new years resolutions..

So I made some new years resolutions this year. It's been going pretty good so far. My favorite challenge that I issued to myself was to make a treat just for the Mr. each week. So on Monday's Lil Bit and I drop the kids off at school, then we head to the grocery store for the weekly shopping, then we get home unpack and put our aprons on. I have also been making my own granola bars and muffins each week for the kids to have in their lunches as a side item or snack. These are fairly healthy, containing pumpkin, flax and dried fruit. The granola bars have been a huge hit, and not just because I generously drizzle them with melted chocolate chips.  For just under $12, everyone in our family can have a granola bar a day (the Mr. takes two because some times he doesn't get to eat any lunch) They are just as tasty as cliff bars, and as I have packed them with seeds (but not nuts so they are school safe) whole grains, flax and oats I feel pretty good about feeding them to my kids. I chop them all up and put them in the fridge for the week.. Yum!

The Mr.'s treat each week is not healthy. It has been designed to sate his 8:00 craving for an entire bag of chips, or not-been-cooled muddie buddies, or entire pound of m&m's. This challenge has been great for me. So far I have enjoyed setting aside some time each week to do something specifically for him. Thus far I have done simple chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels, the first week, last week an oreo crust peanut butter chocolate pie.. and this week straight from pinterest...
SLUTTY BROWNIES..

http://www.thelondoner.me/2011/06/slutty-brownies.html
Umm I just tried one , you know to sample.. DELISH, probably you are drooling just looking at them.
In case you are wondering they are called slutty because they are so EASY, and everybody wants them.

I just bought all the ingredients at ALDI (where I shop now because I am trying to get our budget under wraps before the big fall change*) I baked some for the family to enjoy in little individual silicone muffin cups (available at dollar store) (Costco eat your heart out) and then made 1/2 a pan for The Mr. to have all to himself. (you too can own a 1/2 brownie pan for $1 at the dollar store).

So if you are not on pinterest yet.. I highly suggest checking it out, although it is something of Craft Porn and mildly addictive.. it has opened up a whole new world of ideas possibilities and deliciousness.

*big fall change.. for the first time in 7 years I will not be coaching a fall sport. While I look forward EAGERLY to all those free afternoons with the kids, I will be missing the paycheck that used to accompany that sacrifice. So we need to trim $601 from our monthly budget. Totally doable right?

We'll see!

some things i never said as a kid

So Miss H came home from school and told me this funny story..

"I was sitting in class today and I was reading my Guardians of Gahoole The Journey book, and it was getting very interesting, and then I tapped the page but it didn't turn." Here she giggled a little bit and then finished, "I forgot I was reading a book not a Kindle! Isn't that the funniest thing, how can you forget you are not reading a kindle?"

She is quite hilarious and her sense of humor is developing, but it got me thinking about all the things that have changed since I was kid.

ear rats grazy horse

After Miss H gave us a detailed account of the life of Grazy Horse, a great Native American she learned about while watching the history channel. Cubby chimed in, "Umm I think you have too much ear rats, his name is CRAZY horse."
I couldn't resist... "Umm I think you have serious troubles if you have Ear Rats.. the rest of us are just having ear WAX."

he looked stunned.

a long jacket..

So, no big whoop that I make things, and sew things and craft and mod podge. I am blessed with so many opportunities to be creative and have in my basement crafting lair a myriad of supplies and inspiration. What I lack really is not opportunity, but motivation (and funding). From time to time.. the PERFECT combination of time, inspiration, attention and gift cards all come together and viola....

but the very very best part (although this is possibly the most awesome thing I've sewn in a while, and is giving me just the little nudge I need to get started on Easter) was Miss H saying she loved it. "It is warm and perfect and I love it.)

That was the best.
Better than it coming out looking handmade, not homemade... better than completely lined with adorable black with fuschia flowers.

She loved it.
Big time.

and that has made all the difference..

So obviously she needs some cute headbands or a scarf.. I'll just have to get right on that.
but my mind is drifting now to Easter.. several years ago I made this.. for Miss H, and I did actually crown it "THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER MADE"

It's "Penny" by Wendy Schoen in white linen with madeira applique in baby pink with hand embroidery on the bodice. Thes best part being of course this adorable cut out in the back..

 I am thinking of making it again for Miss H in her current size, and having Lil Bit wear the original. And with only needing to make one Easter dress, couldn't I whip out a few capelets like these?  just saying.... I'm all sewing motivated now that I've been met with a little success and gratitude.

Christmas SlideShow

So I will (someday) catch you up on Miss H and Cubby's seventh birthday, and their triathalon, and Lil Bit's number three birthday and Thanksgiving, and Cubby's first gym meet as a team level gymnast... but for now... please enjoy Christmas!

Another free picture slideshow by Smilebox

a moment

an amazing thing happened here.. Miss H has been working to finish up all her projects for the fair. She just had a few sewing things to work on since she completed her art work over the summer. She had a long list of things we had bought fabric for and anyhow..

I was watching her work, giving advice when needed, and apparently sometimes when not needed.. she has grown up before my very eyes. As she was manipulating the fabric and pins under the presser foot I noticed even her fingers have stretched and lengthened so that they are nimble elegant mature. The sound of her quiet voice guiding herself through a proper pivot, and perfect backstitch was a comfort. She has become a wonderfully patient seamstress, her projects are beyond beautiful to me. It's not the stitch work, it's how much growth these new items represent. The handstitched binding on a quilt for kit, the serged seams on the cutest pair of tommy hilfiger eat your heart out sailor pants with adjustable waist, the double top-stitching on a denim skirt. She is a different child than last summer. Industrious, not busy.

As she was stitching the last button on her skirt I couldn't help but to kiss the top of her head like when she was an infant. "How did we get here to this moment?" my heart whispered, she doesn't need me, but she wants me, she's independent but inclusive. She's creative but careful. I am in awe of her!

Today as I was putting her hair into two quick braids for school she looked at me in the mirror and said, "you know.. I can do two ponies myself, but sometimes they come out crooked." I met her eyes in the glass and answered, "Well you probably just need more practice, I don't let you do your own hair very often, because I like spending time with you in the morning, and talking with you."

you know what she said, " I know mom, I like it too." **

What a blessing to be part of her journey... and I'm telling you if she doesn't come home with a purple ribbon from that fair I will make her one!


**also this was certainly true today, and I have recorded it  here because I would like to remember that she said that, and that we had this glorious quiet patient morning where we enjoyed one another, because sometimes, it's not like that at all... not to ruin the post, but just you know for full disclosure.

Hannah's entries for the fair.. 2011

It's raining...

It's raining, God always sends the rain to cancel my sport practice just when I think I can do no more. I love that about Him.

We have ended our honeymoon period with the new school, or so it seems. There has been a rash of "mysterious illness" amongst the school age children requiring each of them to take a "sick day". I'm terribly frustrated about that. WE LOVE SCHOOL, I keep telling them. We are RILEY'S we LOVE School, for goodness sake both your PARENTS TEACH SCHOOL!!! Your house has practically been a school for your whole life!!!

Why oh why would you want to stay here and clean your room, read, write in journal and work in a workbook when you could be at a magical place called school?

seriously? Why?