The Vaughn Family

Cotton Candy and Oregon History

2010-09-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about our history & science studies this year! Despite being born and raised in Oregon, there is so much that I don't know about our fair state. More exciting than the topic is the fact that our history & science co-op is going to take a field trip each month to a different region of Oregon to see it firsthand! Tomorrow our journey will take us to Crater Lake to learn about volcanoes and the Indian myths/legends revolving around its creation.

Considering our history topic this year, it was nearly impossible for me to resist a free photo presentation at Prineville's A.R. Bowman Museum on the railroad wars of Central Oregon. The kids and I made the journey to Prineville last Friday. We arrived about 1.5 hours early for the 6:30 start time, so we stopped for dinner at the local Tastee Treat Diner. Immediately Violet began drooling on the ice cream case, just inside the front door. Inside the case was the brightest ice cream I have ever seen. It was swirled with neon shades of blue, pink and purple and carried the equally exciting name of Cotton Candy. Knowing my limited budget for dinner, I had to say no to the prospect of sampling the psychedelic ice cream. While I was placing our order, an employee in the dinning area struck up a conversation with the kids, trying to guess their ages and grades. With the exception of classifying Robin as a preschooler, she nailed them all.

Dinner was an improvement over the fast food to which we are accustomed. Mid-way through our diner fare, the waitress brought out a note to me from the manager. It turns out that Bev the manager was whom the kids had been talking with earlier and she had seen the disappointment on Violet's face when I said "No, ice cream." It turned out that Bev wanted to give them each a scoop of the Cotton Candy ice cream on the house! How could I say no? When the server brought out the neon ice cream, there were uncontainable squeals of delight. What a wonderful welcome to Prineville!

After their dose of sugar, we stopped by "Castle" Park near the center of town to burn off some of our excess energy before the presentation. What a cool play structure! The options for climbing, swinging, crawling and sliding are endless. We did not stay too long, as there were too many men unaccompanied by children hanging around the park, which made me feel uncomfortable.

Finally, we made our way to the Bowman Museum, where we met up with my mom. I was slightly disappointed that the presentation was not in the main museum, but rather the unfinished annex. Soon the presentation began. It was chock full of information about the arrival of the first railways to Central Oregon.
The slides and stories about the Crooked River Bridge construction alone, made the trip worthwhile. I was pleasantly surprised that all four kids sat relatively still for the entire 1.5-2 hour presentation. James seemed pretty interested, but the girls were quite bored. Nevertheless, we survived and may have actually learned something.

Violet Made it to 10!

2009-11-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

When our daughter Violet was a toddler, there were many days when Travis and I thought, it would be a miracle if she made it to 10 years old. She has always been one to push the limits of everything, especially my patience. This week I am thanking God for a miracle granted. This November marks 10 years that we have had the blessing of Violet in our lives! Not only has she survived, but she has thrived and matured. This year I have seen her soften and begin to bloom into what I am sure will be a wonderful young woman. Violet has become more responsible, truthful, and respectful. I am truly enjoying being her mother!

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus Recipe - How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

2009-08-18T15:44:00.001-07:00

This sounds yummy! I think that I will have to try this recipe. Hopefully I will be able to find Tahini easily, because I don’t think that I want to make it from scratch.

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus Recipe - How to Make Sun Dried Tomato Hummus

A Splashing Good Time

2009-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:00

The onset of HOT summer weather brought out the inflatible pool. It has become tradition to set it up under the slide for maximum enjoyment. This is one aspect of motherhood that I truly LOVE, trying all the things that I only dreamed of as a child. Growing up I remember a wide array of sprinklers to run through, an occasional hard plastic wading pool, and many repurposed small boats, but a pool slide, that was only a dream. This summer we added friends to the fun. I find it so fulfilling to watch the kids playing nicely, enjoying the cool water and hot summer sun. Fulfilling that is, until Robin giggles and hollers, "I peed in the pool!" Little sisters are so silly!

Elks Game

2009-06-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight I enjoyed my first Collegiate league baseball game, The Bend Elks vs. The Bremerton Bluejackets. GO ELKS!! In all actuallity it was the first time I had watched adults, outside of a church league, play a serious game. It was great fun! I especially liked the price, 7 of us got in for just $5.00 total! It was Little League night, so all little leaguers in uniform (plus one guest each) were admitted for free. I have decided that nothing can beat the cracking sound that a wooden bat makes as it collides, full force, with a baseball. I wish that the little leaguers could use wooden bats as well. Sadly, tonight the Elks lost by one point, but it was a good game. Lots of great catches and 2 shattered bats. The broken bats thing was incredile to watch. Large segments of what was formerly a bat, went flying deep into the infield. It has to be a little unnerving for the pitchers to be so close as the bats come flying recklessly in their direction.

It was a double header tonight, but the clouds were rolling in, the wind was picking up and the temp was dropping, so we called it a night after the first game. I think that the kids had fun tonight, at least there was a lot of giggling and squealling. Who knows if they actually watched the game or not. The team mascott, Homer (a man with a giant baseball for a head), was the focus of most of their attention and ridicule. I hope that James gets to experience the life of a mascott at some point in his life. To the delight of all the kids there was an affordable concession stand in the stadium. Looking back, I think that sugar overload may have contributed to their inability to stay seated during the game. Next time I will stick to the popcorn and peanuts.

I can't wait to go to another game! I never imagined that a baseball game would be so entertaining. I hope that I can enjoy the next game as a date with Travis and find something else for the kids to do for a couple of hours. I'm hooked!

Little League 2009

2009-06-08T20:58:00.001-07:00

This year Violet played on the girls softball team. Her team was named The Thunder. They had amazing coaches! Violet had to learn about stealing bases and pitching underhanded with a wind-up. This was the first year that Bend had reintroduced a softball division, so there were only enough girls in bend for one team of 7-10 yr olds. With a shortage of rival teams in Bend, we played teams from Prineville, and Redmond. Initially I thought that the travelling was going to be horrendous, but it wasn't really that big of a deal. The Thunder played some really great games, made apparent by the hooting and hollering of the spectators. One of the girls taught the team some cute cheers:

We don't wear no miniskirts

we just wear our softball shirts

We don't play with barbie dolls,

we just play with bats and balls.

We don't drink no lemonade,

we just drink our Gatorade!

Much more creative than the lame ones, I remember.

James rejoined the league this year in the Minor American Division. His team name was The Twins. He was delighted to find a couple of his friends from AWANA also on his team. James found his niche in the catcher position. He did a great job, and I saw BIG improvements in James' basic skills this year. He developed pretty accurate aim in throwing and toward the end of the season he was able to hit the ball.

This is James showing his Trekkie genes. Live Long and Prosper!

Sadly, I have not got the pictures of Hailey developed yet :(

Hailey signed up for the tee ball division this year. She made her debut into little league on the Sidewinders. Hailey has always had a bit of a princess complex, and her coach must have sensed as much. He told all of the boys on the team that girls get to bat first, every time, and she really ate that up! She did pretty well for her first year playing. She hit the pitched balls about half of the time and the other half she used the tee. I think that her favorite part of the game was chatting with the base runners. Hailey's throwing skills improved through the season as well.

Well, we survived another year of little league. Next year should get pretty interesting, I think that Robin might be old enough to play too!

God's Plan of Salvation (GPS) Spring Choir Performance

2009-06-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

This year the Bend Church of the Nazarene Children's Choir presented God's Plan of Salvation. All of our children were able to participate this year. It was a great performance! I was quite pleased to see at least three out of the four doing the hand motions throughout the songs. The kids' candor is so much fun to watch. At one point Robin shouted out "OH, watch! This is the funny part!" There is no predicting Robin.

Race Day updates

2009-03-05T10:07:00.000-08:00

The Grand Prix and bake off took place on February 28th. Here are the results:

Violet James and Hailey took second place in the bake off (cereal bar division) for their Zip E. Zebra's Crispie Treats. They consisted of a bottom layer of Cocoa Krispie Treats topped with a layer of normal Rice Krispie Treats then drizzled in melted semi-sweet Baker's chocolate.

Hailey took 2nd place for Design in the parent assisted Sparks division. Hailey did most of the painting and attached the mane and made all of the design decisions herself. Travis and I had to help with the outline of the body, shaping the head etc.

Robin took 2nd place for both speed and design in the parent assisted open division. Robin did almost all of the painting herself. I did the pin stripping and shaping of the elephant.

James' black limo with Spiderman riding on top was over 1 ounce too heavy when we got to the qualifying station. The men working the weight station did no think that they could safely remove enough wood to make it fit in the qualifications, so he had to make the heartbreaking decision to peel off his handcrafted Spiderman. In the picture below is James' car next to Hailey's Pegacorn car. There were many tears shed.

I was blown away that Violet did not win a prize for design for her beach scene car. She came up with the idea on her own and did the work herself. There was nothing else like it at the race.

Awana Grand Prix

2009-02-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Last year was our first Grand Prix. Violet and James created get race cars. They both were quite close to placing for speed. This year we threw speed out the window and went for creative designs. James designed a black limo with a handmade spiderman figure clinging to the roof.

Violet crafted a car shaped like a beach scene with a surfing monkey. The only thing that she needed help with was the crab.

Hailey wanted a unicorn car with wings and a horn. We have not added the wings, tail or wheels yet. She painted the body, face and horn. She needed some help with the leg outlines and shaping the head. I think that she should call it a Pegacorn.

Robin and I are having a bit of trouble focusing on a particular design. The only input that Robin provided was that it needed an elephant. She has assisted in painting the main body of the car. If Robin approves, I think that maybe we will repaint the car body to look like a peanut.

Sick Day

2009-02-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Today the kids and I stayed home from church again. Hailey is the sick one today. She came home from school early on Friday with a terrible sore throat. While I think that her sore throat is a little better, she has an awful croupy sounding cough. After a day and a half of being in her bed all alone and bored, I let her move to our bed so she could watch some Scooby Doo episodes.

Violet, James and Robin have decided that today is fort day. So far construction has gone pretty smoothly. James is stocking the armory. Violet is working on naming the fort. Robin is doing her best to not bring down the roof. It warms my soul when they can work together on a project.

The Silver Lining

2009-01-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

With all of the news media reporting how bad things are, today I am going to search for the silver lining of these dark clouds.

1. Houses are not selling, ours included, and thus we can continue to live in our favorite neighborhood!! You cannot beat the trees and peacefulness of the forest!

2. We have not got much snow this year, but driving has been much easier this winter(?) and I will be able to plant a new back lawn much earlier than anticipated.

3. There have been lots of layoffs, even at Qwest, but hey, the increase in Travis' workload makes his job more secure (I hope).

4. The stock market is a mess, but look at all of the incredible deals on stocks!

5. I don't have much confidence in our new president, but oh, what an opportunity for God to show us some of His mysterious ways! (I am curious to see what His plan has in store for our nation)

6. The schools are trying to prevent prayer in classrooms, but this week most classrooms watched the entire inauguration of President Obama, the beautiful prayer of Rick Warren included. Yeah!!!

7. My little Robin is a very strong willed young lady, but I believe that God can use that strength to forward His Kingdom. (What, that wasn't in the news? Well, it should have been because our battles have been of epic proportions!) Look out unsaved world, Robin is coming and she is full of it (The Holy Spirit, I mean)!

The economy has tanked, but it's failures have brought about:

8. Milk prices dropping almost $1.00 per gallon!!! (and butter too, mmmm, I love butter. Especially on warm fresh bread. I think that some baking is in order today)

9. High gas prices dropping, and now Little League is affordable again!!!

10. Our Church growing as people seek help and hope!!

Snow Much Fun!!!

2009-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Travis was home from work for most of the kiddo's Christmas vacation. With all the extra snow that we received (about 2 feet), we felt it totally necessary to go seldding in Sunriver. Robin is little Miss Independent! She put on most all of her snow clothes by herself. Granted, she had a few things twisted but most of it was adorned correctly. With a few minor adjustments, we were off for the sledding facility.

Sunriver, has a couple nice groomed (and free)sledding hills in the resort. They set up hay bales as bumpers and typically grind out any dangerous bumps that form.

Three of the four courses are tame enough that we let Robin go down by herself.

We have three sleds. One Robin size and two for Violet, James and Hailey to share. They all had a blast!! I am so thankful that all of this fun is so close to home.

)

Christmas

2009-01-07T09:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas was nice and quiet this year.

This year the kids decorated the majority of the tree. Travis and I put on the lights and special ornaments and then the kids did the rest.

We went to a Christmas Eve service in Sunriver and the kids opened their Christmas PJ's that evening.

Celebrating Christmas at home was quite peaceful despite the paper shrapnel and squeals of delight. The kids opened their gifts and were able to enjoy them on the same day.

James received a neat 648 piece Lego set that can be assembled three different ways; a sports car, a skid steer and also a semi truck. I enjoyed spending time with James assembling the car and then the skid steer. Travis took over as the parts specialist for the semi truck assembly.

The only thing on Robin's Christmas list was a "soft snugly baby tiger with stripes", so she got lots of tigers. I love that Robin's emotions are very visible on her face. I could tell that she really liked her tigers alot, but on the other hand when she opened her nerf dart gun (I got one for every child), she just threw it back into the box.
The weekend following Christmas we celebrated again at my parents house. Dart guns in hand, we turned Mom's house into a combat zone.
We all missed the Vaughns and my sister's family. I hope that we can visit soon.

Shoeheads & Big Brothers

2008-12-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

One night several months back Robin woke up scared of something she called shoeheads. They are purple, yellow, black, blue and grey, or so I have been told. While I have not been able to figure out what brought on this creation of Robin's imagination, I think I have a pretty good idea who's been encouraging it's development. Brother James has really run with the idea of a scary creature that torments his little sister while she sleeps. At night as she is "trying" to fall asleep he tells her more scary details about the shoeheads. Last night's addition was that the shoeheads can make holes in your hands and they are friends with witches. We got him to stop for a while, but obviously he needs another reminder. Maybe James will have to use his money start a therapy fund for Robin. I asked Robin to draw me a picture of a shoehead, and this to the left is what they look like.

Sleep, what's that?

2008-11-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

Oh Sleep, how I miss you so much.
We had such a great relationship for the last month.
I wish you hadn't gone away.
I will surely break it off with caffiene if you promise to return to me.
Caffiene doesn't mean anything to me. It's purely physical.
This woman has needs. Needs that need to be met daily.
My relationship with you is so much deeper and spiritual.
Please I beg of you, return soon!!!!

New Star Trek Movie Coming!!!

2008-11-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

The new release date for the Star Trek movie appears to be May 8, 2009. I can't wait!!! It has been well over a year in the making. The new trailer is exciting. It looks like J.J. Abrams has brought an updated look to the Star Trek prequel. Kind of odd thinking that something apparently occurring before the previous Star Trek installments actually looks more futuristic. The trailer looks like something that might appeal to a much broader audience. I love GOOD sci-fi movies and this one looks GREAT!! I am slightly concerned about the sexual content. I have let my kids watch most of the previous Star Trek movies, but this one might require additional consideration. Check out the Star Trek Movie trailers at: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/startrek/

(It was awfully kind of the studios to pick a release date very close to our wedding anniversary.)

Privacy Lost

2008-11-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

It seems to be common knowledge among mothers of young children that bathroom time is no longer private time. Gone are the days of sitting and thinking peacefully. I gave up on expecting privacy in the bathroom about three kids ago. However, I am beginning to think that I may never regain that privacy again. While 3 out of 4 of my children now understand that bathroom time is alone time, my little Robin is far for grasping the concept. This is all expected, but what I did not anticipate is that our dog and cat have now learned (from the kids) that my bathroom time is a great opportunity to engage a captive audience. They parade back and forth in front of me with whines and meows, pleading their cases for more attention. On the bright side, I will always have a messenger to send for more toilet paper when reserves are running low!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!

2008-11-04T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well, we got our first good snow of the season this morning. We were pleasantly surprised to wake up to about three inches of fresh powder.
I have never seen the kids get ready for school so fast. They went out and played in the snow for about 30 minutes, before we had to leave for school. Violet, James and Hailey managed to make two rather large snowballs. James pushed his around the house twice collecting snow. Robin is still getting over a cold from this weekend, so she has not gotten to play in the snow yet. She and Obi have been watching the fun from the windows. Sadly, as I write, it is slowly melting. We are at 39 deg F and rising. It won't be long and we will be back to our wet wonderland.

Domestic Terrorism

2008-10-31T09:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I personally feel that my abilities to be a good, sane, patient, and caring mother are directly related to the quality time that I spend with my sewing machine. How can pushing tiny pieces of pretty fabric under a needle for hours on end be theraputic? It is Because I know that a quilt is a project that I can finish. As for the ever present laundry project, I'm pretty sure that I will never be done. Taking a sewing machine away from a housewife should be classified as a form of domestic terrorism. I can't think of a better way to take over America than to cripple the building blocks of our nation, the nuclear families. When we put our house on the market, my sewing machine was banished to the garage along with every other craft opportunity that I own. Do you see it there hiding under the boxes of notions and fabrics, taunting me every time I step foot in the garage? Seeing it there all sad and lonely is almost enough to bring me to tears, and yet there it will stay until someone buys our house. So if you know anyone looking for a slightly used house in a beautiful rural neighborhood, send them my way, for the well being of my husband & children.

SSSSHHHH!!! Don't tell my sewing machine, but I have been dabbling in friendship bracelets to keep my hands busy. In my elementary school days I would spend hours on end trying to make a single freindship bracelet. Since then I have made a few changes. I am now using pearl cotton in place of the embroidery floss and a button & loop closure in the place of the permanent knot. Here is the one that I made for Robin. Maybe next time, we can find a more exciting button. Last year I made the girls beaded necklaces and bracelets, but they won't wear them. Hailey and Violet claim that the beaded jewelry is too "scratchy". This macrame style seems to be less "scratchy" and cheaper to make.

S.W.A.M.P.E.D.

2008-10-25T18:27:00.000-07:00

With three out of four kids in school now, I have found time to add a few acronyms to my schedule. I am now a part of A.W.A.N.A. (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed), M.O.P.S. (Mothers of Preschoolers), C.B.S. (Community Bible Study), P.T.C. (Parent Teacher Coalition [PTA without the fees]), and lastly O.W.W. (Oregon Water Wonderland governing rules commitee). It feels good to be involved in my community, but somedays I just feel like everything mushes together and I become:

Sedulous

Wife

And

Mother

Pleading for

Empty

Days

At least I have something to do now.

Sidebar: Why do we have to come up with acronyms for everything in which we are involved? Are we really that lazy that we cannot type or say the whole name for the group of which we are speaking? Acronyms when left unchecked can become like an entirely different language that requires the use of an interpretor. When speaking with someone outside of the said group, the use of an acronym can actually take more time to explain than it actually perports to save.

On Wednesdays, Robin and I go to CBS in Bend. It really is a great Bible study. They put up with my many strange and sometimes off-topic questions and they also have a wonderful program for the children. One of the things I enjoy most about CBS is how they encourage the children to memorize small bits of scripture. A few times throughout the class year the children present their work to the adults. Last Wednesday the children recited a portion of Matthew 28:20.....I am with you always. Here is a clip of them:

Robin is in the front row in the sleeveless red dress.

Sarah Violetta Bathurst 7/23/1919-9/13/08

2008-10-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

My grandmother is in heaven now. She is no longer in pain. I miss her. At 89 years of age, we knew that death was near, but when Robin and I visited her on Monday it did not seem that it was eminent. The world feels just a little emptier today.

OCTOBER, AAAAHHHHH!!!!!

2008-10-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

For whatever reason, I have always had a tough time keeping my emotions in check in October. This morning at church I started crying for no known reason, and not just silent tears but full on sobbing. I'm sure that everyone thinks that we are having a hard time at home or financially, but that is just not the case. I just can't stop crying. It is uncontrollable and unpredictable.
There are plenty of good reasons to cry (The SCAM that is global warming, my babies are growing up fast, all of my socks have holes in them, our house is not selling and is worth $150,000 less than it was 18 months ago, my purse is broken and I can't find a good replacement, there is a family of intelligent mice living in my garage, remembering how scared I was six years ago when Hailey was born, my friends that I miss, remembering that two weeks after Hailey was born my grandpa died without much warning, I can never find my hairbrush when I need it, or because our van's ability to function seems to be directly related to the dirt holding it together, or simply the fact that I'm a woman and can cry if I want to, just to name a few), but somehow I know in my heart that none of these are the source of my tears. I have tried to focus on the innumerable reasons not to cry, (My marvelous husband, God's saving grace, my 4 wonderfully goofy kids, my great house, crying makes my face all red and puffy, it is sunny outside despite being October, the snow is coming soon, I have everything that I need, my husband has a good job, our kids have fantastic teachers this year, my sins are forgiven, there are several giant squirrels that live in our yard, I have a wonderful church family, I have a black and white cat that loves to be hugged, I have a sewing machine and am not afraid to use it, God has given me a mind that loves to analyze everything, I am unique, I have loving supportive parents and a cherished sister that I can agree to disagree with, we have working toilets and beds to sleep in, I am finally (after 4 years) getting to know some people in our area, our dog is house trained and also the fact that I am an American and am free to vote) but I still find myself crying. Someday I hope that God will show me His purpose in this area of my life. For now, I am a crier.

Six Years and Counting!!!

2008-10-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

Today we celebrated Hailey's 6th birthday. She has grown so much in the last year. I am very proud of her. Almost gone are the days of constant whining.

This year we invented something I am calling the pullata. Hailey requested a pinata for her party, but the party favor bags just wouldn't fall out properly. Instead I attached several handles to small doors on the face of the pullata. Everyone grabbed a handle and pulled open a door, revealing the treats inside.

Bread

2008-09-25T15:54:00.000-07:00

Today Robin and I baked whole wheat bread. I have been trying to find a recipe for wheat bread that does not use any white flour. The kids have suffered through several failed attempts. My friend Lois gave me this new recipe that she has adapted. It takes forever, but it is definately worth the wait.

It has the right texture, and crust. Yipppppeee! Finally a good bread recipe.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD RECIPE
2 cups of water makes one 1 ½ pound loaf of bread, or a very large loaf.
The afternoon before you make bread make a sponge that you put in the frig.
Water
Honey. This is to feed the yeast. About a TBS per 2 cups water is fine. More adjusts the taste, so it is what you like after you feed the yeast. Any sugar works, honey tastes the best.

Oil. Again, it is to feed the yeast. 1 TBS is enough to feed yeast in 2 cups water. Adding more oil affects the texture of the loaf and the taste. Butter tastes the best, but it is saturated fat, so you can decide on the oil.
Yeast. I don’t measure. No more than a level teas. for 2 cups water. I use less. Yeast is a plant; it has babies as it works. The taste of yeast you make when it grows is better than the original yeast you add.
A pill of vitamin C to help the yeast and preserve bread. Mash it finely.(I skipped this step because my only Vit C is full of added disgusting orange flavoring)]
When the yeast has dissolved, stir in enough flour to make dough that is just a little thicker than a cake batter.
Keep in frig at least 12 hours.
When you are ready to finish the bread next morning, add 1 teas. salt to each 2 cups of water. Salt not only flavor, but also regulates the rise of the yeast.
Put a pile of flour on the counter; dump the sponge on the pile. About every 45 minutes during the day you will fold this dough several times. Remember that yeast is a plant; so don’t treat it roughly or hard. Just fold. Try to end with the dough as wet as you can handle it at the end. Work the flour in carefully.
When you are ready to bake it, form it into loaves. Let rise. Heat oven to 450. It should be 450 for at least 5 minutes so the oven walls are hot, too. Carefully make three slashes in loaf, without making it fall. I have heard a razorblade will do that, but I have had better luck with a serrated knife. This is so it rises nicely in that first burst of heat. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 350. I use an oven thermometer to tell if it is done, take it out at plus 197.

Good 'Ol Obi

2008-09-19T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is how Obi earned his keep today.

1. He helped burn off some of Robin's boundless energy.

2. After running, he held down the clean clothes for me. You never know when an earthquake is going to strike, and it is very comforting to know that our laundry will be safe from jumbling.

3. At the same time he was encouraging me to fold the clean clothes so that they did not become stinky like a dog. We all know that I can use plenty of encouragement in this area.

4. He also notified me every time that a car, bike, person or squirrel passed behind our house. It is always wise to know what is going on in your neighborhood.

5. He spot mopped the kitchen floor.

6. He exercised the cat

7. He, um, "recycled" a piece of tissue that he found on the floor.

All in all, Obi is a very important member of our family.

Violet's Stitchin'

2008-09-18T09:15:00.001-07:00

This is Violet's first quilting project. She designed and pieced that quilt top. I did the quilting and binding for Violet, because she didn't feel ready to try those aspects. I am so proud of her for sticking with a project even when it got complicated. Violet made this blanket as a part of the model garment program at Hancock Fabrics, so it hung in the local store for 6 weeks. The quilt back is turquoise furry fleece, and we used satin on the binding.

All Alone with a 3yr Old!!!!!

2008-09-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to regret letting our kids watch 'Star Wars'. My lovely Robin is stuck in a repeat of the Imperial Storm Trooper March. DUN, DUN, DUN, DUN-DE-DA, DUN-DE-DA and repeat endlessly. Telling her to stop just switches the song to a chorus from "The Pirates of the Caribbean". At least she has good taste; Barney and The Wiggles can't compete with Hans Zimmer and John Williams.

Ever since school started for Violet, James and Hailey, Robin and I have been struggling to find things to fill up our time. Robin has had live entertainment all of her life (in the form of her siblings), but now she is down to just me. We have worked in her preschool workbooks, colored, baked, gone shopping, taken the dog for a walk and watched movies, but we are still left with so much empty time. Our dog, Obi, is not much help in this area. He has resorted to laying around helplessly staring at me with pitiful eyes as Robin climbs on him and brushes his fur. Robin has constant energy and an endless desire to talk about anything. Just watching her wiggle is exhausting. I can't wait to see how she will use all of that excitement as an adult. In the meantime, I am enjoying every minute of her silliness and unpredictability.

Jenny