Grant and 4

Over the past few weeks I've noticed that grant's brain is really starting to kick into overdrive.  Up until now he has been pretty typically "the baby" - not really interested in doing ANYTHING for himself despite my continued insistence on independence.

But then he started writing letters. And the tantrums started to slow down. And now some real growth!  He is studying the book for the lego train, then counting pieces, hunting for them and building on his own! A whole track, a crane, the train.

He also spends a fair amount of time studying my toy sewing machines. This morning he picked up a paintbrush and started to dust them.

The weather the last two days has been warm, so we've been outside.  We were out for two glorious hours yesterday.  After floundering a bit with what to do with himself he went in the garage (which he opened himself!) got out his yard tools and started making a pile of leaves to jump in.

They aren't just flashes of independence though - they are flashes of a little Jack. I am endlessly fascinated by the differences between the kids, but also the moments of similarity.

Other than that I have been hunkered down at home a bit. Making all the quilts (Selling all the quilts), cleaning all the things. The world feels very tenuous right now. Even in the house the quiet somehow feels different.  I don't even know what to do with myself really.  Usually the fluffing and cleaning and making makes me feel centered, but not at the moment.

**In case you do not already know about this resource you can use 5calls.org to find the phone numbers for your representatives in Washington to call about the current state of the world.  I have been unable to get through this morning, but I have been trying to make at least 2 calls a day. They do provide scripts and background on the issues if you need that.

Goodnight moon log cabin baby quilt

Last week I sold off some quilts on FB and insta to help fund some of my charity work. There was a request for a baby quilt for a boy, which I did not have on hand. I did have a ziploc bag of scraps from my other goodnight moon quilts  and this seemed like a good chance to use it up. 

I love love how this turned out! So fun.

Reading and writing

sam's reading level was recently tested as the end of first grade. She is really off and running with reading. The other day she read grant ALL the books in our seasonal book basket. 

Yesterday we took the kids out for dinner and grant blew my socks off when I realized he can write letters. He wanted to spell pirate here. I asked him who taught him that and said that I did, but nope, not me! 

Flea Market Sunday

Yesterday was 70 degrees. We wore shorts. I got a sunburned. The kids complained about being hot.

Flea Market weather!

Old Halloween costumes.

Super cute tablecloth.

And the best score - five of these absolutely amazing Smokey the Bear posters. I am trying to figure out a non damaging, non $$$$ way of hanging them. I'd like to hang three at a time over the fireplace.  The kits that are non damaging are like $20+ each, so that's out.  I thought of the old pants hanger thing, but the ends really want to roll up. The DIY for poster hangers have you glue them in, so that's out.

Back to the drawing board.

Goodness I love the bugs.

And the nest art is so beautiful.

We are home from church, time to sort out the mountains of laundry, the groceries and other blah blah.  Happy Sunday to you!

I still fit

It was so warm today, 70! A big ice storm is headed our way, but grant and I made the most of it and played outside for hours.

I think he was surprised he can still fit in this car. 

Never mind the pallet junkyard, that diy has been forgotten. 

Hapde Burfday Sammi!

And just like that, she turns 6!

It's hard to imagine she is currently the age Jack was when she was born. In some ways Sammi is *really* my baby, not Grant.  She is a tiny thing and it makes her seem much younger than 6 really. Sometimes I look at her and think wait, you can read?!?!?

She continues to be a bright spot in everyone's day.  No one can meet Sam without feeling her positive little spirit.

Dear Sammi,

Today you are 6! A growing up girl. Hapde Burfday my love.

The transition to kindy has been rough, huh? I know you miss me, and I miss you.  Growing up is not so easy to do.

You are:

reading like a fool, all the things!

always toting a backpack full of books

still in love with ALL THE TINY THINGS. If there is a tiny toy you need it.

shy

spiritual (amazingly so)

intuitive

extremely emotionally intelligent

good at math

the only kid I know who very easily gives up toys to clean up their room or make room for new

practical

very attached to both of your brothers, for different reasons, and easily able to get along with two boys who can be quite challenging

super, super into art and crafts - you must own 9,000 crayons

petite (this is probably the year grant passes you by)

hardly ever a problem for me and dad

a picky eater (although now you will raspberries and carrots, this is  HUGE progress)

in book club at school and gymnastics afterwards

pretty sure you are going to grow up to be a gymnast (Although I am pretty sure you are more science minded than you think)

still into fashion and always wearing all the not matching things you can find in the drawer

hate wearing socks and shoes ("the grass is heaven on my feet")

saying things like - my head feels like a wrecking ball! when you have a headache

find lots of things scary (like frozen. who finds frozen scary? you.)

your favorite food is mac n cheese (or mcds)

your favorite color is rainbow

your favorite book is currently a Nest for Celeste, although you are still toting around Little Owl

My hope for you this year is that you grow into your voice a little more. You have things worth saying and worth being heard my girl. Say them LOUD and make sure people hear you.

Love you

Mama

Play time

Sammi's birthday is so close to Christmas that we usually wait to have her party until Feb.  So to celebrate her when it's close to her actual birthday we take the kids to Chuck E Cheese.  We went yesterday for an hour or so.

 I tried taking Sam off on her own and leaving Grant with Dave, but she completely did not know what to do with herself with Grant.

 So, we paired back up.

 We have these new bumper cars and my kids are crazy about them.

Grant is a complete blur in this place, but he was SO excited to win a bunch of tickets at one game.

Sort of on a whim Dave and I grabbed some blocks for the kids at Christmas. I've been looking for good, affordable blocks since Jack was small! These are Melissa and Doug. (They were $39 at Marshalls.) We used gift cards from Nani and Papa to buy a second set. They are BY FAR the most popular Christmas present. The kids play with them every day.

I loved their creative use of the felt with the blocks here.

Tomorrow Sammi turns 6! Back then with her birthday post.

Floral four patch quilt

At some point last year I was surfing the internet and found myself ordering several yards of very sweet large scale floral prints. It was hard to choose a quilt for them to be honest.  Usually I work with much scaller scale prints.  Then I was flipping through the book linked at the end of the post and thought wow! I really love this super simple four patch with all the prints.

So, off I went.

The only hiccup is that in my mind this quilt was pink.  None of the pink sashing fabrics seemed right though. It really just screamed for the periwinkle.

Aren't they so sweet?

The back is actually pink.

The inspiration quilt in Cotton Candy Quilts.

Details:
Pattern 4 patch
Variety of cotton prints, mostly 30s repros, with one actual vintage print
gingham is Robert Kaufman Carolina Gingham which is so, so soft and lovely
Cotton batting
Backing is a shabby chic from Target sheet
Finished at 64x64
Completed Jan 1, 2017