Sunday, morning

So today I am recovering from taking the boys to see Oma (Larry's mom) for a belated birthday party (also for nephew Brian's birthday.) Tori, her great-granddaughter, along with her family are in town from Phoneix so it was a pretty big deal. I took Brayden and Kolby along to play with Alayna and Sophia. The boys both did pretty well, Kolby fell asleep before we'd gone a mile from his house and slept nearly the whole drive, Brayden watched DVD's etc and tried to talk to me but the truck is so noisy on the highway it's hard. It was raining here when I left but soon we drove out of it and most of the way was dry--the sun even came out. The boys played outside along with Alayna. I taught Brayden how to ride the glider and he got it going really high, laughing and laughing. He said, "Granna, this is so fun! I'm so glad you taught me how to do this! " Kolby liked the slide but spent a lot of time crab walking on the drive, guess the cement was just too hard on the knees! We had a good dinner and headed home (in the rain) about 7:30. Kolby was asleep before we got to the end of their driveway! He slept all the way home, and Brayden passed out about 50 miles from home. A very quiet drive. It was fun but I am still so tired. Don't think I'll be making that trip again if I have to drive home after dark.

Off to have lunch and re-pin two baby quilt tops for machine quilting. This will be only the second one I've machine quilted and always trying to learn from my mistakes the backs
are not as smooth as I'd like. I want no tucks back there! Plenty of mistakes on the tops without adding to it!

Another week nearly gone.

Seriously, where does time go? I'd really like to get some back! It's been evaporating at a greater than normal rate! I did get quite a bit of sewing done so far this week. One baby quilt sandwiched to quilt and one top nearly finished--tomorrow's project--plus about a dozen burp rags sewn and ready for turning etc. I also managed to get the kitchen mostly clean.

Picked up Brayden on Monday as usual, Rob laughed at us as we were jumping over the cracks in the driveway. I think I might be too old for that? We had fun though. We always have fun on Mondays.

Last night I picked up Kolby, ran by McDonalds as I wasn't feeding anyone else and he loves french fries. I had put up the Easter tree on Tuesday and proceeded to knock it over last night so I was picking it up, turned around to find him crawling across the top of the coffee table to get to me and the tree. He'd climbed up the little chair onto the table. I think we have our hands full--this one's a climber! He spent a long time looking at the tree and practicing saying "Rabbit" and "egg", you really had to have your ears on but he was getting it and delighted with himself! Before we know it he'll be talking so much we'll be asking him to be quiet!

I'm heading to Columbia on Saturday for a family event, taking both boys with me. I can't not take Brayden with me when I'm going to Alayna's house. I may be insane but if Beth could do it I can do it! (I hope.)

Finished!

Finished these two picnic blankets last night. I am so glad to be done with denim! I barely have enough of the raw material to patch a pair of jeans. Before you ask, No, I don't want any more old jeans!

Welcome Spring?

My deck at 3:45 pm today.
5 inches of snow on the table top (I measured ) and still coming down!

Friday, Already?!

So, I've been doing not much of anything. I'm having trouble getting interested in doing anything, some good days (when the sun shines) and really awful ones (when the sun doesn't shine.) Think there's some connection? I think so especially at the end of what has been a very dreary winter, so many gray days wear on me.

Good news yesterday! Rob has been extended an invitation to join the Computer Science honors society (Has some greek letter but I don't remember :) !) It has been a long road for his education and he has worked hard--he's also worked his brothers hard as they've been his tutors in several classes. He was thrilled, excited and I think proud of himself. I know I'm proud of him, I was proud of all his hard work anyway but this is icing!

We needed good news as Beth will be losing her job soon, as her company is either closing or being bought out. The worst of it is that they may need to move away--bummer--to North Carolina--bigger bummer.--as Lucas may have an opportunity with Lowe's there. I wish that they could at least be on the same coast as Steve! I will miss them if they go, whatever will I do on Monday and Wednesday evenings without my boys?

I have the binding sewn on the two denim picnic quilts, am planning to sew it down later today. Using the machine this time, the binding is fleece so it won't fray and sewing that down on denim is murder on the hands! I also hope to finish the layout on V's baby quilt and sandwich the other baby quilt tonight. After I finish those I have plenty of other quilts to work on -See what you started and my Irish chain are next!

I have given myself til the end of the month to get my house in order, then April to get the yard in order. I think I need deadlines to cure the listlessness.

Off to do the weekly shopping. Have a great weekend--it's supposed to snow here tomorrow, that's March in Missouri for you 60's one day, snow the next!

Cherry chip cake

Today would have been Larry's 62nd birthday and Elizabeth posted something on facebook that made me think of this story. It's so much easier to smile than cry. Larry was notoriously difficult to buy gifts for, thus the reason that he had every electronic gizmo out there, and never wanted us to buy him anything. He could buy us whatever he wanted but we weren't supposed to spend money on him. In this vein one year he said all he wanted for his birthday was Cherry Chip cake. Notice he left out "a". Elizabeth said something along the lines of we should all buy him cherry chip cake mixes. So we did. He was also a champ at just knowing what was in the boxes and these cake mixes really stumped him. They all weighed the same, felt the same and were exactly the same size. Once he started to open them the hilarity grew and grew and grew. Rob's friend Chad said he'd never heard us laugh so hard! In total he got 13 cherry chip cake mixes (and a BBQ grill) for his birthday. The next year he was very careful to say he wanted A cherry chip cake, and only one! I'm laughing as I think of it, it was a very fun joke to play on the jokester!

Man, I miss him.

A March finish!

I put the last stitches in the binding just a few minutes ago! I am so glad that's finished-it was so heavy. Rob is happy with it, and I got a hug! Now, I need to repair the old one and finish the other two (much smaller) ones. Then I never plan to make another denim quilt!

Spring!

There are some very important things in this photo of Rob. One he's outside grilling, two he isn't wearing a heavy winter coat, and three Jayhawks taste just like chicken!
Today's high, under gorgeous, sunny blue skies was near 60! I won't say I'm anxious for 90-100 degree temps but I am looking forward to the 60-80 days!

Makes me want to dig in the gardens and it's still too early for that!

Some sewing, mostly other stuff

I finished these two small block for Karen's surprise and they will be winging their way to her today, well they'll go USPS. If you've never seen her "Tool Time Tuesday '' you should check it out!

I've been working on a block for the Quilt of Tears, a very lettering intensive block, for a couple of weeks and I finished the lettering yesterday. I wasn't very happy with it but was really unhappy when I went to heat set the ink and my iron leaked water on it. There is no way I'm doing this over so unless I can think of another way to put it together it's hitting the trash! It's a good idea honoring those veterans who have health issues from Agent Orange but I just give up. Some things are just like that.

I pinned the denim quilt last night and will work on tying it next.

I've been catching up, or trying to, on all the things I've put off lately due to hand or whatever. I think I've spent two days at this desk working on the computer and will spend a good part of today as well.

I've started picking up the boys on different nights, Brayden on Monday and Kolby on Wednesday. That way both Beth and I get one on one time with each boy and they get our undivided attention! On Monday, we played Candyland with Brayden and had a ball. At four he did really well with following the rules, well he didn't like the sticky licorice that cost him a turn so he skipped right over that! :) He also did well with losing. Tonight, I have Kolby to play with while Tanya and Rob have class, Beth will pick him up on the way home from gynmastics. I'm glad we were able to set this up, it's going to be fun!