This week, starting last thursday, has been amazing!!!

There is only one position that is ranked on Thomas' course. There is no second place. And with much answer to prayer, Thomas has been ranked #1 unanimously, among his peers and staff. This is a huge honour!! I am so proud of him. It has been 5 years of waiting and praying and waiting more... and it is so exciting to see God answer these prayers and bless him.

Last night we played softball. It was so much fun!!! I really enjoyed it. I dont know if the team ended up winning, but i do know that i was batting 1.000!!! Thomas got an amazing out... and i played 1st base. I didnt drop the ball once! Yeah me!!

And as of today, we are both 30!

Monday Ramblings

This weekend and today have felt more busy than what they were. And i feel like i am on a treadmill; moving quickly but getting no where.

This morning Jul and i did some math by playing football. I think by the time he is 8 he will have no problem with his 7 times tables! We painted in the bath for a bit. And cleaned the house. Again.

I keep thinking that i need a curriculum, i need a better system, i need to focus more, i need to be more diligent, i need to be more creative.... and so on. What i think i really need is to settle down. Relax and get things in order for september. And maybe prepare a bit the night before. Hopefully by then Jul is back to Jul.

Jul's big joy in life right now is washing the floors. Which is great, except that i need to have it in a washable state. I am trying to have it that way daily, but with little co-operation.

Tonight i invited several people over who wanted to get together and chat 'home school stuff', and i think it is going to turn into a movie night, seeing as only 2 people are coming. Mind you, it was originally friday, then saturday and i was asked to move it to accommodate people... i dont think i am going to be so accommodating anymore.

Wednesday cant come fast enough.

On Sunday on our walk back from the book fair at church, we stopped at the local high school to eat lunch outside. Clover tumbled a little and pouted. Thomas walked over and hugged her to make her feel better. Oakley watched all this very intently. After it all played out, he put his hands on the ground and very slowly lowered his head until the top barely touched the ground. He popped up, looked over to Thomas and gave the same pout Clover gave. Thomas went over to him and comforted him the way that he did for Clover. The funny part of the story is that Oakley repeated "hitting" his head and running to Thomas for comfort about a dozen times.

Home

Last night i spend the night with the kids at my mom's house. I wasnt sure how Oakley would do, seeing as our last few times trying to get him to sleep in a play pen was horrible, and he wont sleep with me anymore... so i was quite concerned. But he put my fears to rest as i laid him down with no difficulty. In the morning, he lay so sweetly, completely covered with a quilt. Then every 10 mins or so he would lift it and look at me, stare for a minute, then put his arm back down. We did this for 90 mins or so.

I often go to my mom's with the kids when Thomas leaves, i find it makes it easier for them to say bye because it gives them something to look forward to. And i love the company and comfort of being around my mom.

Minutes ago we dropped Thomas off on the base for his ten day exercise. Having him away has gotten easier over the years. But for some reason, this one seems hard to me. I dont know what it is. It's only ten days. Maybe it's that it feels like he just got back... or that it seems like he is never home, even when he is physically here.

All i know is that i just want to hold him and tell him to never go.

I feel a little like Oakley, pouty and fussy and no one knows why.

things i assumed

Ok, there are a few things i assumed while making this:

• You have some experience sewing.
• You have felted the sweater prior to starting
• You have read patterns before and know that they are MUCH more complicated than it really is to make...

I made two pairs of these pants in less than an hour. The pair in the picture took me about 30 mins... only because i tried to draw out the pattern and took pictures while sewing.... and almost electrocute myself.

Wooly bum cover

Ok... please bear with me while i do this. But here are the instructions and poor pictures to show what i mean. (My machine is still broken, but these are my second attempt, and i love them!)

First thing i did was find a pair of pants and guesstimate how to cut the sleeves on the sweater so that they are the same shape as the pants. If they look like the are going to be too tight, they are perfect!!!



The proportions are this: Waist divided by three (say for ease, 18 inches total, so 6 inches,) then you half that again (3 inches), because the sweater is folded in half, so, two sleeves, two-thirds of the waist.

The final third is the back panel. That needs to be the length of the opening that you created by cutting the sleeves, plus about an inchish... curving slightly all the way around.

You will have to stretch the leg part to make it fit seam to seam, but this adds such a sweet little curve in the bottom. After you have sewn the back panel to the legs, cut a slant down the front so that it lowers about 1/2 inch. Sew the front together.

So the total of the waist now is 15.5 inches because i use 1/4 inch seam allowance. I now measure a two inch (or what every size you want) high rectangle thats 16 inches long, sew it together at the short end and sew it onto the waist to create a waist band. And at this point you can make them as long or as short as you want.

And voila!

so stinking cute!!!