faster than laundry...

yeah, we have music class today... Leah is running out of clothes- cause we forgot her basket last week when we did laundry. so, i woke up early, went in her drawer and cut off some pants to add a ruffle and ric-rak... much faster than laundry...

applique anyone?...

ok... todd just asked me if i was planning on going to bed anytime soon... you do realize that tomorrow is my last day of infusions (i've already had 4 iv's full of pure iron) so i am tanked up and flying high... (corrie, i thought of you when i saw these cute trees)

Check out this store-- Cocoon Couture... there is adorable stuff to buy if you have money. And, if you don't there are some really cute fabric animals that would be so fun to copy onto a quilt or two... isn't that the cutest owl?

ahh, so many projects... so little time... (too many kids??)...

mmm wooden toys...

i found the most amazing webstore for Natural Wooden Toys... seriously, i want EVERYTHING they sell... they have cute toys, fun wooden marble run kits, doll houses n stuff, puzzles, sweet stuffed animals and silks, dress-up stuff, wooden fruits and veggies... oh, so cute!!

it's a bit pricey, but you know this stuff lasts forever. it's the kind of toys you'll still have when you're a grandma. it's like melissa & doug, but better and real and i just want my baby to suck on something made from a tree, not something made from cool whip... mmm... wood.

cute blocks...

todd's cute cousin Jilene made these blocks for her little guy, Eli... cute huh?!
then i found these eric carle cute blocks and thought--

wouldn't this be the cutest baby gift ever?

you could just cut up an old book and give some lucky rascal the cutest blocks in the world...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRp3Q0xe9zo this is a link for the video on Martha of how to make cute scrapbook blocks... One girl who sells kits for them has a blog-- hiccup inc.

oh the possibilities... modge podge is so much fun...

mentos and POP!!...

DOESN'T THIS LOOK LIKE A MARVELOUS MESS?

Let's make Mento's Geysers
This activity is probably best done outside in the middle of an abandoned field, or better yet, on a huge lawn.

Carefully open the bottle of soda. Position the bottle on the ground so that it will not tip over.


Unwrap the whole roll of Mentos. The goal is to drop all of the Mentos into the bottle of soda at the same time (which is trickier than it looks). One method for doing this is to roll a piece of paper into a tube just big enough to hold the loose Mentos. You'll want to be able to position the tube directly over the mouth of the bottle so that all of the candies drop into the bottle at the same time.


Don't drop them into the bottle just yet! Warn the spectators to stand back. Okay, you're going to drop all of the Mentos into the bottle at the same time and then get truckin' (move out of the way... so long... bye- bye... hasta la vista!)
It's just like fireworks on the 4th of July. The spectators erupt, of course, in a chorus of ooohs and ahhhs. Someone yells out, "Do it again" and you do.


How does it work? you'll have to ask Steve Spangler... i just know it looks like a mess of a great time... my boys are going to die when i show them this... yeah- this is how i win mother of the year... :) (after they tell me i'm the worst mom in the world for making them READ instead of play Gameboy all day)

bubbles of fun...

my friend sent me this link... http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/... it's a REALLY fun site for cool science projects.

Here is a recipe for the best bubbles ever, we are seriously going to have some bubble fun next week... they have a video where they show kids playing with a baby pool full of bubbles... it looks like hours of fun... i tried to copy it onto this blog but couldn't figure it out... you should really try to watch it-- so FUN!! oh-- and a bubble tip- steve says the best bubbles are made the night before...

Super Bubbles

1 cup distilled water

2 Tb. Dawn

1 Tb. Glycerin

as if you'd ever have trash in your car...

isn't this adorable... I really want to make 4 before our trip out west... here is a great tutorial for the over-the-head-rest-car-trashbag... or, you could just throw all your trash on the floor like some people i know (thanks corrie for teaching me how to link words... very fun!)

save the planet, one bag at a time...

just in case you LOVED shopping bags and wanted directions on how to sew them i found this neat tutorial that will set you on your way... seriously, you could make a prom dress out of these things...

a glowing grandma...

Todd's mom came to visit us for the past week. She just finished chemo treatments for breast cancer and is soon starting radiation. She is also hosting her 45th year high school reunion at her home next weekend, having surgery the week after, and in 5 weeks planning a visit from her 5 children and their spouses along with her 20 grandchildren... I'm amazed at all she does and at her ability to maintain grace and beauty. Doesn't she glow?

I am grateful for my sweet mother-in-law. She is a saintly woman and someone who I hope I can be like one day. (Although, when I sigh at another load of dishes and catch a glimpse of my scruffy nail-bitten hands I know I have far to go...)

a tug of a tooth...

yeah... i think this is gross, but todd is pretty good at yanking out loose teeth with string...

after a few re-do's and a hold-still so i can take a picture...

drew is one tooth less...
jakob told drew that the tooth fairy was not real, but luckily drew saw her as he was drifting off to sleep, so he has proof to rebuff his older brother's doubt. he says she was smaller than a hand and flew, but didn't have real wings... the important thing-- she brings good money!!

jane eyre jammies...

arent' these sweet? the jammies and the girls...

After a trip to wal-mart to buy the softest cotton sheet I could find, I had so much fun making my girls these old-fashioned pajamas.

I've been looking for pajamas like this since last Christmas... if I had my choice I would dress my children in old-fashioned styles daily... in-fact, if I could keep washing machines, tampons, and epidurals, I'd transfer to the days of Jane Austin permantly... but, with my old navy, wal-mart and target budget it is often hard to find emma and avoid brittany.

Anyway, here are the pjs i made (while listening to my Georgette Heyer book on tape)... It's from this Peasant Tops pattern that I down-loaded from youcanmakethis.com

i need some blood...

most of you know that I have Beta Thalassemia Intermediate... it's an Italian blood disorder. I don't make good red blood cells, and i'm always anemic... especially during pregnancy...

i have come to appreciate blood-- mostly for its ability to waken the brain and enliven the hands and feet... it's almost been one month since my last blood cocktail and i can feel my poor brain struggling to connect... basically, my eyes are black, i have lost most of my self control and patience, and i want to sleep all day and kill those that are nearest and dearest to me... sound familiar? yeah... i'm a vampire... seriously don't they also have an "Italian" blood condition?

Today we have more civilized ways of dealing with our hunger... i have my blood purified and inserted into my arm... but honestly if i have to wait one more full moon i'm afraid that i may suck someone's neck... BEWARE!!

Symptoms of Anemia--

Most commonly, people with anemia report a feeling of weakness or fatigue in general or during exercise, general malaise and sometimes poor concentration. People with more severe anemia often report dyspnea (shortness of breath) on exertion. Very severe anemia prompts the body to compensate by increasing cardiac output, leading to palpitations and sweatiness, and to heart failure. Pallor (pale skin, mucosal linings and nail beds) is often a useful diagnostic sign in moderate or severe anemia, but it is not always apparent. Other useful signs are cheilosis and koilonychia.

Vampire legends --
Vampires are mythological beings which live forever by drinking the blood of the living. Stories of creatures of this kind are known all over the world. Most of these myths in Western culture originate from Eastern European folklore.

where's edward when i need him?

drew's baptism...

Drew’s Testimony
May 2008


My testimony is about when my family finished reading the Book of Mormon. My mom said to go in my room and pray to know if the Book of Mormon is true.

I went in my room and started to pray. When everyone was done praying we shared our testimonies and talked about how we felt.

I said that when I prayed I felt that Heavenly Father loved me. I also felt that the Book of Mormon was true. I felt that the Church was true and I knew that Joseph Smith was a real prophet.

I learned that if you pray hard and you have a lot of faith in Jesus Christ you can feel the same thing I felt.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ.
Amen

bloomers...

i've made my baby a few cute shirts, but i still haven't found an easy bloomers pattern...

TAH DAH!! just surfing along and i found this tutorial... how to make bloomers out of a pillowcase... i think i'll use fabric, but i'm grateful for the easy how-to...

http://homegrownrose.typepad.com/reclaimingthehome/2008/04/bloomers-tutori.html

kid paint projects...

isn't this adorable? i like a project that can take a long time, can be done with children, and ends up looking cute... since i don't know how to program in the words to link... here is the real link...
http://www.cookiemag.com/magazine/blogs/nesting/2008/06/modern-art-mast.html
have fun and let your kids make a big mess for me!!

whoa mama...

i caught a glimpse of my belly as i was putting in a dvd...

whoa mama!! and i have 2 1/2 more months...
this is the same picture... using "heat map"
all i've got to say is this baby's HOT!!

lubbock's next top models

ellie- she even picked out the fabric we used...
anna... this is pretty crazy for anna
sisters...

oh-oreos...

i learned this from my cousin...

it really is the best way to eat an oreo

Quick Take a Picture...

yeah... i organized today... this is the shelf right as you walk in from the garage (across from the washer and drier... it is a living entity, and it's just like me... it collects things... it NEVER stays organized... it holds all of our missing treasures... and, for a moment it is lovely. so, why have i taken a picture and included it in my blog-- surely not to boast (organization is a skill that i am always working on and have yet to achieve)... No, i post the picture simply to remind myself that once, this shelf was clean... and, someday it may look this way again.

These are the days...

What a day!

You can't help but find joy in life when you are surrounded by happy, jubilant children.

As I tucked mine in bed tonight, they are a bit pinker than I would like (it's that spray-on sunscreen, it doesn't work as well but takes 1/5 the application effort), but they are tired and still glowing.

From my sweet baby who isn't afraid to jump, and thinks she can swim without any help, who grins from ear to ear when I pull her up from a calculated-mock-drowning-experience...

To my girls who systematically include everyone within the pool walls... let's hold hands... let's all jump together... let's sing and dance and twirl and swim... did you see that mom?

To my older boys... you stay there and let's see if I can jump further than you... mom, watch to see who is fastest... i get the big tube first...quick, get to the deep end so the little girls can't grab onto us...

Life is sweet... and sunny... and full of joyful moments.

Yes, there are tons of dishes and wet towels and tired squabbling and "monsters under the bed" to justify the 15th trip into our bedroom at night... but there are those sweet sunshine moments.

Get ready... get set... JUMP!!
Catchin' some rays...

"Where's WALDO in the Pool?"

Ode To My Boyscout...

(I can brag cause it's Father's Day...)

A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent (and hungry).

This is my sweet husband- a true boyscout. We have been married for 11 years and I'm more in love with him each and everyday. Todd is the most diligent and patient person I know. He is a great dad, and a better husband. If my kids grow up to be just like their dad, I will feel completely successful as a mother.

When we sat down for dinner Ellie said, "I have the best father in the whole world." (I guess this is to make up for the fact that she sang a song in sacrament with altered words, "I'm so glad when daddy comes home, glad as I can be, I shout boohoo and run away, and hope he doesn't see.") On another occasion she was telling Drew that she was sure Todd could fix the cabinet she had broken... she said, "Drew, my dad's very strong. He's my hero."

Yes, Todd is a great man. He is a boyscout, like his father and grandfathers before him... I hope my sons follow in his grand footsteps.

Mmm! Father's Day...

The way to my man's heart is definitely his tummy... we ate well today! These are Todd's favorite sticky buns...

Sticky Pecan Cinnamon Rolls!!
I like cinnamon rolls with caramel nut topping, not frosting. I looked and looked for the recipe. This is the one I love most!!

Dough-
1/2 cup sugar 6 cups unsifted all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp salt 2 packages active dry yeast 1 cup milk 2/3 cup water 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs, at room temperature

Filling-
3/4 cup melted butter (approx) 1/2 cup brown sugar (i always use more) 1/3 tsp cinnamon (approx) 1/4 cup white sugar (approx) 1/4 cup oil (approx)

Follow These Directions-
Spray 2 round pie plates or square brownie dishes with Pam vegetable cooking spray.
Mix 5 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Heat to lukewarm the milk, water and 1/4 cup butter, and mix them into the flour mixture. Add eggs, working them into a dough with your hands (or use the dough hook of and electric mixer). Slowly add last cup of flour. Turn onto a board and knead for 10 minutes.

Allow dough to rise in a greased bowl for 20 to 30 minutes. Punch down on a lightly-floured board and roll into a rectangle.

Melt the remaining butter. Using a little more than half of the melted butter, cover the bottoms of the 2 pie pans. Pour the rest of the butter over the dough rectangle, spreading to cover. Sprinkle brown sugar over butter in pans and over the dough rectangle. Combine cinnamon and white sugar and sprinkle over the dough, roll it up, and slice into 18 one inch buns (remember, they rise).

Place 9 buns in each pan and brush tops with oil. Refrigerate, covered, for 2 to 24 hours or let rise covered on the counter for about an hour. Preheat oven to 375. If refrigerated, allow buns to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake 25 minutes or until done.

NOTE- they are cooking upside-down, the yummy caramel topping is on the bottom of the pan, so flip them onto the plate for a prettier display.

TwoYummy Quilts...

isn't this a yummy room? this is anna marie horner's booth at a quilt show... her link is on my sidebar and she's lots of fun..i love that quilt on the wall... mmm... when i'm done with clothes, it's back to the quilts i love...
thimble blossom quilts are always fun and refreshing... this would be SO FUN and QUICK to make... mmm... i am so excited...

Quilts Don't Have Legs...

Ruffly Capri's- Take ONE

i think i put the ruffles on the waist band, not the legs

seriously, now i know why quilts don't have legs

Ruffly Capri's- Take TWO

OK, i cut and re-sewed the ruffle, but i think i sewed the ruffle to one leg and one waist band...

it was late, but i really had to look at this mess for 20 minutes before i could even figure out which way was up...

Ruffly Capri's- TAAAH DAAAH!!!

i finished something that did resemble capri's about midnight... (if you zoom in you can see my ruffle mess, but it's not TOO noticable...)

now for the final test--- do they look like PJ's? are they too scratchy? are they ruffly pants?...

Ruffly Capri's- Mikey LIKES them!!

despite the face (which was because of the messy buns not the clothes) anna is happy about her new outfit...

it was worth it... maybe...

the girls and THE RUFFLER...

ellie, kaylee, emmy, anna

sew cute in their new outfits...

ellie, kaylee, emmy, anna

just a little crazy after 4 days of playing while moms sew...

my newest love...

see those ruffles... no pulling bobbin threads... i'm gathering the blue and attaching it to the pink all in one step... don't you just want to make some pillows??

Sew Fun...

Here are some of the clothes that we made... it was sew fun! Grey and I still have a few clothing projects up our sleeve. The ruffler is amazing!! It seriously cut our sewing time by more than half... we can make a cute skirt in about a half hour or less now. Anyone who visited us the last few days would have laughed. We had 10 kids between us (8 under the age of 9), plus neighbors. We had music lessons and mutual and drives into town for elastic and we even managed to make a homemade pizza dinner for a new mom in our ward (with the help of Grey's teenage daughter)... crazy, crazy fun days of summer.


(My favorite is the last picture- Anna letting me know that the arms of her dress are too itchy...)