Cross Stitch Stocking Finished

Baby M's stocking is finished and all sewn together.  It has taken its place up beside her sisters' stockings.  They are currently on the china cabinet because I'm afraid of little hands pulling those heavy weights down off of the mantle. 

Activity Advent Calendar

Years ago when I lived in Tucson, I bought an advent calendar house.  I was so excited the first year I got it, and was so disappointed.  For some reason when I bought it, I imagined opening the doors each day to see what surprise was left for me, not thinking that as an adult no one fills it for me.  After eight years of moving around the country with the advent calendar in storage at Oma's house, I am finally using it again.  And it is exciting.  Although I don't get to open the doors, I get to watch the girls get so excited about doing it every morning.  And it is something wonderful to see.

 

I made a list of things I wanted to do this month with them and looked online for more ideas.  Then I wrote the ideas on slips of green paper.  To start I filled day one through day four, but it took me about 5 minutes on day one to realize that was a mistake.  The girls opened all of the doors and found the chocolates behind door two.  So now the last thing I do before going to bed is fill it for the next day.  This makes it nice because I can decide what to do based on what I feel like doing the next day and whether we have all the supplies.  If I'm tired and don't want to do a big project the next day, we watch a movie or they get a piece of chocolate.  Another thing making this easy on me is that they can't read yet. So if I wake up in the morning and don't feel up to doing what I planned, I just tell them something else is written (going to enjoy that while I can, since they will be reading it themselves one of these days).

 

This is roughly what we have done so far:


Day 1: Read a new Christmas book (pop up Twas the Night Before Christmas)

Day 2: Chocolate

Day 3: Watch Miracle on 34th Street

Day 4: Bake Cookies (Ina Garten's Rugelach)

Day 5: Learn a Christmas Carol (Frosty the Snowman) 

Day 6: Put up the Felt Christmas Tree

 

Day 7: Make Paper Chain Garlands

Day 8: Paint Snowflake Boxes (Baby M got to squish paint in a bag)

Day 9: Quarters

Day 10: Drink Hot Chocolate

Day 11: Make Cookies (we actually made fudge instead)

Day 12: Make Salt Dough Ornaments

Day 13: Read a new Christmas book (thank you, Connie, the girls loved the books you sent)

Day 14: Paint Salt Dough Ornaments

 
Also on our list are painting pinecones green and decorating them as trees, cutting out paper snowflakes, doing painted handprint or footprint pictures, along with watching A Christmas Story, and baking more cookies. As they get older I'll try to incorporate some service projects into it too.  This year we donated a toy to an organization that gives them to families in need, but the girls didn't really get it. 

This activity advent has been a nice way to celebrate the season and much more fun and healthier than just a piece of chocolate everyday.

 

Finally Fall

Fall has finally come to California.  Arkansas woke up to snow this morning.  We on the other hand had a beautiful, brisk fall day.  After lunch, the girls and I walked to our little neighborhood playground.  I laid out a picnic blanket for Baby M and me to snuggle on while the girls played.  Only she wasn't having any of it.  I'd set her down and immediately she'd start heading across the grass and into the sand to play with her sisters.  She's getting so big.

Although I am still busy unpacking, fixing and organizing things at our new place, the bulk of my crafting attention is now focused on M's Christmas stocking.  I want to finish it by the beginning of December.  It is all stitched, except for her name, a few missed stitches, and the backstitched outlines.  Then I have to sew it all together of course.  I have been working on it since July 2013 and should have it done some time before her first Christmas. 

 

We're off to See the Wizard

Well, this is take two of this post since all those times I pushed save did not apparently save the last version. 

 

We carved the twin's pumpkins the day before Halloween.  I used the girls' shape toys as a template for some neat star and cross eyes. The little saws in those carving kits are cheap and easy to bend but they do a great job maneuvering around corners.  The girls were very proud to help carve this year. 

 



The Halloween costumes turned out great.  Oma was a trooper.  She made little H's Dorothy jumper, Big H's tinman tunic and helped me out a enormous amount.  They all look so adorable together.  We mommas also got to dress up this year.  I found some witch's hats at Target for my sister and me, and I wore striped socks like the Wicked Witch of the East.

 

M's onesie, that I dyed, didn't look great and it was a little chilly, so she ended up in a brown First Thanksgiving bodysuit turned inside out.  She didn't really want to cooperate with wearing the lion's mane I had knitted around her face (and I don't really blame her), but she did keep it on when I set it on top of her head while trick or treating so that was something at least.  I drew a cat's nose and whiskers on her and she looked absolutely adorable.  But then she does even when she is not dressed up as the Cowardly Lion. 

 

Miss D loved being Glinda the Good Witch of the North (and yes, she says the whole title every time someone asks her what she was for Halloween).  The costume turned out really well, but if I had had more time I would have tried to make some big puffy sleeves out of tulle like Glinda had in the movie.  I did get a little bit of pouf in the peasant top but much less than I was hoping for. 

I made the peasant top of the dress using this tutorial.  Oma came for a visit the weekend before Halloween and by the time she left, all that was left to do was sew the body of D's dress together and hem it.  I cut out the material and pinned them, she sewed it together and made the casing for the elastic while I took care of the kids.  Then while she held the baby, I threaded the elastic through the casing, gathered the skirt and sewed it to the top and made a tutu.  Oma checked the length on T and hemmed hers while I nursed Baby M.  It was a great tag team approach that made it go by so fast. I am so thankful I wasn't stressing about these costumes trying to finish them at last minute.  Thank you, Oma!

I had hoped to sew the tulle material into the dress seam so it was all one piece but it would have taken more time and planning to figure out how to do that.  So instead I made a separate tutu to wear over the dress and pinned it in place with safety pins.  It is nice now because they can play in their costumes at home and take off the tutu when it gets in the way.

 

For the crown, I (for some strange reason) thought that two paper sized sheets of pink felt would be enough, silly me.  Luckily, I was able to find a little more from previous craft project and was able to sew together a sturdy and pretty decent looking crown.  First, I sewed all the pieces into a cylinder that fit her head.  Then I folded that in half, wrong sides together and top stitched along the fold to make it sturdy.  I used the handy star shape toy that I had also used on the pumpkins to trace stars on the felt and then I sewed just inside the line I had made.  I trimmed everything from the line out to complete the shape. I had bought some spray on glitter but the can jammed almost immediately, so sadly only a small part got any glitter.  If I had not waited til last minute, I could have gotten more glitter or something else shiny to glue on it. 

Oma and I made T's dress the same way as D's with orange cotton.  The only difference being that I didn't gather the sleeves with elastic.  I love all the colors in her tutu and the sunflower clip I bought to go with it.  Oma also sewed a few fall leaves on the top.

 

Her hat was an interesting mess but it looked great.  I also only had two sheets of tan felt.  I used their current sun hats, that are a little snug, for sizing since they were asleep when I made it and it turned out a little too small.  I just sewed all the scraps together after cutting out the brim, which made an interesting shape but turned out pretty flat due to lack of materials.  I twisted some yellow tulle leftover from the tutu and sewed it to cover the seam and sewed a few puffs on with fall leaves to look like straw.  Then I made cuts on the brim about an inch an a half in and a centimeter wide so it would look more ragged. It was too small and also too short but looked good perched up on top of her head anyway.


 

 

The costumes all looked so great together.  We only made it to about four houses in my sister's neighborhood because of tripping, falling into a rose bush to avoid a little sniffing dog, trying to eat the candy--wrapper and all--and anything else you could think of that would slow a group of pre school/toddler/babies down.  But they enjoyed it and got to watch Wizard of Oz afterward.  So all of the pink for Glinda's dress and the slippers being red instead of silver like in the book finally made sense.

Next year we'll have to come up with another great theme and hopefully I'll have my act together a bit more and get everything done ahead of time.

 

Halloween is Coming up Fast!

I have made very little progress on the Halloween costumes because we have been busy painting, cleaning and moving.  I have managed to pull my sewing machine out of the box it has been in the last 6-8 months.  However, I don't have a table to set it up on unless I put it on the dining table.  I really want to avoid that, but it may come to it if I don't find a good table at a yard sale soon.

I had started resizing a boys long sleeve shirt I got at a thrift store for T's scarecrow costume but she didn't like the color and it took so much effort to get her to try it on to size it that I gave up and scraped it.  Instead I will do a dress in fall colors and forget trying to make it look like on the movie.  It just isn't worth the effort to make something she doesn't want to wear anyway.

I finished dying baby M's onesie and it didn't turn out as well as I had dreamed, though it was pretty close to what I expected.  I'm thinking of buying pants and a long sleeve shirt anyway since it might be chilly enough.  She also yanks her lions mane off at first chance so that will be fun to deal with too.

I have bought all of the material to make D and T's dresses and have started cutting out T's.  I'm hoping to start sewing them in the next couple nights.  I definitely need to start by the weekend.  I'll probably have to put in some late nights to get it done without interruptions.   

So I am a bit sad and stressed about these costumes.  At least I got a couple pumpkins and some pumpkin butter at Trader Joe's this morning, so thing aren't all that bad.

My Father, the Published Author

My father past away a decade ago.  It is strange to realize it has been that long.  A decade brings so many changes: a handful of adorable grandchildren, gaining new friends while losing old, and new projects around the house that he built.  It makes me sad that he is not here to experience it.

He had spent time writing a book before his death.  Gun collecting was a hobby of his and he became an expert on German hunting rifles over the years. 

It makes me so proud that 10 years later it is finally being published.  It could not have been done without dedication on my mother's part and with the computer expertise of his good friend, Bruce Hamilton.  Other gun enthusiasts that knew my father, helped my mother with content editing, for which we are all grateful.

I wish it was a more accessible price.  At $75, it is a bit steep for anyone who is not a gun enthusiast or family member.  Since it is a small printing on a specialized subject and has lots of color photos, I suppose the price can't be helped.

From Safari Press' website:

GERMAN HUNTING GUNS OF THE GOLDEN ERA
1840-1940
by Hans Pfingsten

2014 Long Beach, 208pp, profuse color and b&w photos, illus., 8.5x11, hardcover, dj
ISBN: 978-1-57157-443-5

In this book you will find the history of break-open shotguns, rifles, drillings, and other combination guns produced in Germany during the period of 1840-1940.
 
German guns built before 1939 exhibit a high level of quality and finish. Collectors marvel at the subtle lines and superb craftsmanship of a Rasch or a Springer. Others find satisfaction using a beautiful Sauer shotgun made well before World War I. Many people have had the thrill of picking up a fine old gun from Germany or Austria and are in awe of the level of engraving, fit, and finish. Hunters delight in carrying a drilling in the field, for they know that they can take any game that presents itself.
 
In the devastation following two world wars, the records of the origins and the production of fine German sporting arms were mostly lost, so this book documents as much as possible the existing knowledge of these guns. Research material was gathered from old catalogs and ads, factory records, books, periodicals, individuals, and, of course, surviving firearms of the period covered by this book.
The book is divided into three sections: "Hunting," "Gunmakers," and "The Gun Itself." These three sections capture the essence of the topics through the use of photos and illustrations. Long, explanatory captions make the pictures understandable even to the novice. Moreover, all the famous makers of the day are included: J. P. Sauer, Brenneke, Lindner, Sempert & Krieghoff, and others. Everything to do with break-open shotguns, rifles, drillings, and combination guns is discussed: the Frank drilling, the barrel, the action, the development and history of these guns, fences, triggers, and so on.
 
This must-have book for the German gun enthusiast will have you marvel at the geniuses of a bygone day that invented and built such guns.

Costume Ideas

It amazes me how fast October got here this year.  I have not had much time to craft, except for a handful of bows and Baby M's cross stitch Christmas stocking.  But now it is October and that means costume time!  I am currently behind schedule in that I have thought about the costumes but haven't really done anything for them yet.  Today is the day though where I get cracking.

I bought yarn to knit a lion's mane for Baby M a couple weeks ago and actually got most of it knitted today.  I'm just making a headband so it is a quick knit.  A few more rows and a fitting tomorrow to make sure it isn't too big and it will be finished.  I also need to finish dyeing her onesie.  I had a spare white one around and couldn't find a yellow/tan colored one without huge logos or prints on them.  So now I'm trying out some turmeric and coffee grounds to see what color I end up with.  I may throw in some onion skin too depending on what color it turns out.  Baby M is going to be the Cowardly Lion, in case you didn't guess.

Finished and fitted!

 



Miss D, lover of pink that she is, will be Glinda the good witch.  From the book, she prefers the gentle good witch of the north, who I believe is named Locasta, to Glinda of the south.  Since they are condensed into one role in the movie, she gets to be Glinda of the north.  It is more recognizable and she also loves pink so I'm sure she won't mind the change.  I have to figure out how to make the dress and crown still.  I really need to go shopping to see what materials are available that will be easy to make.

Miss T chose to be the Scarecrow.  I'll make a tutu for her so she won't be jealous of her sister's costume.  Hmm . . . I will probably have to make a tutu for Baby M as well so people realize she is a girl, now that I think of it.  I don't know if it is the minimal amount of hair on her head or that seeing two girls already in the family everyone expects there to be a boy, but everyone that meets her thinks she is a boy unless she is wearing a bow.  For T's outfit I will have to find blues, dark grays or browns for clothes of which we have none.  I will also have to make her a cute hat that can compete with Glinda's crown. 

My sister's daughter, little H, will be Dorothy.  Her costume will be easy if we can find the blue and white checked material, and I already have the white top to go underneath from the twins.  I found a pattern for an adorable knit wig that has pigtails like Dorothy's but I don't think I'll have time to knit it, unfortunately.  Plus there is a high probability that she wouldn't keep it on anyway.  It would look cute though.

Her brother, big H, will be the Tinman.  We are hoping to find some shiny fabric to put on a gray shirt for him and he can wear his gray shorts.  If all else fails we can utilize some tin foil.  He can wear a funnel on his head that is spray painted silver.  And with a little heart, he should be set.

We are dressing all of them in short sleeves because of how hot Halloween usually is out here (watch it be cold this year).  I plan to buy witch hats for my sister and I so we can be the wicked witches.  We will trick or treat in my sister's neighborhood and maybe we'll watch The Wizard of Oz with the kiddos before we head out.

Retirement Party

Last Saturday we celebrated Oma's retirement from 34 years of teaching with a family party.  Oma is technically still teaching.  She goes to school for one Latin class everyday.  She loves not having to wake up early in the morning to get ready for school and instead does yard work.  She loves not having the stress of tons of grading.  She is enjoying the semi-retired life.  

We already had some small celebrations at the end of the school year in June, but waited until now to have the family party because my brother and his wife are visiting from Japan.  Although the focus of the party was her retirement, it also happened to fall on her birthday and there were other family birthdays around that time.  So we gave a nod to all the September birthdays with some singing and a cake at the end of the day.

To celebrate her retirement, at her special request, we hired a photographer to capture our family.  It was hard to do with the five kids.  There were times where one or more of them were not cooperating.  But I think we ended up with some really good shots of everyone.  We haven't seen them yet.  The photos here were taken by my father-in-law.  Some of his turned out beautifully as well.

 

I love the one of the five grandchildren.  I really hope that our photographer was able to get a good one with all them looking without funny faces. 

 

The rest of the day we spent eating, swimming, and spending time with one another.  The day went by quickly.  The kids cooperated with the strange nap time and place.  We had fun as a family, celebrating Oma. 

 

 

Gardening

 

We have a very sad, pathetic garden at my mother's house.  My brother, the girls and I take care of it.  My brother is busy with work and other engagements elsewhere most of the time.  Although he had an awesome, abundant garden two years ago, he just doesn't have time for it these days.  

The girls and I are always here, but we don't get a lot done.  Most of the time the girls aren't interested in checking on it every evening.  When we do go down to check on it, I am always holding Baby M, which limits what I can do.  I often spend some time admonishing the girls not to step on the plants, or directing them were to plant new seeds.  Sometimes the girls will dig up a weed or two.  Most of the time though, we wait for the automatic sprinklers to come on so the girls can get wet.  That is what gardening is with two 3 year olds and an 8 month old. 

The yellow squash is doing pretty well now that the critters have started to leave them alone.  No fruit is growing yet though, just flowers for now.

The tomato plants, which were looking beautiful for awhile there, were attacked by tomato bugs (tomato hornworms) while the girls and I were out of town.  The picture below is of the aftermath where I found 7 fatty ones chomping away.  For next year's garden, I need to plant marigolds or dill with the tomatoes and get some wasps according to the farmer's almanac. 

 

Currently, there are only two things growing that we can actually eat.  One pepper plant has a single pepper on it, although the plant itself has been devoured by something (a rabbit possibly or pack rat).  I also stuck a leek cutting from the kitchen into the ground a week or two ago and it is doing beautifully.  I did the same with a celery cutting and hope it will also be a success.

 

Although not much is happening in the garden, I am still glad that we have it.  It is a good activity for the girls to learn about where food comes from and for them to get dirty.  Hopefully as they all grow older, we will be able to have a large and productive garden together. 

Beach Day

Last weekend we headed down to North Beach in San Clemente with all the grandparents and my sister and her son.  We have never been to this beach but it is a very family friendly beach.  There are swings, a slide and picnic tables all right by the bathroom.  Every so often a commuter train goes by right behind the beach.  The kids loved it and would wave to the travelers.

  

The beach is short, so we didn't feel too far from our stuff or the water depending where we were.  It is pretty rocky though, so wearing sandals down to the water line made life easier. 

T had so much fun playing in the surf.  We were out there awhile holding hands as we ran toward the receding waves and then ran as the waves came crashing back at us.  The waves were a little more powerful than I was expecting but that wasn't a worry since the kids don't actually go in the water to swim.

Baby M got all dressed for the beach in her tutu bathing suit but didn't get to play in the water or the sand.  One of these days she'll have fun like her sisters.

Wine Tour

My sister-in-law is getting married next month and this past Monday we celebrated her impending nuptials with a few of her old friends and a bit of wine.  Five of us and baby M met at Leoness Cellars in Temecula for a winery tour.  We started out the earliest we could at 10 am, so we could beat the heat.  It was sunny and warm but not too hot yet.  Baby M got to check out the winery and vineyard from the comfort of her carrier.  I love her little eye peaking out.

We started off with a few tastings in the tasting room to see what we liked.  There were a variety of preferences among the five of us ranging from really sweet to really dry.  Some preferred reds; others wanted whites.  Once we found one we liked, we headed out with a glass of it to check out the view from the wedding lawn.  It does have a beautiful view of the vineyards below and would be a lovely place to get married.
 

 

I forget the acreage, but there was a lot of it  and it was dedicated to different varietals.  We were able to sample some as we walked through the vineyard down to a golf cart.  Outside the patio near where the golf cart was parked, they grow regular table grapes that you find in a store.  It was interesting to compare them to the ones we had just eaten.  The wine grapes are much smaller because they do not receive enough water to make them plump like store bought grapes.  This concentrates their sugars for the wine. 

Because of the warm winter and early harvest this year, we were able to see some of the wine production in action.  But it was a welcome relief from the warm sun to step into the air conditioned barrel room.  They keep a portion of their barrels in this room just for events.  The rest they store at a warehouse elsewhere. 

We headed back to the tasting room to round out our tastings.  Leoness was nice in that it was baby friendly.  I was able to nurse M on a very comfortable couch in the tasting room (most tasting rooms don't have places to sit) and their bathroom has a changing table (the rest of the day I changed M in the car).  I would consider joining the wine club here.

Following our tour, we headed over to Wilson Creek Winery for lunch.  The lunch was pricey but delicious.  We had a cheese plate appetizer, some sangria that I wasn't impressed with, a delicious penne dish with shaved ham and we shared a couple desserts.  Baby M napped for most of the lunch in her stroller so it was a nice relaxing meal.

After lunch we tasted a few of the wines.  Thanks to my sister, who is a wine club member there, we had a couple free tastings.  And I believe everyone was a fan of the orange mimosa champagne. 

We moved on to Foot Path Winery, which is very different from the other two we had seen.  Foot Path is the smallest winery and definitely no frills.  It is a ramshackled property compared to the landscaped wineries.  The tasting room is a shed with all sorts of odds and ends stored that reminded me of my dad's garage or my grandpa's shop.  There is no air conditioning; just a powerful fan that you can sit by which really does keep you cool. 

They are also a certified organic farm, although not all of their wines are organic.  We got to say hello to the horses on our way in and I think they were looking for a handout from us.  Foot Path only makes red wines.  I unfortunately can't say anything about them since I was designated driver and had reached my limit, but their grapefruits taste so good and are great price!  I only bought two and I regret that I did not buy a bunch more. 

For our last stop, we went to Danze del Sol Winery.  It does have a bit of an old world Spanish feel, especially with the patio.  It was cool enough in the shade by that point that Baby M and I could take breaks from the tasting room and sit down out there.  We had been tasting for 7-8 hours by that point and my back was so tired from carrying my little chunk around.  The sales sommelier enjoyed showing off his pours and smiles for a group of attractive ladies and he made it fun for everyone. 

The girls were so sweet and bought me a bottle to thank me for planning the day and driving them all around.  I will split it with my mother one of these evenings, since without her babysitting the twins, this day wouldn't have happened.  It was such a nice break from the usual routine and M was such a sweet, well-behaved baby the whole long day.  I look forward to next time I go wine tasting.

7 Months Old

 

It is hard to believe how fast the time is going.  My itty-bitty newborn is now a chunker almost ready to crawl.  She is teething but has yet to get any teeth in.  She hasn't been sleeping as well as she used to because of the teething pain.  Hopefully that will pass soon and we can all get more sleep.

 

She normally squawks and squeals but does unintentionally say a few D, G and N sounds now as she plays around.  She rolls and rotates easily.  She is very stable sitting but still falls over every once in awhile so I keep a pillow behind her on the hard floor.



Her sisters are so sweet with her.  They bring her toys and sometimes ask her permission to take a toy from her that she is playing with.  They give her kisses and make her laugh.  I'm sure that once she is crawling, getting into their things and taking their toys there will be fights and tears.  I'm going to enjoy this sweet phase while it lasts.

Pool Day

We are currently staying at my in-laws.  They have a beautiful pool.  So my husband's mother and I invited my sister and her two kids up for the day to swim.  It was fun but we probably won't try it again until next year.   I am exhausted.  Three adults, three 3 year olds, one 17 month old who is everywhere and into everything, and a 7 month old that decided to skip her naps today.  It was a long, tiring day.

We started the morning off cleaning, tidying and baking.  I made some zucchini tots and the twins helped me make coconut macaroons.  The tots tasted good but I think I'd halve the amount of eggs and bread crumbs I put in.  I wasn't really measuring that accurately so I'm not sure how well that reflects the recipe.  The macaroons were quick and easy to make.  It was one my mother-in-law's recipes, so I'll have to make sure to get a copy. 

My sister and the kids arrived around lunch time and we all ate before heading out to swim.  Baby M even joined us in the pool.  She liked it this time since the water is much warmer than it was at the beginning of June.  We have two inflatable Cars car floats.  She spent a bit of time floating around in one and little H briefly stayed in the other, but keeping her in one spot for long doesn't happen much these days.  D and T also climbed into them.  I didn't think they would fit but they still do.  They didn't stay in them that long though.  They prefer swimming around in their life jackets. 

The toddlers got to practice what they have learned in their summer swim lessons.  The girls have mostly forgotten theirs over the past two weeks.  But at least I know better how to approach teaching them to swim so they were not wasted.  Big H just came from a swim lesson earlier this morning and he really does well.  Not yet ready to really swim without floaties, but he is getting there.

As pool time encroached more and more into nap time and the whining and tears started, we got out and rinsed.  The kiddos watched some Cat in the Hat while we organized the swim gear and my sister packed up.  Unfortunately being Friday, their return trip took twice as long because of traffic.  It was also too late to put the girls down for a nap and expect them to sleep at their usual bedtime.  So we had some grumpy, fussy girls this evening.  But they are currently sound asleep and I get a chance to update my blog.  Nothing is ever perfect; it's all about tradeoffs. 

Together Again

On Saturday morning our CRV packed with the remainder of our things was dropped off in Orange County.  We are now officially out of Arkansas.  My husband finished up residency at the very end of last month and has started his new job here in California.  Man, is he hating the commute!  Arkansas certainly has California beat for traffic. 

We are completely done with Little Rock, except for the friendships we made in our time there.  Our house closed earlier this month, so that is one less thing to worry about and huge step in lowering our debt.  It was a nice house and a good learning experience, but I am so glad we were able to sell it.  We will know better what to do and expect when we buy a house here later on.

We are together as a family again.  This morning I looked at the time and calculated what time it was in Little Rock to figure out what my husband would be up to.  Then I realized that I don't have to do that anymore!  The girls are happy to have their daddy back with them.  And I am happy to have him here helping me with the girls.  Their grandparents are of course very helpful but the girls aren't their responsibility in the same way.  It's nice to be able to share that responsibility again and not have it all on me.

I'm excited for the next chapter of our lives together here in California with family and friends watching the girls grow up.

Dora 3rd Birthday Party

Funny how the month of June just flew by like that.  On the 21st, we celebrated the twins' 3rd birthday here at my mother's house.  The girls love watching Dora and I don't mind letting them since it is one of the more interactive, educational shows out there.  I decided it would be a good theme for the party.  Only, I didn't want it to be all Dora, all over the place.  I wanted the decorations to be more subtly Dora and concentrate more on the activities now that they are at the age where they can participate in party activities. 

We don't really know any local toddlers around the same age yet and my friends in San Diego with little ones have too far of a drive to make it worth their while.  So it was a nice family party with just the cousins.

I made a map for the three toddlers and we went through it like on Dora.  "Birdhouse, prize box, cake and presents!" and repeat two more times in your best map voice imitation.  Making the map was easy and quick.  I simply searched for what I wanted on google images and copied and pasted them into Paint. 

 

I tried to stick to a orange/purple/pink color theme for decorations but almost anything could be argued to work with the Dora theme.  So the green table cloth that Oma found in her collection and the flowers/bug decorations from Little H's 1st birthday party that my sister brought all worked out perfectly.  For food we had quiches with asparagus and tomato, deviled eggs, a veggie and cracker platter with hummus and shrimp with home made cocktail sauce.  The fruit and cake came later. 

 







 

After eating, we painted birdhouses.  All shirts came off so their would be no permanent messes. I got the birdhouses for a dollar each in the craft section of Walmart along with the acrylic paints and little paint brushes.  Being a full 8 months older gave Big H the edge in painting his bird house.  The girls mixed their paints a lot making their houses a muddle-colored mess.  Big H's turned out really well though; he was very careful to clean his brush between colors.  They all had fun painting.

 

 

 

After the birdhouses, we moved on to the prize/punch box.  I followed the tutorial over at Diapers and Heels.  It is a great idea for this age group instead of a piñata, although I supposed a piñata would go with the Dora theme better.  All the kids, except baby M, got three turns punching into the circles and pulling out prizes like flutes, maracas, whistles and bubbles (all Dora themed from Party City).

 

 

I baked two square strawberry cakes with a cool whip frosting.  I mixed blended mulberries into the frosting to give it a nice flavor and pink color.  I also piped a yellow T and D on the cakes so they would know whose was whose.  They each got three candles to blow out, but Big H jumped the gun and blew out D's.  She didn't exactly realize that he had done it.  She just looked surprised that her candles went out before she blew them.  Then when we congratulated her on blowing out the candles to avoid a fight, she looked suspicious until she decided she must have blown them out after all.

 

 

My big three year old girls!



Mulberries

We have been picking a few mulberries every morning from Oma's tree, mostly just to eat immediately, but some to save for later.  It is a tree, not a bush, although as you can see in the picture below, it does look very bushy.  It has a thick tree trunk but the branches come down so low and the leaves are so full and dense that it seems like an enormous bush, just like in the song.

The berries are very sweet and juicy when ripe.  The juice is a beautiful deep red color but luckily it does not stain, otherwise we would be in trouble. 

We made a very limited supply of jam with the berries and also have been eating them over vanilla ice cream.  So yummy!

Swim Time

The girls' Leila and Pho Pho have a beautiful pool in their backyard.  So last weekend we went swimming for the first time this summer.  The girls got new bathing suits since their size 3T ones from last year a too snug.  We yelled for the camera to keep things interesting.  It's a lot more fun for them than just posing and smiling.

 



 

They practiced swimming on their own by degrees while wearing their life jackets.  Last summer T was definitely a water baby.  She still is the one who wants to go further into the pool, way before her sister is ready too.  She can now paddle around the whole pool by herself.  She even went in the deep end, which made me so nervous.  I was with her, but since I haven't been swimming in so long I was afraid I wouldn't be able to keep us both afloat if something went wrong.  But she did great and the life jacket, of course, is a huge help.  

 





 

 

D still doesn't want to let go of our hands and chokes on water when she does. It won't take her long to get the hang of it though.  I'm going to sign them up for swim classes in July.  We'll see what skills they are able to pick up there.

 



 

Baby M also got some pool time.  She was not a fan.  I think the pool was a little too cold for her taste.  I brought out her little bath sling for her to sit in but she let me know really quickly that she wanted back up in my arms.

 

 She did look so precious in her tiny bathing suit though, especially with her chunky thighs.