Out of sorts…

I have been consumed with watching “dramas” on the internet and it has been taking over my life! Literally! I am on the computer from 8:30 pm to almost midnight, then I get things prepped for the next morning, and I’m in bed by 1am! This must stop! I am drained physically and although I have good intentions and have something in my hands that I’m working on, NOTHING gets completed. yikes! What to do! I have made a decision to not go on the computer unless absolutely necessary. Must I be so compulsive?

We have been quite the busy bodies here. We started mommy and me preschool and the verdict is still out for this one. Yes, I’m super organized and can be super anal about things and I rarely meet my kind. And when I do, I’m usually in awe…awe that another species exists! Our teacher…can’t say just yet how I feel about her. I love her for her organization and attention to EVERY SINGLE detail but you know with kids, you just have to let some of that go. Examples are needed to fully understand…on the first day of school we were asked to choose a “job”.

1. bathroom duty: parent must pick up any kind of paper on the floor, make sure toilets are flushed, toilet paper is replenished

2. play area: toys must be put back in their bin, by their color code; toys with wheels must be placed on their side

3. parent must take inventory of all supplies and order as needed

4. there must be 8 different colored crayons in each container, must be stacked on top of one another, and then placed in a bigger container. WTH?

and so forth. On top of these jobs, we have other “jobs” which consists of planning, working, or going outside. I’m telling you…I am back in school! Really, I shouldn’t complain. She is the most sought after teacher and it is extremely hard to get into her class and she has nearly perfect attendance. So, I will have to suck it up and go along for the ride.

On top of preschool, I signed the twins up for swim again. This time around, there are fewer children and much more adults, older adults.

remind you of a movie?

Cocoon! It is a cute sight to see and I can’t wait to get that old and join the senior water aerobics class! So yes, besides being OCD, I am a grandmother at heart!

big sis

You think I could???

So the search for the perfect Halloween costumes is on! I decided to get an “early” start b/c if you remember from last year, my lil son could NOT make up his mind. One day…this. One day…that. I thought that I would be free of all of this stress when the twins said that they wanted to wear their costumes from last year, i.e. Buzz and Minnie. I was THRILLED! All you mommies know how expensive costumes are and what a waste of money they are but again, must. be. done.

My husband took them on a preliminary search this past weekend and I followed up with an outing to THE largest Halloween store I have ever visited. Truth be told, I get a bit scared of all these decorations and although I put my brave face on, did not work. After going down a few aisles, all the spooky noises freaked the kids out and they were asking to go home

So here’s where we’re at now. My daughter’s current request. And my son’s 3rd request.

The cat one is a bit risque for a 3 year old, in my opinion, and I’m THIS close to thinking I can make hers and tone it down a bit! Wolverine…you’ve got me. I have thought about this over and over and I just don’t know how I could accomplish this without making it look like I threw on a pair of yellow sweats with blue appliques! If you have any ideas, please share.

until then, my search continues…

big sis

Bittersweet

Things have finally calmed down. Custom orders have been completed, classes for the twins are completely over, and I can now take a break before mommy-and-me preschool, swim class, and ballet for my daughter begin in a few weeks. To celebrate my mini break, my husband and I are FINALLY taking an overnight trip WITHOUT the kids. I repeat…WITHOUT the kids. We contemplated for some time about when would be the perfect moment but let’s get real, there is NO perfect time to be apart for 2 days from your children. We waited this long for various reasons but mainly, I know how challenging it is to care for two kids who are developmentally at about the same level and whose needs need to be met pretty immediately before meltdowns occur. I was not ready to place this wonderful burden on someone else until now. They are 3, my husband and I have not taken a trip by ourselves for 4 years, and my in laws are ready and willing so…PERFECT TIME. But I must admit, I am a bit worried, a lil sad, and excited all at the same time. I’m sure this will all go away once I am roasting in the sun, drinking cocktails, enjoying a quiet dinner where I can actually chew and taste my food, perhaps watch a movie, and the most exciting part…SLEEP IN PAST 7 AM!

I’m just a tad bit worried…will they miss me? will they cry b/c they want to see me? will they NOT? How sad would that make me!!!???

Anyways, I will be back in a few days. hopefully a bit red (b/c I don’t tan that easily), refreshed, and ready to sew!

in the shop.

See you in a few!

big sis

The joys of having a girl!

All you mommies of boys know, there are far more cuter clothes out there for girls than there are for boys. FACT. OF. LIFE. Maybe b/c boys could care less. Put a shirt and shorts on my son, he is ready for the day. His twin sis, she’s a complete different story. She likes to go through her drawers and search for clothes SHE wants to wear. Never mind it’s almost 90 degrees outside, she will still want to wear her long sleeved Minnie shirt! ugh. AND she’s only 3! yikes! AND contrary to my husband’s beliefs, it is NOT b/c she sees me at the closet saying out loud “I have nothing to wear” while staring at a closet full of clothes and trying on different outfits. Once you have kids and you have to take them to swim class every morning and give them a shower there while trying your best not to get soaked, it’s all about the tank tops and shorts!

So I’ve been on this “sewing high”. I recently discovered a blog, Made, by a detail oriented mommy named Dana. She gives the BEST tutorials, I mean, there are pictures galore for EVERY step. You know it took her FOREVER to put the tutorial together and I can very much appreciate that. I’ve been eyeing her tutorial on the shirt dress but alas, the only shirt my husband says is worthy is at the dry cleaners (and I’ve been too busy/lazy to go pick it up). So I went on to her next tutorial, the market skirt. Can I just say CUTE!

The colors are a bit muted (for my taste) but what can I say, my daughter insisted this was the fabric her heart desired! Since I’m a newbie to sewing clothes, it took me a bit longer than the 2-3 hours and I would have to say that the pockets were the easiest for me. Partly, b/c I cheated. They are pockets but the buttons (fabric covered buttons made from the leftover seersucker) are purely attached for aesthetic reasons. I had planned on having her wear the skirt for a special day with her grandparents tomorrow but she decided, naturally, that today would be the day.

and how could I resist?

big sis

Must. toot. my. own. horn.

So I consider myself a beginner sewer, at best. ok…maybe on the verge of being at an intermediate level. For those of you who don’t know, my sis and I only started sewing when we opened up the shop a year and a half ago. So when I come across a project that I really want to do, I have to do tons of research and studying on it before attempting it. Probably more my personality than being a beginner. Anyways, my twins have been going down their own checklists and asking me to make this and that for them. So when my 3 year old son asked for this

I knew my daughter would be right behind him asking for something. Well, ever since Martha Stewart had Heather Ross on her show, I was dying to try out her smocked dress pattern (some people call it shirred, some call it smocked, whatever). My daughter was all for it as long as the fabric had Minnie Mouse ALL over it. DONE!

I watched the segment a few times and read the comments before diving into it, and I was already feeling iffy about it; so many people seem to have problems with the elastic thread and getting the fabric to “smock”. I followed the directions on the elastic thread package and wound the thread tight. My first line failed, did not smock. So tried it again BUT wound it very loose. almost to the point that if you let go of the thread, it would easily unravel. This is what mine looked like.

PERFECT!

Here’s what my first line looked like.

it smocks a bit on its own

here’s what it looks like after all 6 lines have been done

now, this is before you even iron it! smocks quite a bit.

end result

She’s wearing it a bit high but that’s b/c we (her and I)  hate it when her straps fall off her shoulders I even made some straps with the leftover fabric! My daugther is petite so I only had to purchase 3/4 of a yard. Do you know how proud I am of myself? She has been wearing her dress all day and even told my sis how she could make one for Lila. I am loving it! I may even make one for myself!

big sis

Update: The smocked dress pattern is technically called the Mendocino Sundress.

Mommy, I want to come ooooouuuutttt!!!

So I did it. After 4 weeks of “mommy/daddy and me” swim class, I signed my twins up for “preschool” swim class. The ONLY difference is no mommies or daddies go into the pool. It’s sink or swim! We were the oldest ones in the mommy and me class so the teacher encouraged us to move on up. I, of course, prepped the kids all weekend long and they weren’t jumping for joy but said they would do it.

Day 1: they were led down the ramp into the pool by themselves and halfway down, my son begins to sob. Don’t think that it helped that the other kids were repeating the class and my son and daughter were the only ones scared out of their minds. He cried for 25 minutes out of the 30 and almost made himself vomit. At the end, I felt SO bad and it took everything for me not to jump in the pool and drop the class, but hey, MUST cut the umbilical cord at some point right? My daughter who is usually the timid one, did SO well and only whimpered b/c her brother was crying. Very sweet. Now, if I could only stop her from hitting and yelling at him at home!

Day 2: they went willingly to class and again halfway down that darn ramp, my son made THE face…you know, the one where the bottom lip starts to quiver and you just know, just a second later, there will be uncontrollable sobbing. much better with only a few tears and breakfast stayed in their tummies. We shall see how day 3 goes tomorrow.

Anyways, my son, who is 3 by the way, has been in and out of “phases”. He went from trains, to cars, to superheros, to Star Wars (he can even talk like Jabba the Hut), and his current obsession, KISS…the rock band. Don’t ask. Don’t know. Don’t remember. But all day long, he sings “I wanna rock and roll all night and poddy e-vewy-day” while he periodically sticks out his tongue.  He goes through these things in spurts but always comes back…to ALL of them. And how does it affect me? one day he’ll ask me to make him a mask, another day it’ll be a cape, and now he wants me to make him a KISS costume/outfit. What am I? I generally say “ok” and then hope he moves onto something else, which he usually does. But now that the craft fair is over, I have no excuses. Must start so he can check things off his checklist, b/c apparently he has one!

Currently on my desk:

a reversible superhero cape. b/c you know if I make him a Batman one, he will SOON ask for a Superman one.

I took these tutorials here and here and combined them to get the shape that I liked. Crossing fingers that this will not end up shoved in one of his toy bins only to see the light of day once…sigh.

big sis

Massacre

but in a not-so-scary…in a very cute way…if possible. Geez, maybe I shouldn’t have used that title.

I’m so close to the finish line. I can see it but only from a distance…a FAR distance. remember, I have 20/20! SO CLOSE but so far. All right, enough; you get the picture. I spent yesterday afternoon painting and this is what we all looked like.

well…minus me b/c as you can see, there was no room for me to lay down with them! I just have to get them fitted for shoes and accessories. sigh. the tough part.

They are all waiting their turn. Even this sight gives me the heebie jeebies. I started thinking…”what if my house floods? then all my hard work will go down the drain”. I know, get a hold of yourself! For now, this will be their resting spot.

I’m moving on to another project. for now.

The twins and I will be attending our final class at the library. There is no denying it, our library has to be one of the most beautiful libraries of them all! granted, I have not been to too many It is bittersweet. We have been with this librarian (aka as “teacher” to the kids) for the past 2 years and it was our first mommy-and-me class. I’m already getting all sappy about these classes coming to an end and they are my kids’ classes! What will happen when my twins started Kinder?

big sis

Strawberry picking 101

don’t get your hopes up…just thought it would be a cute title! Well, maybe I can give a lil “101″ on it.

The kids and I went on our last field trip for the school year…to Tanaka Farms. Best trip ever! I mean BEST! I had so much fun! oh, and I think the kids did too

So we started our adventure on the school bus, their very first ride on a bus! How exciting is that for a lil one. My daughter was so weirded out about sitting in a “normal” seat WITHOUT seat belts that she held on to my arm for half of the drive. When we arrived at the farm, we began our tour on a wagon pulled by a tractor. Does not get more exciting than that…if you’re a lil boy.

Along the tour, they stopped and passed out organic veggies (green beans, celery, carrots, snap peas, green onions!) for everyone to try. The best part…if you didn’t want it, you were instructed to throw it overboard! LOVE it! Wish we could do that at home and someone else could clean it up.

The last leg of the tour…the magical moment…pick your own ORGANIC strawberries. My kids went to town! Here is how you pick them: You grab one strawberry with one hand and with your other hand, you twist as close as you can near the base (where the stem meets the leaves). You twist until the strawberry is released. OR if you have toddlers AND a camera AND a basket and NO HELP, then you just use your nails to cut the stem!

If you’re lucky, this is what you get. A basket full of bright red, juicy, ORGANIC strawberries! And if you’re fast like me, you can fill your basket, eat just about that much, and pass strawberries to your kids during the 15 minutes you are allotted.

They will be having a watermelon tour some time in July, which is suppose to be even more fantastic. Too bad I hate the heat. Heat plus porta potties…not a good thing.

big sis

Hip Hip Hooray!

No more festivities until June!

So we celebrated the twins’ 3rd birthday on Sat and decided to cancel their last party (which would have been their 3rd one!) at Goofy’s Kitchen. Yes, I have been dying to go there for the past year. But with 2 birthday parties and mother’s day dinner AND all the presents, we’ve come to the conclusion that we are not made of money! unfortunately

I love it when everything comes together and I can finally put away things and get ready for the next “project”. So what where those darn party favors that I was hemming and hawing about? personalized on-the-go crayon rolls! I committed to the project very last minute but I was able to complete 17 in 3-4 evenings. I give you the time frame so that you know it is definitely doable. You can find the tutorial here. She also provides different versions. I changed the pattern up a bit to accommodate 8 crayons and give it a slightly different look.

each was personalized…

filled by my husband…

rolled up and placed in goodie bags. Phew!

This summer will be busy with craft fairs…or maybe not. If only my lil ones could sew or cut or iron or…

big sis

Happy Birthday to my “twinsies”!

…so they like to call themselves.

We celebrated their 3rd birthday (their actual b-day is on Mother’s Day this year) at our mommy and me class, and boy am I glad that I have this party out of the way. We had Chick Fila catered for the kids and parents and I even made mini cupcakes! Thank you so much, Jenn, for your frosting recipe. They were a hit! Definitely check out her recipes. I’ve made a few of her stuff, and they never fail!

1 down, 2 left.

I think I feel need to go above and beyond b/c they’re twins. I know it’s my doing and my feeling, but I never want them to feel “un-special” b/c they share their birthday with their sibling. Plus, I really do feel like they are my miracle babies (which I’m sure all mothers feel as well).

Gotta change gears…party this Sat will be quite big, for me, that is. I’m hoping it will be organized chaos and I will come home in one piece. With 25 adults and 17 kids…God help me now!

big sis