Lately

It's that rare moment when I'm up before my kids.  This has maybe happened twice in seven years, and while I like the idea of starting my day with peace and quiet, sleep trumps everything.

That inward-turning end-of-pregnancy thing is happening and I haven't had much to say/post as I get ready for this new little guy.  I've been trying to do a better job of preparing the boys for what to expect, and now that it's the third time around I think I have a good idea of what they need to know.  Information often comes to me at dinner or in the car.  Yesterday I realized that I hadn't told them about the possibility that they could wake up in the morning and Chris and I would be gone at the hospital, which is obviously important to know.

Anyway, I think they're ready.  The co-sleeper is ready.  The car seat is ready.  The diapers are ready.  I'm HALMOST (Danny's word for "almost") ready...

I only have one more goal that I want to complete before the baby arrives now that I've finished this quilt for the peeps who fixed my computer...

Here's Danny watching it spin...

And here it is all wrapped up...

This thing was huge and there were a few times when I was cramming it through my machine when I thought it might put me into labor, but I finished it on Tuesday.  It's king-sized.
Speaking of labor, here's a list of things that haven't put me into labor yet...
1.  Unloading 8 bags of groceries.
2.  Kneading bread.
3.  Vacuuming.
4.  Basting a king-sized quilt.
5.  Putting snow-gear on Danny.

Yesterday Danny and I had this exchange...
Me:  Okay, "Thumb in the thumb hole, fingers all together, this is the song we sing for mitten weather."
Danny:  (shoves whole hand into mitten)
Me:  No, start over.  Put your thumb in here.  No.  Here, stick your thumb out.  Now put it in here.  No, here, make a fist, now put your thumb in here.  Feel this spot?  That's where your thumb goes.  No, put it in here.  Feelthehole?That'swhereyouputyourthumb. Dannyrighthereputyourthumbno,stickoutyourthumbputyourthumbin (This goes on for three to five minutes.)
Danny:  (Looks straight in the eye, calmly,)  I don't care about this.
Me:  Oh...    ...  ...  Okay.  (crams hand into mitten and sends him on his merry way.)

Now Taking Suggestions

We are now accepting name ideas.  Please leave yours in the comment section.

Recent Projects...

A flannel robe for Mattie, who is always cold (Pattern from Sewing For Boys)...

He picked out the fabric and it wasn't what I would have chosen, but I'm happy with how it turned out.  He looks very cute in it.

Place-mats (Pattern from Little Things To Sew)...

Mittens from felted sweaters...

Dollhouse food for a handwork sale...

And pear-blueberry crisp with cardamom...

To The Helipad!

Apple Picking 2011/Fall in Michigan

Matthew Turns Four

Matthew is our autumn baby.  We celebrated his birthday with a "family party" on his actual birthday and then a "friends party" a week later.

The invitations were made from a leaf rubbing and watercolor painted over the crayon...

His birthday crown (it caused a little bit of drama because at first he liked the leaves, but then he said he wanted cheetahs on it.  Luckily he came around again)...

Joseph gave him a dentist kit that he put together and Danny gave him a wooden wolf and cub...

We ate his favorite, macaroni and cheese with broccoli...

The cake was almost inappropriately decadent...

He asked for a chocolate cake with caramel, chocolate frosting and "hard chocolate frosting" which I'm assuming is what they put on ice cream at Dairy Queen.   So my interpretation of that was a three layer devil's food cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting and a chocolate ganache on top, coated with melted chocolate that firmed up well and then drizzled with caramel.  Chris made the acorn candle holders.  The beeswax candles are from Camden Rose, our local "Waldorf Store"...

For the friend party, we kept it pretty simple, did a small craft, ate cupcakes and went down to the river to release leaf boats and returned home with lanterns that we had hung down at the river.
We lined the driveway with these lanterns I made using this tutorial I found.  My mom lagged behind and put them out after we left for the river so they were there as a surprise when we returned and the kids got to pick one to take home...

The party favor bags were just felt circles with some yarn stitched through them for a drawstring and we put the felted acorns and acorn jewels inside...

I made cups out of apples for apple cider...

The cupcakes were pumpkin with creamcheese frosting...

These were the lanterns for the lantern walk, made with paper mache on a balloon...

I soaked indian corn and we threaded necklaces, although it was mostly the parents who ended up working on these...

 

More party favor bags...

These were the leaf boats, made by dipping leaves in beeswax, shaping them slightly and then sticking on a small beeswax candle...

I put up the leaf garland I made and some leaves on our dining room shade...

 They looked very pretty...

We also dipped caramel apples...

Here are a few more pictures...



Happy birthday Mattie.

Halloween 2011 with a Wizard, a Wolf and a Fox...

We're back!