Getting crafty

I've been doing a weekly, late-night craft night at my house for a while now.  We've made wreaths, scarecrows and pumpkins among other things.  It's been a great way to get some projects checked off the list instead of sitting in front of hulu to watch a show or two.

Here are the pumpkins we made last week.  I love the red velvet one!  I put the fabric in some yellow dye to make a bit orangey.  You can tell in the right light, but polyesters are HARD to dye!

Making them is pretty straight forward.  Save your pumpkin stems when your pumpkin is done.  Dry it out with time or in a low heat oven (150 for an hour or two).  Cut a circle of fabric.  Do a running stitch 1/4" from the outside and pull to gather.  I use upholstery thread so it doesn't snap.  Add some beans or rice about 1/2 full and then some polyfill.  Throw a couple of stitch in the center to pull it all together.  Glue on stem with hot glue, taking care not to make any visible.

From Light to Dark

Every year since we've moved here, I've gotten really sick once a winter.  I'm hoping this is it for this year, because this croup/cold/megacough is no fun.  Seven days and counting ...

But it didn't stop me from changing it up a bit yesterday ...

Honey HATES it.  Well, when he first saw it he did.

The boy is particular and peculiar about my hair.  Since he was little, if I put it back in a ponytail he would yell, "Off. Off mom!" until I took the ponytail out.  He hates it when I wear hats.  If it's down and curled, he looks at me appraisingly and strokes my hair with his hands.  The boy is obviously partial to long hair.

The other night we watched home videos of when Mr. M was about 1 1/2 and I looked ghastly.  Short hair.  No makeup.  Hair undone and askew (where were all you people at this time?? ... no one said I looked terrible ... Rachel, Diana?).  All the kids were making, "Oh wow, Mom" and "You look different" comments anytime I came onscreen.  Even Honey commented on the hair.

So yesterday was a bit traumatizing.  Toward the end of the day while I was holding him (and he was pushing off me) he pointed one by one to my facial features.

"I want this," he said, pointing to my eyebrows.

"I want these," he said, pointing to my eyes.

"And this," he said, pointing to my nose and mouth.

"But NOT this!" he shouted, pointing to my hair.

Ha!  This morning he's a bit more calm about it.  But he still asked me when will my coloring would go away.

He only kissed me b/c I was taking a picture.

My Girl

The following is plain and unadulterated mother pride ...

Miss A is a one of kind of girl.  The other day she told me about a playground interaction that made my heart proud to be her mom.

She has a friend she loves, but isn't necessarily welcomed by her other friends into the group to play.  This friend asked Miss A if she could play with her group during the last recess of the day.  Miss A said yes.  Then she approached her other friends to tell them that this friend wanted to play with them and they told her no, she couldn't play.  That Miss A could play with her, but that meant she couldn't play with them.  So she told them off a little and then went and played with the friend in question.

I'm so grateful for a daughter that understands the importance of being nice and the unimportance of being caddy.  I know she's not perfect.  And that she's probably hurt feelings along the way.  But I'm pretty proud of the fact that she fights for the underdog pretty much every time.

Joke's on you, Dad

This lovely, and very early, Daylight morning, DH was playing with Little C and Honey (noticing a trend?).  And Honey got a little carried away with the game and started spitting in DH's face.

"The next person who spits at me will be put outside," he informed them.  He thought it would teach them a lesson since it is a brisk 30 degrees out there.

Honey then spit in his face.

So DH carried him to the front door, put him on the porch, and locked the door.

Honey promptly turned on his heel and started running away ... down the driveway and out into the road toward the circle's exit.

DH then unlocked the door and gave chase ... in his bathrobe and bare feet.

I could hear Honey laughing the whole way.

DH caught him right before getting to the main street.

Sticks vs. Fun Size

I wish I enjoyed carrot sticks as much as I do fun size candies.  Maybe if the makers wrapped them up in colorful papers.  The anticipation of opening would heighten the experience of munching them.

Halloween candy as been consumed at record speed this year.  Not good for my children's teeth or my all-too-fleshy back{side}.

P.S.  I was woefully neglectful and did not snap a single picture of my children in costume this year.  The only picture I got was taken Nov. 1st of the chandelier I decorated for our Halloween party.  All other decorations had already been dismantled (including the mantle).  It's scary how much I'm forgetting to do lately!

A Plausible Explaination

Honey and DH were sitting in a chair last playing a tickle game (where Honey is tickled under the arms and neck by sneaky DH).  Honey loves this game and got a little too into it last night and smacked DH on the nose.  DH instantly collasped backwards on the chair, his eyes closed and head laying back.

"Dad?"  Honey asked.

"Dad?"  he asked again, this time peering around his face and looking closely.

"He's out of batteries," he said to me, perfectly explaining in his mind why Dad stopped working.

Will someone please teach this kid to smile?

BYU Homecoming

At the beginning of this month (2 weeks ago!) we took a trip to Utah to catch some of the Homecoming festivities and, more importantly, visit with DH's parents.

Did I tell you about last time I was in Utah?  This is pretty indicative of the last couple of trips I've made to Utah.  I was only there for about 24 hours, with a specific task of throwing a baby shower and going home.  The days were so packed I neglected to tell my in laws I would be in town.  But guess who I ran in to at Costco as I was picking up food?  Yup.  I felt so bad and really, it had been several trips of our family being too busy to spend some good time with them.  So we promised this trip would be all about them.  No other family commitments.

Our first stop was the parade, which we love.  It's a real parade.  What constitutes a real parade?  There has to be some great bands.  Check.  There needs to be people throwing candy from old cars, preferably salt water taffy.  Check.  Some cool floats.  Check.  Energetic paraders.  Check.  And it needs to go long enough that you start thinking, "Does this thing end?".  Check.

We hiked the Y.  Attended the game.  Attempted to get Provo Bakery donuts several times (third time was a charm).  Ate In-n-Out.  Went to a pumpkin patch.

But two things became the talk of the trip:

Henry's shiner, compliments of a rough and tumble Little C.  I can't number how many people have asked me over the last 2 weeks, "Who did that do you?"  Like he's going to point the finger at me and they're going to rescue my son.  I mean, yes.  He looks abused.  He has a scar from his tumble down the stadium steps that ended when he hit a metal chair.  His thumb is black from being smashed in the door (probably the third he's had this year).  He has scrapes and bruises all over his legs.  And now this.  Sure, I'd wonder too.  So what do I say when they ask?  "His brother did it."  Which makes me look even guiltier.  

And then there was Sweet Baby C.  Loved her.  L-O-V-E-D.  She is perfect.  And precious.  And tiny.  Diana, my sister, is so sweet as a new mother and doing a great job.  I can't wait to see her again during the holidays!!  (the baby, but also my sister)

All in all, a trip to remember!