house.

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Babysitting?

2011-08-29T05:07:00.001-05:00

Um, I don't think this is exactly what I meant when I said, "Daddy will have to do some 'babysitting' while Sophia and I are at church." Apparently, Kaylee heard what I said and took it literally. Scott said she took all her baby dolls, stacked them in the rocking chair and sat on them as you can see here.

Here Kaylee is sitting on those babies and clapping and singing.

My sweet girl is playing baby dolls.

Giving baby doll hugs and love.

I just love having children for exactly this reason. My little darlings make me laugh every day. I love you Kaylee.

Best part about being a toddler

2011-08-25T15:33:00.001-05:00

Mmmmm! Kaylee enjoying an ice-cream cone that I put into a cup.

Yummy! "mmmmmm!"

She is loving this.

Enjoying a yummy cone on the deck instead of taking a nice nap.

This is way better than a nap for sure.

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Remember this book?

2011-08-24T20:41:00.001-05:00

My daughters and I found this lovely old storybook at the library the other day and we just had to bring it home to share and read.

I told my daughter that this book has been around since I was a little girl. I can remember sitting in my childhood room reading this book over and over and over. As I paged through the pages of this old book it all came back to me.

Either I didn't have many books which i know is not true, or this was one of my favorites that I read very often. I remember all the stories in here and all the pictures. A crazy little trip down memory lane was felt here tonight while reading to my daughters.

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Clothes pouches

2011-08-19T16:20:00.001-05:00

My daughters have a knack for making anything a game. Lately, they like to take all their clothing out of their dresser drawers and toss it all around the room and carry it throughout the house.

With Sophia starting preschool after Labor Day, we needed a quick solution to keep her clothes matched into sets so she can get ready faster while I am out running or bicycling in the mornings so I serged up some quick clothing pouches out of some scrap fabric to put into her dresser drawers with outfits pre-matched for school days. Each little pouch includes every item needed to be ready to walk out the door except shoes.

My intent is to get Sophia out the door faster so she won't miss school.

Clearly my daughters have too much time on their hands because they decided that I made silly hats for them to wear rather than clothes pouches.

Here they are laughing and playing peek-a-boo.

Where did Kaylee go?

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Boating at the Lake with Grandma

2011-08-18T09:35:00.001-05:00

My sweet girls and I.

The Lake of the Ozarks

Kaylee is not sure about boating.

Kaylee seems to be getting used to boating.

Sophia eating pizza at Frankie and Louie's.

Sophia and her Grandma.

The whole crowd at Frankie and louie's

Clapping

Kaylee enjoying and watching the band.

Watching the band

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Soar like an Eagle

2011-08-17T22:47:00.001-05:00

Just hanging out with the Eagles.

Sophia Posing in front of a wood carved Eagle at the Lake of the Ozarks

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...and i didn't finish last - Our first race Clifton Heights neighborhood

2011-08-15T08:03:00.002-05:00

This year I have decided that it is time to lose the baby weight and get back in better shape to keep up with my darling little Kaylee. I started running and biking when we returned from our trip to Destin, FL because we stopped nursing while on vacation. My first run outside on June 8 was .58 mile. It was tough but I am a very determined person when I have my mind made up to do something. The only problem was every time I would run my knees started hurting and not in a good burning sort of way like muscles should feel. I visited the Big River Running Company here in town on several friends' recommendations to see if they could help correct the problem. My husband bought my first pair of official running shoes for me at 38 years old.

They have changed my life. I can now run further than a mile because my knees don't hurt and I am not running on the sides of my feet. Running on the sides of my feet was causing all the knee pain. Who knew? The New Asics support my feet and make me run straight. They are awesome. Thanks to all who have answered my questions and helped me get started in this sport since I have never ever been a runner.

I have ridden bicycles my whole life and about 13 years ago got really serious riding my bike and dumped my rusty old 10 speed that I had since I was a teenager. At the time, I started with having a bike shop fit me for a Schwinn mountain bike which I rode everywhere. I rode the Grant Trail before it was what it is now. I rode every day on one trail or another in the city where I lived. I zoomed down the massive hills and crawled up the mountainous hills of Forest Park on that beloved Schwinn Mountain bike I affectionately named "Blue!". I took spills while racing the old Katy Trail and even ate gravel. Yes, I ate dirt a few times. Let me tell you, I don't recommend it. Gravel tastes nasty. I have some lovely badges of honor that are gentle reminders to not bike and drink bottles of wine. My warrior wounds are not completely gone as there are scars to tell the stories but I assure you I will try to be a little more careful as I speed down hills, jump over curbs and often become air born over gullies. I love that feeling of flying on my bike but can't do that while hauling my trailer full of kids. Yes, that mountain bike "Blue" took me over varied terrain and even sported a few disguises as I tried to sneak a few extra sample free beers at Grant's Farm at the end of one particularly adventurous ride down Grant Trail.

Old "Blue" took me to a park along the Katy Trail in which I broke, yes broke my bike in Klondike Park on the side of a very steep hill. I had only had it about three years. Poor old "Blue". I took it to the hospital bike shop to get her repaired where I found my new "hybrid" bike at the time. It was love at first sight and I brought my new "Trek" baby, "Silver Bullet" home. I called her "Silver Bullet" because she was way faster and lighter than my beloved mountain bike, "Blue." Now, I will never give up cycling as long as I can push those magical little pedals that make those spinning wheels churn and pull me forward rushing toward the street, trail or pavement ahead. Wind whipping past me cooling me as I ride like an instant fan created by the forces of nature, wind and the propelling forward motion of the wheels spinning below me. Biking gives me a sense of being a young kid and having the freedom to explore my world, but I decided it was time to add a fun new challenge to my life with the intent of someday competing in a triathlon, hopefully before I hit 40. Yikes! I better hurry. In order to compete in that I need to be able to "run" so here we go. I ran my first run which pressured me into training. I ran and ran and rode my bike when I wasn't running. Following are some photos of my daughter Sophia and my first run.

Sophia ran in the kids .5 mile run.

Sophia Crossing the finish line after her first .5 mile run

"Yeah! Mommy, look I won!"

"Daddy, look at my ribbon! I won!"

See here it is!

Proud girl.

I am running as hard as possible just 100 ft from the finish line downhill. I am thinking,"Don't let those two girls behind you run ahead of you. Don't be last! I am speed" from the Cars movie.

Almost at the finish I was wishing I didn't have this huge bulky race T-shirt on. I didn't have anywhere to put it so I had to wear it or carry it. Next time, I will hand my T-shirt off to my family. Scott took a work call in our car right before the race so I checked in alone and he just took the car with my kids to the finish line to see me finish.

Finished! I am on the left in the burgundy shirt in front of the blue finish arch.

To the right in front of the blue leg of the arch is my running time 24:18 not great but better than sitting on the couch. I am just glad I finished and I wasn't last. I did hit a new personal best and my hero, Lance Armstrong bellowed out on my Nike + GPS program as I crossed the finish line you reached a new personal record at 13'33" per mile. I was ecstatic and out of mind delirious from running. I had to listen to that again later because I was sure I imagined it. It was true. At least fifteen or more people came in after me. I figure you have to start somewhere.

Here is how Kaylee darling watched the races feet up relaxing. I am sure she is thinking you guys are total suckers out there running like that while I sit here relaxing in my stroller.

Sophia and kaylee waiting for mommy to recover from her run.

The happy runners.

Mommy and daughter racers ran their first race.

Race information.

My first race number.

The race route. Clifton Heights is a very hilly neighborhood near "The Hill". It is just down the street and across Hampton from Columbia where my grandmother used to live.

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Captain Ron's at the Lake

2011-08-12T14:00:00.001-05:00

Kaylee relaxing at Captain Ron's on the Lake

Captain Ron's Pirate Ship

Kaylee is not a big fan of pirates! Sophia wouldn't even stand in the picture with us.

My girls and I at Captain Ron's

Eat your veggies

2011-08-11T07:43:00.001-05:00

Sophia could write the book on how to trick your parents into letting you stay up later for preschoolers. This girl thinks of everything patents have ever heard and last night was no exception at nine thirty. Here's how the conversation went:

Sophia says, "I am so hungry!"

Daddy, "You are just making excuses to stay up later. Go to bed."

Sophia whines, "Mommy, I am sssooo hungry!"

Mommy replies, "Sophia if you ate your dinner better, you wouldn't be starving. Now, you will have to wait until our next meal. We might even consider a snack if you had eaten your dinner. Go to bed."

Sophia exclaimed, "Daddy, please. I need to eat. I am so hungry now. I was hungry before we played soccer and after we played soccer tonight at the school! Tears started appearing in the corners of her eyes.

Daddy says to mommy, "Maybe she really is hungry. Mommy, do you have any of those vegetables Sophia can eat?"

Mommy says, "Of course! I will get them now!". For about the last eight or nine months Sophia has been saying she doesn't like vegetables typical three year old exerting her independence.

Daddy tells Sophia she can have some veggies for a snack and Sophia exclaims, "Yeah! I can eat!"

She gobbled down every last vegetable so she was truly hungry not making excuses this time.

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Pop Tarts - home-made

2011-08-09T10:41:00.002-05:00

My mom gave me a recipe to try making pop tarts. I figured it might be fun to try with Sophia.

I consider Pop Tarts a quick easy "Mom needs a cheat breakfast" and don't let my kids have them all that often. I know they are terrible for us and well let's face it loaded with sugar and fat. I try to only let my kids have them when we have to be somewhere at some crazy early hour and I don't want them to scream "I eat!" or "Mommy, I am hungry!" at the top of their lungs and make me look like a bad mom. Feeding them cardboard slathered in gooey strawberry preserves gel covered with sugared icing creates a lot of guilt for me but makes me get through the morning on those days.

So I thought I would try making these pop tarts and see if I could make them oh a tiny bit better, albeit sugar free gooey strawberry preserves. They were okay but I would make the crust a tiny bit thinner next time more like a pie crust. They tasted okay but Sophia was really not able to help after we used the mixer because the crust was a bit crumbly and needed a mom's touch to pull together. I will make them again but definitely not an option for a quick on the go option. Sorry kids, cardboard slathered with gooey gel preserves and topped in sugary icing will still be your breakfast on those days we have to get moving out the door super early. Love you kids, but this one takes time and would have to be made the night before and let's face it I am just not a good planner sort of person. Last minute cardboard breakfast will be served here now and then.

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Packed and ready to go back

2011-08-08T08:14:00.001-05:00

While unpacking, a few things got repacked. I am guessing they want to go back.

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Just add pencils!

2011-08-03T07:18:00.002-05:00

Sophia made a craft stick can pencil holder. She loves craft time.

First, she painted all the craft sticks. She didn't like waiting for them to dry but she understood once I told her why she had to wait.

Next, she glued all the wooden craft sticks onto the old lemonade can. Then, she had to endure more waiting.

Last, she enjoyed the fun part, glue the fancy ribbons onto the project to make it look finished. Of course she chose polka dot ribbon because she loves polka dots.

Just add pencils!

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A perfect swimming day

2011-08-02T21:37:00.002-05:00

Kaylee at 15 months swimming at Winghaven Pool

Look at that little baby swim. Her feet are just a kicking as hard and fast as she can go. She does the butterfly stroke kick about 90 % of the time. She is so strong, it is amazing. It is funny that is how she naturally started swimming. I try not to coach her to change it too much but I do tell her to kick kick too.

Relaxing and floating on her back.

Sophia watching her sister.

My girls and I playing.

Just swinging around in the pool swings.

Stealing a cool drink from Mommy's cup.

Messy girl eating yogurt or painting with yogurt

2011-08-02T15:49:00.003-05:00

Kaylee was supposed to be eating yogurt and an english muffin for breakfast. Either she has really bad aim with a spoon or she was painting war paint on her face.

It appears she was wearing the yogurt as face war paint. Who knew yogurt painting could be so fun and terribly messy.

Quick! Hide your socks from my girl!

2011-08-02T15:40:00.001-05:00

Sophia snagged my white sock and turned it into this little puppet. She had so much fun making this I am scared I am going to have no socks left in my drawer next time I look in there, but rather a bunch of new friends Sophia has made.

A chicken? Abstract art by Sophia

2011-08-01T22:02:00.001-05:00

Here is Sophia's art she designed all on her own. She chose the materials from our craft bin while I was cooking dinner.

Honestly, I don't know what it is but she claims it is a chicken?

It looks a little like a chicken that just got hit by a vehicle windshield if you ask me, but I guess that is how abstract art works. You feel and see what you want to see. :-)

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Looks like I need a bigger can of bug spray

2011-08-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

Found this giant ladybug trying to escape near the patio door. Sophia created this little critter from materials we had in our craft bin.

We grabbed a couple paper plates and she painted them. When the red paint was dry she used a black marker to make the face and add polka dots like ladybugs have on their wings. Mommy had to help by cutting the pipe cleaners but she put them between the paper plates and finally glued on the eyes. She gave it to her father when he got home tonight. I am not a fan of bugs, but this little critter is growing on me.

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Remember these?

2011-08-01T12:58:00.002-05:00

I needed a quick craft for Sophia to do and remembered these little squares from my past.

Do you know what they are called?

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Ever have a day like this?

2011-07-30T20:12:00.001-05:00

Kaylee sporting the Mohawk created by her pulling out her sprout pigtail.

This is before

Don't I look funny?

"shoes, pronounced (sheeeshs)"

"Shoes."

I guess daddy doesn't want my shoe.

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Thank Heavens for Little Girls tap dance ( part 2)

2011-07-28T14:38:00.001-05:00

I was looking through the pictures taken at the show and discovered that no photos were taken during Sophia's tap dance number. It turns out my husband didn't get any photos of that number but recorded it with the video recorder. I was back in the back trying to keep the baby screaming for her nap quiet so as not to disrupt the crowd so I couldn't take photos either. Bummed by that but that is how it goes.

So, Scott captured the "curtain call" with Sophia in her tap costume. She is just a bit to the right of center in the photo above.

I love these tap dance costumes. The girls all came out to bow. Sophia is taking a bow here.

And she looks out into the crowds and smiles.

She spotted grandma in the crowd.

Take another bow.

Smile....

Take another bow....

Smile.....

Take another bow.....

And another

Smile.....

Take another bow.....,

And another.......

Take another bow....,,

And smile....,,,

And smile....

And smile......

Take another bow....,

and take another bow for good measure.

This was the funniest thing ever. Sophia kept taking bows over and over. It was so funny, my cheeks hurt from laughing. She was responding to the crowd's clapping and laughing. It was one of my favorite moments ever!

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Dance recital concert (part 1)

2011-07-28T07:15:00.001-05:00

This year was Sophia's first year of dance. She did wonderful at her recital. The theme was "Life's a Musical".

Here comes the "Easter Parade" which was the ballet dance number for the three and four year olds.

Some of the girls just stood there like a deer in the headlights.

Sophia caught on after a few seconds that she should dance to the music.

My Easter bonnet...,

This was so cute until they all ran into each other. It was adorable.

My little beauty just a smiling from ear to ear loving every minute.

Something went a little awry and Sophia ended up behind her classmates so she just walked around the other girls and jumped back in line in the end.

Sophia my dear, mommy and daddy are so proud of you. We love you little darling.

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Bike riding trick

2011-07-26T08:35:00.002-05:00

Well, looks like Kaylee might need a little coaching in how to ride a Big Wheel. She kinda has the idea. Notice the green sticker star on her nose and her hand.

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Tap Dance Costume

2011-07-21T22:03:00.001-05:00

Here are a few quick photos of Sophia's dance concert costume.

Sewing challenge make life jacket inescapable for kaylee

2011-07-21T14:28:00.001-05:00

Kaylee is definitely my climber and my escape artist. She escapes everything including her pool flotation devices and rafts. As soon as we get to the pool, she starts running away or climbing out of the stroller. I tried letting her swim with a life jacket which didn't work because she is short to the ground and floats up onto her back while wearing it. That just makes her mad. She can't play while always floating on her back.

So I bought the US Coast Guard approved life swimming vest shown above. The only problem is that Kaylee is too skinny to keep it on.

Adjusted to the tightest it will go around her and as you can see her arms slide out and it falls down. The photos are blurry too because this kids never stops running.

So the challenge today is figure out how to keep this life vest on Kaylee.

The method I propose is to sew temporary buttons onto the back of the sleeves. Then attach buttonhole elastic to keep the arm floats up without restricting her movement.
Then, I will tighten the safety strap in the back by folding the edge over and sewing it to the vest. This should temporarily hold the vest at a smaller chest size. These will be only temporary fixes that can be removed when she is big enough to use the vest.

As you can see this was a pretty easy fix but to make it a little less obvious I sewed the elastic to a wide polka dot grosgrain ribbon that matched the vest color that I had here.

Then I sewed tiny buttons onto the sleeves.

Sewed buttons onto both sleeves.

Then I just buttoned the elastic ribbon onto the vest.

I put it on Kaylee and took her to the pool. It worked like a charm and when Kaylee my escape artist got into the water her life vest stayed on and she could move her arms just fine.

Here is an action shot of her running with her new life vest on.

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Mission impossible? Maybe not!

2011-07-19T22:18:00.002-05:00

The challenge: Transform this pair of blue jeans into a pair my father could wear. My dad has a new leg brace which he would like to hide inside the pant leg.

Idea - add zipper to inside leg of jeans to allow for my dad's leg brace.

First, I ripped out the hem and inner leg seam approximately 17 inches to allow for ease of use from the seam because the leg brace is 15 inches tall. Then, I serged the edges of the seams of the blue jeans independently. Next, I inserted a zipper with a zipper foot on my sewing machine. Then I resewed the hem.

Ta Da! Mission accomplished!

Zipper opening in the inner leg seam that my dad can open to put on his leg brace. I hope this solution works for him.

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Barbie high fashions

2011-07-14T16:02:00.001-05:00

I serged this little modern black and white polka dot hankerchief hemline skirt and halter top for Barbie.

Back view of handkerchief hem.

side view. I used Velcro for the closures so my three year old could dress Barbie without my help.

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MMM! Corn on the cob mommy grilled

2011-07-13T14:34:00.001-05:00

Kaylee eating corn on the cob like a big girl

Yummy!

MMM!!!

Kaylee loves her pets

2011-07-13T07:23:00.001-05:00

Posing for photo

Putting her Furreal Pets in their house.

Petting the doggy one barking at her.

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Playing Barbie dolls - barbie needs a new dress

2011-07-11T18:34:00.001-05:00

Today was a triple digit heat day so we decided to play in our playroom in the nice cool basement. I played Barbies with my girls. Sophia told me Barbie needs some new clothes. Knowing how she felt and thinking back to when I was a young girl who loved dressing my Barbies, I told her I would see what I could do about it if she was a good girl and took her nap.

I had to deliver on my promise since Sophia was sleeping when I peeked into her room awhile ago. I hurried and serged up this quick little full skirted dress to match Sophia's Ladybug pillowcase dress out of a bit of scraps I had leftover and some ribbon. I hope she likes it. I think it turned out cute. My girls now have a matching Barbie dress to match their ladybug dresses.

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Early morning seashell hunting on the beach Destin FL

2011-06-29T22:05:00.001-05:00

Sophia went out early with daddy and walked the shoreline to search for seashells.

Looking

And looking

Found some. Smiling.

Looking for more

View of the beach

Bringing the shells back to the condo to show mommy. Mommy stayed back with Kaylee while Kaylee napped.

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Thank heaven for little girls

2011-06-29T00:55:00.001-05:00

Make-up dance class. Sophia is in pink with white tutu. She is three years old and starting to catch onto what is going on in class.

The glare from the window bugs me but there is not much I can do about it.

The girls were so excited to put on the fancy costumes for parents viewing class.

The school has these for the girls to play with and dance in periodically. Sophia's choice was this sparkly little outfit.

I think the girl are toys and the teachers wakes them up.

Then, they dance around in the dim light.

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Hemming the cover up

2011-06-28T21:45:00.002-05:00

With summer here I am having a hard time keeping up with everything. I have managed to sneak in a quick sewing project here and there in between biking, starting to run (have never been a runner before but am determined to lose some weight), cleaning, swimming, playing with my kids, and trying to let them play with friends.

This was handed to me a week ago and I am just now getting around to tackling hemming the swimsuit cover-up. I love the dressmaker's form because you can get a true length as if you or in this case my mom were wearing the dress for the hem.

This is just another view of the cover-up on my dressform. I should have this one completed by tomorrow with any luck.

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Rainy day Hello Kitty Craft

2011-06-26T12:43:00.001-05:00

Sophia made these little Hello Kitty fabric craft today. She loves making stuff like this.

I took a picture of the box so I can try to find something like this again. She loves it.

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Random playing dancing and bike riding

2011-06-25T03:09:00.001-05:00

Throwing a ball at dad

Dancing

Twirling her baton

A little magic wave of the magic wand and....Abracadabra..........

.....and now she is ready for a bike ride. Note the skirt and sandals.
(note to self: I may need to coach her a bit on proper bike attire.)

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Parents viewing night at dance

2011-06-25T02:55:00.001-05:00

Choosing instruments

Telling Miss Paula a secret.

Tap dancing

A little help with a step

Oops, snuck a peak at us

Heal slides

My Big girl can change her own shoes from tap to ballet.

Putting her tap shoes away.

Stretching to the left.

Stretching to the right.

Stretching

Touch your toes pretty ballerina

Oops, sneaking a peak at mom and dad

Ha ha! Supposed to be stretching but she looks relaxed here.

A little ballet routine.

Forgot to use her arms for the steps in the routine.

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Tutu or hat you decide

2011-06-23T00:26:00.002-05:00

I serged up a quick tutu the other day for the girls to play with.

I handed it to my darling little Kaylee and said to her "Try this on."

She decided that it was a "Hat" as she sweetly called it and put it on her head. (you just can't make this stuff up. Kids are so silly).

Sophia and I busted up laughing and then Sophia wanted to try on the tutu, "hat" too!

I guess these girls like when I make hats better then tutus.

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Some of Sophia's latest

2011-06-22T07:46:00.001-05:00

Here are some drawings and cut and paste projects Sophia has been working on lately. She is getting a little better at cutting so we will keep practicing.

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Child sized adjustable Beach blanket cover up

2011-06-15T13:23:00.004-05:00

It is swimsuit season and we are spending a lot of time at the pool. With swimming daily comes the need for lots of swimsuits and multiple cover-ups. So, although I haven't tried making any swimsuits yet, I have tried making a few beach cover-ups. This is my latest. It is fully adjustable and can be made flat to be used as a towel or beach blanket.

Here Sophia is trying it out for the first time at the pool.

Lay it out flat for a beach towel or

If you have a beach chair, you can tie it down so it won't blow away. This is my own personal original design so please be respectful of the time and thought put into it and do not copy it. I did not use a pattern at all. I drew and designed it completely to be original.

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And by all means a girl can always use another tutu

2011-06-13T00:03:00.001-05:00

The sparkling tutu I serged.

This weekend I had a few minutes to play in my sewing room at one point while my girls napped.

I had some sparkly iridescent scrap fabric that I had picked up awhile back that I hadn't done anything with yet so I figured, why not make something.

I decided it was just big enough to make a sparkly tutu for my girls. I gathered it with the ruffling foot on my serger and attached it to some elastic. Then, I added the satin blanket binding I had leftover from another project for a waistband casing and in minutes I had made a tutu.

When Kaylee saw it she grabbed it right away hoping it was hers. Then, about a second later Sophia woke up and wanted it. Since there was only enough fabric here for one, I guess my girls will have to fight for it because you know a girl can never have too many tutus.

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Beach continued

2011-06-12T22:13:00.001-05:00

Dad and his daughter

Scott teaching Sophia to jump into the waves.

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Girls at the beach

2011-06-12T22:07:00.001-05:00

Aaahhhhh! Fun in the sun!

Sophia and Kaylee playing in the white sand

I took the girlsinto the water to cool off and play a little.

Playing and getting all sandy.

Kaylee trying to eat her hat.

Happy girl soaking up the sun

Kaylee Just playing in the sand

Playing on the beach with her seahorse

Sand on her face

Just sitting back and relaxing on the beach.

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Mommy and Sophia playing at the pool

2011-06-12T21:43:00.001-05:00

I took Sophia down to the pool at the condo for a little playtime. Here she wanted me to blow up the raft. I didn't think of bringing the air pump that I use to inflate rafts at home so I had to do it the old fashion way of blowing it up. My mouth was pretty tired but I filled it with air.

We decided to play in the hot tub since the pool was very chilly that morning. As you can see other people were playing there too. You can see the back of my head here and Sophia is immediately to my right in the blue raft.

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In search of seashells

2011-06-12T21:36:00.001-05:00

Scott promised Sophia he would teach her how to hunt for seashells. So early the first morning, they went out and walked the shoreline searching for seashells. I stayed back at the condo so Kaylee could take her morning nap. While she napped, I snapped these pictures of Sophia and her dad from the deck of the condo. I didn't have the telephoto lens on so they are way off in the distance there but it was neat to watch them playing together and hunting for shells.

Scott and Sophia walking and collecting seashells.

Dipping our toes in the snow?

2011-06-12T10:09:00.001-05:00

So we finally sink our flip flop wrapped toes in the smooth creamy white sand and Sophia remarks to her father, "Daddy, I like walking in snow.

Scott says," Sophia, this isn't snow this is sand.".

Sophia questions, "Are you serious???"

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Finally at the condo at the beach in Destin FL

2011-06-08T22:58:00.001-05:00

This was how excited Sophia was to finally get to the vacation destination of Destin Florida.

We stayed at MainSail condos in Destin, FL. Who would have guessed how beautifully the place would be decorated with a tropical theme. I have to say the free upgrade to a platinum level condo was worth it. I lived the granite countertops. It felt like one we have in our bar in the basement.

Sophia was so excited that she and Kaylee had their own room complete with bunk beds. Too bad Kaylee was more interested in climbing than sleeping. We eventually had to make her sleep in her carseat to keep her tied down.

Sophia checking out the accommodations with a dresser and a flat screen tv for her to watch kid shows.

"Mom, I even have my own bathroom."

Kaylee testing out the climbing jungle gym, errrrr I mean the dresser drawer handles for sturdiness so she could climb them later.

Sparkling white sand glistening as the waves crashed onto the beach was the view out of the sliding glass patio doors.

Sophia checking out the view from the deck

Sophia telling Kaylee this is vacation on the deck of the condo.

Sophia checking out the furniture

Kaylee sees a baby. This is going to be a great trip.

She touches the baby and discovers that it is only a cold mirror. Poor girl thought she made a friend.

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Getting closer....

2011-06-08T22:38:00.001-05:00

We can see water!

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Florida state line- are we there yet?

2011-06-08T22:37:00.001-05:00

Just shortly after we saw the first palm trees, we came upon the Florida State Line sign.

Scott told Sophia that we had just crossed over into Florida and she was so excited. We had to get out stretch our legs and take a picture of the sign.

"Yeah!" Exclaimed Sophia. " We are here!". Scott said, well, we are in Florida but we aren't quite to the beach yet.

"Daddy, we saw the palm trees. Why is the beach so far away? Are we there yet?"

"Almost!"

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Sleeve bib

2011-06-08T07:34:00.002-05:00

Front of bib showing crumb pocket.

Back view of sleeve bib

I love my darling little Kaylee but she is one messy eater. I am just short of putting her in a straight-jacket to eat meals most days. So this idea for a sleeve bib has been on my mind for awhile. I think I will tweak it a bit for the next one but I think the general idea is coming together.

I sewed it with the intent of being able to let Kaylee eat without destroying her clothes. I am hoping to cut down on laundry a bit. Even though I put bibs on her for every meal, she manages to get food outside the bib everytime. Yuck! Hopefully, this will help a bit.

I used some fabric I had leftover from some dresses I sewed for my girls.

Recycled part: I used a T-shirt collar that I cut out of an old white T-shirt for the ribbing of the neck since I didn't have any ribbing fabric so it would stretch and slide over Kaylee's head. I just serged it into the neckline.

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The first palm trees of our vacation

2011-06-07T23:20:00.001-05:00

"Mommy, Daddy, we are here! Look there are palm trees. We
Must be here!" exclaimed Sophia as we approached a palm tree farm.

Daddy told Sophia not exactly but we were getting closer.

These palms were so small and cute Scott had to take their pictures.

More palm trees

Since they were closed, we couldn't bring one back as a souvenir for grandma. Nevermind the fact, we didn't have room for it.
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First night of vacation

2011-06-04T22:55:00.001-05:00

We decided on a whim to head to Destin, Florida for vacation. Originally, we planned to do stuff around St Louis like visiting the Zoo, Arch, Science Center or something similar. My husband was off work for a week and rain and tornadoes were predicted for the entire week in our town. So about twenty four hours before we hit the road my husband said let's go somewhere.

I hurried to the travel agency to see if we could book a last minute trip and found some great condos in Destin, FL. I didn't book the trip until the morning of the day we left because I had to discuss our options with Scott to see what sounded good. With little kids, we decided driving would be our best option so we could stop when necessary. We divided the trip into two days although if it had been just the two of us, we would have driven straight through. We knew we would need to make frequent stops for the kids. We left at about two o'clock in the afternoon, normally naptime for my kids. In theory that was a great idea. In reality, well, let's just say, I didn't put the kids back on a plane to Grandma's but seriously considered it a few times.

Kaylee was having an awful day teething and cried/whined and fussed for almost hour hours straight. Yes, I did give her all the teething soothers possible. She is not pictured here because she was asleep but she was in the room with us.

We planned to stay in Nashville, TN the first night. It was a logical stopping place on the way to Destin.

Although these photos are not very exciting taken in the La Quinta Inn in Nashville, TN you can see the excitement in Sophia's expressions captured in these photographs. This place was priced right and was nice and clean for a quick sleeping night.

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Made a hooded towel

2011-05-19T18:27:00.001-05:00

Today I serged up a quick hooded towel out of a scrap remnant I had. It is definitely not a fancy project, but Sophia loves it.

These pictures don't really do it justice but I could hardly get my daughter to hold still for a second. She wanted it tied like a cape so that is what we did here. She is also waving her hand inside the bath washcloth mitt I made for her too.

O'fallon Public Works Fair

2011-05-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

We went to the O'fallon Public Works Fair. I forgot my good camera so all I had was my iPhone.

Sound proof headphones, wait a minute, I can use some of those.

Driving the construction trucks.

Sophia, it is probably not a good idea to play in a snow plow.

Okay, she decided to drive the snow plow instead.

Whoa! That is a huge truck.

Sophia beeping the horn and driving.

Had to take a photo here. Sophia loves these things.

My daughter looks so tiny in this truck.

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The ladybug and polka dot ensemble

2011-05-11T13:34:00.004-05:00

Matching accessories for the ladybug pillowcase dress.

Every three year old needs some fancy bloomers since they don't understand that you just can't lift up your dress in public. Sometimes they want to run around splash in puddles, climb ladders, or swing on swings at the park and having your panties show just won't do.

And a floppy hat to match...

Oh, and of course it is reversible for those days when you feel like you need more polka dots.

"Sunbonnet Sue" or maybe "Holly Hobbie"comes to mind in this photo, but I think with that fancy hat, she could give the fancy bonnets worn at the Kentucky Derby this past weekend a little challenge.

This has been a busy week for me. I taught myself to install a zipper in the fly of a pair of dress slacks because a best friend of mine needed help and well let's just say, I have a sewing machine or two so we figured it out.

Then, last night I had a couple hours to myself while my husband worked and decided to make bloomers or as my darling Sophia likes to call them pretty panties covers and a reversible hat to match the pillowcase dress.

I love using my serger to make these adorable floppy hats and my sweet girls love wearing them so that works out pretty well. Sewing these hats on my serger is a snap. I made this whole hat including cutting the fabric and ironing in the waterproof lining that gives it it's shape in a little over an hour.

Next on the list is making the mini me version for little Kaylee baby. If you ever wondered why I usually make the bigger version first, I can tell you why. There are two reasons. It is easier to size a pattern down that I make than to size up and the smaller version takes less fabric in most cases, unless I make a mistake and have to start over, so I can use the leftovers to make the smaller version.

If you know any little girls who need a super cute outfit like this, let me know. If I can find the fabric again, I can make one for you.

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