Say what Volume 3

Today my brand new kindergartner lost two teeth. Yes, you read that right. TWO teeth. Hello? Two teeth? Yep. Two teeth. Her two bottom front teeth. They were loose. One fell out this morning before school. The other fell out when she came home from school.

So anyway.

This is the conversation this morning at breakfast.






Me: Let's see. You started kindergarten this week. You lost your first tooth. I suppose you'll want to start looking for your own apartment this afternoon, eh?

Licious: Ummmmmmmm. Maybe.




Sheesh. Can't she just give me time to adjust to one new thing at a time.
She is killing me over here!

dana

Go here now!

Get yourself over to Life is Like a Lunchbox for a chance to win a $50 shopping spree at Old Red Barn Co.!

You gotta love a shameless plug for . . . MYSELF!!

Scrub-a-dub-dub!
-dana

Beginning

I wonder what your thinking.

Perhaps you have that ever so slight grin because you are thinking about kindergarten. About the friends you'll make. About the new things you will learn and experience. About PE. About chorus. About feeling like a big kid in your school uniform and new sneakers. Maybe about the cool pink backpack and lunchbox with your initials on them. Maybe about the necklace I bought you for school so you would feel close to me while you are away. You did say that you felt like such a big girl wearing it. You might be thinking about the sugar cookies we made together and put in your lunch. Maybe your saying to yourself, "Dag-nabit! I wish I was going to clogging tonight. Mom says not tonight because starting kindergarten is a big enough event for one day. What does she know?"

I don't think that your thinking about how this day is the beginning of your school career. I don't think that your thinking about how you are ready for this but it is hard for me to see you go. I don't think your wondering if people will be nice to you. I don't think your thinking about if you'll be able to open your applesauce at lunchtime. I know that your not wondering how your mom will make it until 3:00pm.

Your not thinking about boys. Your not thinking about being embarrassed by me. Your not thinking about high school. Or makeup. Or clothes. Or college.

But somehow, seeing you into your kindergarten class makes me think about all of those things.

These tears will pass. I know because I have done and thought all of these same feelings when your sister started school. Doesn't make it any easier though.

I love you Licious. I love you so very much.
I can't wait to hear how your first day went!

Ugh. That will only mean I'll have to gear up for day 2.

I KNOW that your going to love it.

Love,
Mom

They call it puppy love

We named her Tsali (pronounced Saul-y). After the loss of Hershey earlier this summer we went back and forth on whether to get a new dog or not. Tsali is the same mix that Hershey was -- half pug & half chihuahua. I'm sure I'll be posting lots about her.

Come Tsali. Tsali! Come!

Earth to Tasli!

Come!

Good Girl!
dana

Check it!

All next week, Nan over at Life is Like a Lunchbox is hosting Summer Soap Celebration. Each day there will be handcrafted soap give aways and I'll be sponsoring one of them. Be sure to check it out, enter to win and support other hardworking soap makers!

-dana

Look who's sewing now baby!

Look who is learning to sew with new sewing machines. They have both been hand sewing since January but thanks to Mimi they can now learn to machine sew too. Aren't those the cutest sewing machines you have ever seen. They are Janome Blossoms and they are great little machines. They have been practicing on notebook paper all day and are now able to follow the line like pros. I'm imagining some great projects in our near future!

Also, I'm nearing my 100th post and am planning a give away! The prize is a good one. The rules?? Leave a comment to the 100th post and you'll be entered for the random drawing. Chance of winning? Depends on how many comments I receive. Tell all your friends, family and neighbors! You won't want to miss out on this one.

Muah!
dana

Newest finds

My most recent thrift store finds.


Yep. Even the quilt and granny square afghan. ::Sigh::



These vintage fruit painted enamelware trays and bowl have sparked an entire kitchen redo. Much to Razor delight. Not.



These cute trays will make it into the new kitchen design too I'm sure.



I love the old colorful Pyrex. This is the first I have found. Hopefully not the last.



Finally, who could resist this strawberry cookie jar. Especially for .25$!

-dana

Eight years old

Hard to believe that today you are eight.

I remember so clearly first finding out I was pregnant with you. It was Christmas time. Your Dad and I lived in Missouri but were at Nana and Papa's house for the holidays. Dad and I realized that I was pregnant on a day where I was spending the whole day with Nana and he with Papa. I had every intention of telling Nana during the day but somehow just couldn't. So, when we were all together again we told them both. They were overjoyed!

I remember so clearly the day you were born. I was having mild contractions all morning and into the afternoon. It was around 2:00 in the afternoon when we finally called the doctor because the contractions were becoming regular and about 5 minutes apart. And, they were starting to hurt. We headed to the hospital. But, I made your Dad stop at a McDonald's. Not because I was hungry (I had other things on my mind!) but because I knew he had not eaten lunch and you Dad is worthless when hungry! I waited in the car while he ran inside McDonald's to get something to eat. Sure seemed like it took him forever.

I remember so clearly walking the halls of the hospital and then stopping to rock back-and-forth in your Dad's arms when a contraction hit.

I remember so clearly the instant you were born and the doctor said, "It's a girl!" Oh what a magical moment! I looked at your wrinkly, pink skin and cried and cried. I held you so close and tight. Absolute love at first sight. Soon afterward the nurses weighed and measured and bathed and dressed you. Dad stayed tight by your side. We cried with such overwhelming joy.

Then we ordered pizza.

Well, I WAS hungry!

I remember so clearly bringing you home. Is this car seat working right? Honey, slow down! Your driving too fast! I remember so clearly bringing you inside our home for the first time. It was very quiet. Very hot. Very still. What do we do now??

Eight years have passed since those quiet and still first moments. What life changing, amazing, magical, blessed years they have been. I have watched you become a walking, talking, thinking, empathetic, funny, smart, clever and kind young girl. I feel so incredibly lucky to be your mother. I love you to absolute pieces my sweet girl! ABSOLUTE PIECES!!

Happy 8th Birthday.
Mom

You should really watch this

Crackin' me up.

dana

ETA: Jeff, if you liked this one click on some of the smaller thumbnails below it and watch others. They are hilarious!

New lens. New pics.

Snapped these while the girls were at clogging tonight. Great lens. Even greater subject matter.
-dana

How'd you spend your Friday night?

Friday, August 17, 2007 was a BIG day at our house. It was a day that we had been waiting for ALL SUMMER LONG.



Oh sure, act like you didn't know what I was talking about. Even if you don't have children you would have had to have been living under a rock to not hear about High School Musical 2.

It was such a big deal that we spent much of the day in preparation for watching the movie. Making cookies . . .



Getting pillows and blankets situated. Planning and preparing other yummy snacks. Picking the most cozy pair of pajamas possible (and believe me that meant trying on every pair they own!)

They loved it and I liked it too. Just as sweet and entertaining as the first. It's a good thing I liked it because chances are I will be watching it a few hundred more times.

What team?? Wildcats!
dana

Adventure racing man

Razor spent 12 hours adventure racing yesterday at the Western Carolina Adventure Race.


We didn't go watch him finish for several reasons:

1) Too far away
2) 105 degree temperature
3) Mosquitoes
4) Other various and assorted biting, scratching and poisonous pleasantries found at and around the finish line.

But, hey, listen up! They placed 3rd overall!! Second place in the co-ed division. There were 42 teams and my smoochies placed 3rd! Way to go smoochie-doops! Oh, em... I mean . . . Way to go you RUGGED, STRONG, VERILE, WALL-OF-PURE-MUSCLE MAN you!! You guys rocked. Pretty soon Eco-Challenge is going to be calling at all hours of the day and night and banging on our door trying to get you to participate in their race.

All kidding aside, I'm so very proud of you. I'm proud of you for competing well. And, I'm proud of you for chasing your dreams and teaching our daughters that anything is possible.

Sheesh. Maybe I should go workout or something.

-dana

Garden tour. Up close & personal.

I just love my macro lens. It sees things that I don't. Like in the 3rd picture down. It is a cone flower that has flopped right into the walking path to our mudroom door. You can see a blond hair caught in the cone.

-dana

Say What Volume 2

At lunch Licious said:
These raspberries rock the house off!!



They were yummy.
dana

Just realized this about myself

I just realized something new about myself.

As a general rule I'm pretty crafty. I'm always making something new or using what I have in new ways around the house. But when something is on my mind [perhaps the fast approaching new school year and the fact that my youngest will start kindergarten] I am a crafting maniac!


This sign will be on the door to the art and yearbook room at the school. I'll be running the yearbook staff on Thursday afternoons and teaching art for K-8 on Fridays.


I have wanted to make one of these for several months and finally whipped one out the other night.

Fast, easy and fun.

It is made with a mix of pink and green fabrics. Then instead of my original plan of using seam binding to string them on, I used this two tone green pom-pom trim that I found at a thrift store last week. I got yards and yards and yards of it for $.50. It's the good cotton kind too. Not that awful polyester junk.

I'm off to sew.
-dana

So grateful

I have had a long time to prepare for this change. I knew it would be here fast. When school starts, Licious will start kindergarten. It was a difficult transition for me as a mother when Boo started kindergarten and now she will be in third grade.

I have tried to be a "present" mother . . . meaning, one that is present. One that is there. One that does things with her children even though the floors need mopped and the furniture dusted [and holy cow the toilets cleaned!] and all the other things that eat away seconds, minutes, hours and days.

I'm grateful that I do "slow" things with my children in this hurry-up world. Slow things like this.





Slow things like nature walks, teaching them to thread a needle, reading stories, letting them bake a cake from start to finish all by themselves, planting seeds, swimming and diving, getting absolutely EVERYTHING out of the art box to create [including all 3,000+ beads], planting, picking, cooking and eating, pretending, dreaming, cuddling and relaxing until our breath falls in line with each other.

I'm really counting on the gratefulness carrying me through this transition.

dana

Say what?

So, we were in the car headed to the pool the other day. Razor and I had spent the morning finishing some much needed chores. One of which was mowing and weed-eating the yard. It hadn't been weed-eated in quite some time. As we are driving I mention to Razor how nice the yard looks and I thank him for doing such a nice job.

Licious: [in a wide-eyed super enunciated voice says:] Mommy, you are LUUUUUUUCKYYYYYY you married him. He does anything for you.

Me: [silent giggle cause she is so darn cute] I know!

Licious: [again in a wide-eyed super enunciated voice] And he is handsome. You really lucked out!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

-dana

After the truckloads of salsa . . .

The vegetable garden is nearly a full time activity at this time of year. But after that near truck load of salsa that I made, I wanted to share some of the other things I have been working on lately.

You have heard me go on and on about this fabric. I finally got my hands on some and have started a quilt with it. More pictures to come as the quilt progresses.


I also got 12 fat quarters of the Katie Jump Rope fabric that I love. A quilter friend of mine designs quilt patterns and has offered me one to sample with this fabric. Now to just decide what fabrics from the line to have as the background, borders and backing. Hmmmm. . .

















Also, you'll remember awhile back I mentioned that I had participated in a fabric swap that resulted in 500 5"x5" fabric squares. I have completed a king sized quilt top using 360 of said squares. All different fabrics and all fabrics that I LOVE. Can't wait to get that sucker quilted!

























Finally, over the summer I have thrifted quite a collection of vintage sheets. A funky quilt is formulating in my head. I'm thinking of using some Blooming Bias on it. Anyone ever used this stuff before? Would love to hear about it.




















Muah!
dana

May I have this dance?