My Little Loves

Wings...

I love our local library.  They have lots of neat events for the kids.  Today we went to a Fancy Nancy butterfly party.  I have never heard of Fancy Nancy before but I guess it's a book about a little girl who loves dress up, frills, and glamour.....not too far off from Nissa.  She was really looking forward to this one as you can imagine.  I didn't know what to expect at this thing, but the pamphlet said butterfly party so I made her into a butterfly.  Lots of the kids there were dressed in frills, feathers, and lace....oh good grief!  So here is my girl in a real butterfly costume...oh well.  Nobody seemed to mind.  I dressed her in a black tank top, made her a little black twirly skirt and a pair of wings.  The wings were from a pattern on Martha's website.  These were really simple to make........all you need is some wire, panty hose, and halloween hairspray....with a few jewels thrown in for good measure.  Here are some pictures from the day......

Hey, like that little cement mushroom on the bottom right?  I'm not into lawn chatchke's but this one is fun.

 

Day 7 - The True Joys of Summer

Little hands....

Baby hands....

I love holding my children's hands.  Tiny hands turn into big girl hands that soon want to be nail polished.  How fast these children grow.  When Mae was still with us, I would have her in the Baby Bjorn carrier and her little hands would grasp on tight to my fingers.  What a precious memory that is for me.  A month after she passed, I had gotten a call from the hospital telling me that they had made a cast of her hand and foot the night she died and it was available for me to pick up.  I wasn't quite sure what they were talking about or what to expect and wasn't really ready for the emotion of it all.  When I went to pick up the package, I opened the box and had to catch my breath.  The hand was casted in such a position that it if I gently slid my index finger into it's plaster pose,  it almost felt like the same grasp as when she was alive.  It's been hard for me to open that box and touch the little casts again.  It's been hard using the carrier again and holding Boden's hands in that same way.  I hope we all can appreciate the small and precious moments we have with our children.  Before you know it, those little hands get bigger and won't want to be held anymore.

Day 6 - The True Joys of Summer

Being an original and wearing mama made clothes.....(only possible since the kid can't get away from me).  This guy is diggin' his new kimono....

I got this fabric from Lucky Kaeru Fabric on etsy. It's a linen cotton blend and a bit heavier than cotton.  These kimono's are so easy to make.  I have more in the pipeline for this little man.

Fresh picked hydrangea's from the garden for Nissa....

Day 5 - The True Joys of Summer

Getting your face painted at the zoo....

Eating Dipping Dots....

We went to the zoo today.  The highlight for Nissa is the train.  It's actually not what you would think.  You'd picture a nice little ride around the park so you can check out the animals from a new view.  Well, at our local zoo it takes you back behind the scenes.  That's right my friends,  you chugga chugga along next to a slightly busy road, then you head to where they keep the big recycling bins and garbage cans.   When you think it can't get any better you turn the corner and pass by some very weathered garland wrapped candy cane decorations laying against a battered building.  Then finally, when it's almost over, if you crane your head just right, you can see the tops of the giraffes.  What a ride I say!

Day 4 - The True Joys of Summer

Watching the big sister feed the little brother all by herself.  She was so proud.  I have to tell her (in a nice way) to focus because she'll keep rubbernecking at something out the window and his head will be get all crooked and sideways....though it doesn't much stop him from eating....

Loving little baby legs in shorts.  Shorts never really look right on babies you know?  Probably because they have a onesie tucked in and their sides squeeze out the top.  Man it's cute though.....

Sneaking in a bit of time to make some new pillowcases for our bed....

I realize that I really need to paint the bedroom.  You parents know how it is...it's the last room to get finished because you concentrate on the family areas and the kids rooms while your room has all the old crappy furniture......or in my case, nothing but a bed and a dresser I had in my room at my parents house....which is actually a nice one so I have that going for me.  Now that I have my new pillowcases, I am getting an itch to do more in there.

Day 3 - The True Joys of Summer

Early Sunday morning's are spent at Panera's with a cinnamon crunch bagel for the gal and coffee for the grown-ups.  I'll always remember these mornings. 

Me and my girl...

Like many girls her age....shoes are everything.  No girl can be without a pair of Dorothy shoes.  Don't you wish you could click your heels together and be somewhere magical sometimes....

And who doesn't love the summer breeze in their hair.....

 

Day 2 - The True Joys of Summer

Riding on your scooter...

The first cut sunflowers from the seed party favors I gave out at Nissa's 4th  birthday party. 

The bunnies ate all the other sunflower plants that I had started so I put 2 seeds into the vegetable garden which has a fence around it.   At least I'll get a few good flowers out of the bunch! 

Day 1 - The True Joys of Summer

Yesterday we went raspberry picking at a local apple farm.  It was really hot and we managed to get about 2 quarts before retiring back to the air conditioned car.  Afterwards, we both indulged in a cider slushy.  Man those are good.  I was feeding Boden in the car before we left the front stand and about 6 cars of teenagers came by in that short time frame to get one.  This is in the middle of nowhere.....these things must be good for the kids to come out of their way for them! 

Later that afternoon we went to the rec center where they have a great outdoor water park.  I sat in the shade with the baby.  I felt like I was on vacation reading my knitting book and gardening guides.  Nissa was having fun in the sand....

Why I love summer....

Sitting on the front porch swing in the morning with a cup of coffee, waiting for the kids to wake up....

I've been thinking a lot about what kind of things I'd like to do with my kids this summer.  Last summer, we would pack a picnic lunch and take off on a spur of the moment bike ride, just Nissa and I, to a small park where we could sit in the shade of a tree surrounded by huge blooms of hydrangea bushes and talk.  We'd take walks almost every day.  Breathe in the sweet smells of the garden from the porch swing.  We did lots of fun learning activities in what I called Camp J.  I feel that this year we haven't accomplished much.  I find the day goes fast taking care of the baby and before I know it, it's time for bed and I haven't spent much quality time with Nissa.  We do have special mommy daughter times when her and I get out of the house alone but in the day to day, I've been missing my moments with her.  So I'm reevaluating what is not so important around here right now....a clean home, put away laundry, making a perfect dinner......and focusing on us, the family, the kids.  So for the next 7 days, I will be posting pictures that make me appreciate my kids, family and our life together.  A visual diary for me to remember us.  It will be titled "The True Joys of Summer."

4th of July....

Snapshots from the day

Nissa is just starting to draw people.....

Fun with snaps.  Check out Nissa's new haircut.  It's so sweet!  I'm loving the bob....and she is too.

Pinwheels.....

These are an easy craft to make with your kids.  We were going to put these outside but it's been raining these past few days so I just stuck them over in the playroom.  Festive huh!?

Here are some easy instructions if you'd like to make your own pinwheels.  They don't spin very well....more for decoration.....and just something to do with your kids which is the best part!  You could always google directions for one's that spin....these were just quick to make with things around the house.

Supplies:

5" square paper (I used scrapbook paper)
Thumbtacks
Pencil with eraser tip

Directions:

1.  Place a ruler diagonally at the edge of one corner of the square. From the edge, follow the diagonal line of the ruler and draw a line of 3 inches / 7.5 cm toward the middle. Repeat this for each of the corners, so that you have four lines drawn toward the middle, and they are all of the same length.

2.  Cut on the lines to each end.

3.  Take one tip of the 'triangles' you created and bend towards the center of the square.  Do this for each of the 'triangles' as you layer them on top of each other.  (see picture above to get the idea)

4.  Push a thumbtack in the middle of the pinwheel through all the bent points and stick into the pencil's eraser....voila...you are done!