Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Hello Handyman!

As you know, Georgia Kate was up early yesterday morning.
Normally, I put her back to bed for an early nap, but I avoided it so that she would take a really good afternoon nap.

I was loading the dishwasher when someone knocked on the door.
I peek out to see our "handyman."
We had talked to him about doing a small job in the bathroom over the weekend and he just happened to end up free.
No notice.

I had yet to shower and was still in my pajamas.
"Come on in, I'm a mess." I said sheepishly.

He laughed and followed me into the house.
He looked at me a little strange but I assumed it was because I had on an orange shirt and bright pink shorts.

"So, no one is planning on using the shower for the next five hours are they?"
Thinking of my hair, pulled up and knotted on the back of my head, frizzies everywhere I told him that I had planned on it.
Luckily, one of the colors he got was too dark so he had to run back to the store.
I jumped at my chance to shower!
It wasn't until I grabbed my towel off the hook that I noticed my shirt was on inside out and backwards.

I'm sure he thinks I am a complete genius totally capable of caring for two children...

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

I'm Awake!

Georgia Kate woke up sometime around 3:30 this morning.
Blurry eyed, I carried her to the couch and tried to coax her back to sleep.
She wasn't having it.

Before I knew it, she was squealing for crackers.
I set her in the highchair and pour the Cheerios out for her.
She ate all of those before we moved onto Graham Crackers.

While she ate, I sat there struggling to hold my eyes open.
It didn't work.

When Adam came through the living room to leave for work, there we were.
Me, asleep on the couch.
Georgia Kate, still in the highchair, Graham Cracker in hand, asleep.

Finding breakfast, he woke up Georgia Kate.
He got her out of the chair and held her so I could grab a few more minutes of sleep.
As he went to sit down, he stepped on one of Georgia Kate's favorite books.
The small book has a squeaky toy in the middle and it is not a quiet SQUEAK.
To the sleeping person, it seems to echo through the house.
So much for a few more minutes of sleep!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Fishing and Destruction!


Friday, we went fishing with Dad!
It was so much fun!
Georgia Kate did really well on the boat!
The sun was really bright and my fair skinned baby was turning red a few shorts minutes in.
We put the canopy up and set up the Pack-N-Play.
Some crackers and a juice box later...
Caleb also did a lot better than I expected!
He loved getting the minows for us and was really excited when he caught a fish!
Caleb is such a good big brother.
He even shared his JUICE!
Or, at least I thought...
He was actually just blowing air into the package and then pretending to give her a drink...
She didn't find that funny.
He did!
When we got home, Adam decided to knock down the shed in our back yard.
It was in horrible shape and was such an eye sore.
He knocked it down with a sledge hammer and loaded up the pieces to take to the dump.
Unfortunately, the dump has odd hours so we didn't get all the rock hauled off.
The majority is gone and we should only have one truck load left this weekend!
Now to figure out what to do with the new space!

The High Price of Fashion...


My Dad took Thursday and Friday off of work.
The original plan was to go fishing, but he wasn't feeling up to it on Thursday so he opted to keep the kiddos while I went out for a while.
Wanting a big thrill with a cheap price tag, I hit every thrift store between his house and mine!
And I got some awesome things!

A Guess Dress (requires no alterations!)- $5
A Gap dress
(looks funky but just needs to be ironed and no alterations required!)- $10
A skirt spotted from across the room, destined for me!
$3
Shoes that made Adam look at me like I had lost my mind- $3
They have giraffes on them!
And I have already worn them!
Silk flowers from the dollar store, which I turned into beautiful hair bows using  A Feathered Nest's tutorial!
A Pottery Barn Sheet that will become a skirt for Georgia Kate- $2
Flat sheet and Pillowcase that will be something for me- $2

Saturday, I got to go to our local Flea Market with my Mother-In-Law.
We had such a great time!
And we both got some awesome deals!
I am not sure what this was, but it is quite large!
Hand embroidered!
It will either be a skirt or get framed.
$1
Table cloth that is now a skirt for me $1
Sheets- $1
Pillowcases- 50 cents!

It just keeps getting better!
My grandmother called last week and said she was cleaning out her shed and found some fabric. She wanted to know if I would be interested in it. I told her to send it my way! So, when Mom and Dad took the kiddos for a visit, the picked it up for me.
I sorted through it last night and now my living room looks like this...
The piles are big enough for Caleb to ride his four wheeler over
And more patterns than I know what to do with!
There is more but this was all they could fit in the Suburban!
All ***FREE***!

Cost of having a wife in a fantastic mood all weekend.... PRICELESS!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

They Just Keep Coming!

For Earth Day,
 Reynolds Wrap is offering a mail in rebate for a roll of their new 100% recycled aluminum foil!

Be sure to check it out!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

We All Scream for (Free) Ice Cream!

Today is Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day!
Yum!
From 12-8 you can get a free scoop of your choice!
And did you know there is a Ben and Jerry's in Knoxville?
I didn't!
4477 Kingston Pike in Western Plaza!
I think it's the perfect day to have ice cream for lunch!
I know the one in Sevierville gets crowded so be prepared for a line!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Happy Birthday Gracie!

Georgia Kate's friend Gracie turned just turned one!
We were lucky enough to be invited to her party!

When I got Georgia Kate dressed, I realized she has hit a growth spurt and her party outfit was too small.
So, I made her a new one.
Seriously simple!
It is a onesie she got for her birthday but didn't get to wear before she outgrew it.
I cut the onesie in half and made the skirt out of some remnant cupcake fabric I bought forever ago!
The bottom half of the onesie got turned into bloomers!

Now, onto the festivities!
(otherwise known as the good stuff!)
Waking up from her nap... It was just too much excitement!
Me and the birthday girl!
The view off of their back porch!
Gorgeous!
We blew bubbles
and took walks
we played with other people's babies
(ones that eventually puked all over us out of sheer excitement)
and on more than one occasion we fussed at Caleb for throwing rocks into their fountain.
We ate cake
and laughed when she decided it was too squishy!
She opened presents.
I made her a twirl skirt in neopolitan colors with a "G" applique shirt and matching headbands!
If nothing else, her mommy loved it!
Angie, I will email you the pictures after I edit them!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Oh! The things they do...

Yesterday, I ran around attempting to clean up the disaster my children created in my living room.
I would pick something up and put it in it's place only to find four more toys taking it's spot on the floor.
I broke down and sent the kids to Caleb's room while I picked up.
I was vacuuming when Caleb came running in, wearing only a shirt and soaking wet.
"What did you do?" I asked, knowing I really didn't want the answer.
"I took a bath!"
I ran to the bathroom and was greeted by water standing about half an inch thick.
The bucket they got from the Easter bunny was in the sink, still half full of water.
He had been filling it and pouring it over his head.
In the middle of the bathroom.
No more than two feet from the bathtub.
I threw a towel down and went searching for Easter chocolate...

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Goodwill and Guitars!

Lately, I have been thrift shopping obsessed.
I get so excited when I find a hideous mans shirt can be transformed into the sweetest little girl's dress!
I love finding vintage pillowcases that have so many possibilities!
And I am ecstatic that it is CHEAP!

Monday, I stranded my younger brother in the car with my sleeping children while I ran into the local Goodwill.
Because it is in one of the nicer towns the discarded goodies are usually high end and in fantastic condition.

As soon as I walked in the door, I saw a pair of pants.
The bright blues, pinks and yellows made them impossible to put back.
The picture does them absolutely no justice.
They will become a dress for Georgia Kate and the scraps will be used in her room which will be redone sometime soon.

I also found a couple of skirts for myself, but I threw them in the laundry before I snapped a picture.

Then, as I took a last minute look around the children's section, I saw it.
It hung all alone.
A woman with a new little girl spotted it about the same time I did.
Luckily, I was closer.
I ran to the check out and never looked back.
After all how could I pass up perfect condition vintage?

Since I have sewn Georgia Kate an entire wardrobe, I was feeling guilty for making very little for Caleb.
It's just so hard to make something that isn't too frilly for him.
He is just such a boy!
A couple of weekends ago I signed up for an applique class.
The insructor had several applique patterns to choose from but I had it narrowed down to a dump truck and a guitar.
Convinced I could do the guitar myself, I chose the dump truck.
We will find out how well that turns out in May.
Friday night, I sat down and gave the guitar a shot.
It isn't perfect, but that is what makes it handmade.
And to top it off, Caleb loves it!
I washed it yesterday, but it can't be put in the dryer.
He put it on, soaking wet, and refused to take it off.
He was shivering so I had to bribe him with Easter candy to get him to change.
That makes it totally worth staying up until midnight working out the kinks!

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter

For a weekend where we had very little planned, we certainly stayed very busy!
Saturday, we went up going to the fundraiser for Johnathon.
We got there just in time to see who had won the raffle prizes.
Mom managed to win a little boys Easter basket, a basket of children's books and a bird house shaped like a tractor.

As soon as the tractor made it's way to Mom, Caleb took possesion of it and has yet to return it.
He loves to pretend to tractor tip like Mater.
Silly boy.

Sunday, Adam went on a new kind of Easter Egg hunt.
He wanted to have a huge hunt for the kids, his nieces and nephew.
He calleb me from Wal-mart, thrilled with his finds.
250 eggs and a one pound chocolate bunny for the grand prize.
We only had enough candy for 147 of them.
This is what they look like put up for next year's festivities!
He sat his grand prize on the stove and walked away.
I thought nothing of it when I turned the oven on to bake my pumpkin bread.
Luckily, Adam caught our mistake and rescued the poor bunny.
He spent the rest of the afternoon in the freezer.
We went to my grandparents for lunch.
We ate much later than expected so we ate way to much to compensate for the starving feeling :)
Caleb did an egg hunt but I didn't get a single picture.
I didn't even get one of them all dressed up...
For dinner, we went to Adam's parents.
The egg hunt went splendidly.
Caleb did really well for this being the first year he understood what was going on.
Georgia Kate did't really well too!
She didn't like to put the eggs in her basket.
She liked to throw them.
And she really like to throw them until they busted open and then sit and eat the candy.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Caleb and the Dollhouse

For Christmas, my parents bought Georgia Kate a little doll house.
It's cute and has little people just big enough for her little hands.
Because the kids were on toy overload at that time, it spent most of it's life in the back of my car.
I could hear the sad rattle of the box as it slid back and forth, crashing into the other cargo as I drove.
I took pity on the poor house and brought it in after I cleared out some toys a couple of weeks ago.

Georgia Kate doesn't quite get the playhouse concept but she loves the little people.
Caleb, on the other hand, adores the little house.

I watched as he laid in the floor.
Mommy in one hand, Daddy in the other.
They cooked dinner, they vacuumed, they had tons of fun.
And then, Daddy did it.
Caleb gasped before he grabbed the Daddy from his restful spot at the table.
Wagging his finger, he said," No Daddy! Her name is Mommy, not Asheeeeeeee"

Monday, April 6, 2009

Johnathan

Photo courtesy The Daily Times
Johnathan had a tumor that wrapped itself around his spine.
He has been through surgery to remove the tumor and is progressing at amazing speeds.
Johnathan's father was recently laid off and they are facing overwhelming medical bills.
Their church is having a fund raiser this weekend in honor of this brave little boy.
A friend of Johnathan's family asked if I could make some aprons to donate to Johnathan's fund raiser.
Of course, I was thrilled to do it.
I hope whoever ends up with these love them and that in a small way, they help.