Grow Sunday Carnival

The past Sunday our Sunday School was assigned the task of providing a bean bag toss for our church's Kids Grow Sunday. Kids Grow Sunday was the Sunday deemed where all the kids would move to their new Sunday School class. I was one of the four members of our class who volunteered to man the table and game. Being the stereotypical Type-A person that I am, I searched high and low for the perfect bean bag toss game. Since we didn't have time to order one, I was pretty limited to Party City which only had a small rinky-dink game. Obviously, that wouldn't work so I promptly came home and told S that we needed to make one. Thankfully, S was up for the task.

S constructed it and I painted it. I think we did an awesome job! I see this being pulled out at many occasions in the future. Here's the finished result:

TA-DA! Think we could earn some money making these?

The other thing we have going on right now is getting W prepared to play soccer for the first time. S played soccer for most of his life and he'd love to see the boys enjoy it too. Unfortunately, we are still trying to convince W that he's going to love playing. Thankfully, his best bud and his cousin, who are the same age as he is, both play and we keep using that to get him excited. LOL! But there is one thing he is crazy about and that is his new soccer ball. He and every other little boy in the store picked out the shiniest red soccer ball they could find. Ha! Anyway, we find out in a couple of weeks which little team he will land on and what their schedule is. Wish us luck!

i have a new obsession

If you know me, you know I have a decent creative streak and that I love making things. Yes, indeedy, I love doing crafts. I painted pictures for W's nursery and got brave and painted a sweet mural for G's nursery. I made the cornice boxes and the window treatments in my dining room and I've been making hand sewn cutesie onesies and shirts for a while now. But the one thing I have never known how to do is machine sew and there are sooo many cute outfits I'd love to make only if I knew how to sew.

The funny thing is that I have an awesome sewing machine, but it is so awesome it almost intimidated me. It stayed in its case for almost a year and half taunting me whenever I'd pass by it. "I'mmm here, sewing moron." "Hey, you, ever gonna use me?"

Well, this week, I handed that sewing machine a big glass of Shut Up juice. I learned how to sew! Okay, just boys pants. But, I did it. My good friend came over and taught me some of the basics to my sewing machine and taught me how to make these really cute pants/shorts/capris for the boys. By the way, my cousin's husband has forbidden me to put my boys in "capris". He suggested that I call them "knickers" since that's what boys wear, but "knickers" remind me of Oliver Twist (lol!) so I guess I'll keep working on finding some other term that is more acceptable.

But the best thing of all is that I felt something I hadn't really felt in a while...excitement! Yes, I get excited for things with the kids, but personally, I just hadn't had much drive to do anything beyond my family and kids. That kind of died with me when my mother passed; however, here it is, this excitement. And for the 1st time in a while, I tasted the sweet taste of personal satisfaction, of looking at something I created and saying "I love it!"

So what's next? I registered for a Beginner's sewing class and the Intermediate sewing class and I can't wait! I'm hoping to funnel this enjoyment into a little etsy store so I can make a little money, but I'm Type A on some things and won't do it until I feel I have the basics covered. Below are some of the thing I've been knocking out this week while the boys nap or when they've gone to bed.

Octopus set - shirt and capris (clam diggers? board shorts?) for W

Octopus shirt close-up

Shorts and pants for W. The shirt is in process. I'm thinking a sail boat for Spring.

Dinosaur shirt and pants set for baby G

Close-up of Dino shirt

My little model

Truck shirt and clam diggers for baby G

Ok, I also made a new flat sheet for W's toddler bed. He's a Cars fanatic but we only had a fitted sheet to go on his bed, and since we are Type A *cough, anal, cough* people, it kinda drove S and I both batty so I had to make him a top sheet.