A new shirt from Ottobre pattern mag (click on in english on left side of page). I am loving the way it is turning out. Of course, it could stand some buttons and button holes. And someone who takes more time with the inside details.... Although I did french seam the side seams and sleeves so they didn't look too corny rolled up. It is one of those projects that snowballed on its own. I was looking through my mag and wanted to make something. Then I found a piece of fabric. Then I thought, "oooh, trains!" and this is where it got me.
G loves trains, and is growing out of any clothes with trains on them. So this is a good addition to his not-so-small wardrobe.

Grandma R made the boys these great sweaters for Christmas this year. I had a hard time getting them to sit still. I guess I could say I was just trying to get a front and back view in one picture. She gave them matching pants too. But they wear them so much they are never clean at the same time or when I want to take their picture. Good job Grandma!!

Marsden Wagner Rocks!

I just read some of his new book, Born in the USA, and it is wonderful. It is organized well, a good mix of research and personal experience, as well as real-life stories. Too bad I didn't get to finish it. I ran out of time before it was due back at the library and since it is a new release, I couldn't renew it! Arghhh. I'll have to buy it I guess. He shows how broken the US maternity system is. It is so much more dangerous to deliver a baby in the hospital in the US. Did you know that we have the highest infant mortality rate in the industrialized world? We also allow drs to get around reporting maternal death as maternal death. So there is no accurate count of how many mothers are killed by their own sOB/GYNs. We are also one of the few industrialized countries that assume women will automatically be seen by a surgeon for a routine pregnancy. Would you go to a surgeon for a sore throat? Heck NO! Every other medical field is trying to find alternatives to surgery. ACOG even released a policy statement to guarantee the rise in the surgeries they perform--c-sections. They said it is too dangerous to have a vaginal birth after a cesarean (VBAC). No research other than stating that uterine rupture has incresed lately. Well, duh, they were using cytotec to induce contractions. Click on cytotec and tell me what you think.
Reaffirms my resolve to not deliver in a hospital if humanly possible (if the situation ever arises.) Wish I had had all this info 8 years ago. Please share this life-saving information with the women you love. Hospitals are wonderful, life saving places. For people who are sick and need their life saved. Birth is a natural, healthy process. There is nothing wrong with a pregnant woman or her babe. The hospital is likely the most dangerous place for her and that is sad.

GAK!

We love gooey stuff apparently. First the mud, then gak. It is this totally cool goop made from white glue and borax. Truly a great way for a couple of boys to spend a day inside.
Here are the instructions according to OMSI. We also played with adjusting how much water we added to the glue. It makes the flubber either stiffer or slimier. G wasn't sure what to make of it at first. But then M showed him how it bounced if you make a ball out of it. That got his attention!
Here's the pictures. We made a royal mess.
Okay, my computer is being fussy. The pictures will come soon.

Here they are (3-27-2007)

Muck and Mud and Guck

We have a large section of our backyard reserved for a garden. That means that this time of year we have a large section of our backyard reserved for a mudbox. "What is a mudbox," you may ask? Well, it is a section of the backyard reserved for playing in the mud. Similar to the sandbox. Only with a sandbox, kids sit and play in the sand with toys and their friends and dig to China, then go on about their other outdoor play. They wash hands and need to brush off when done.
However, with a mudbox, the kids go out and sit and play with toys in the mud and dig islands and moats and ditches and riversand dams. They also dig pits and roads and bridges and make more mud factories. But then, they cannot go on with their outdoor play. They need mom, NOW! to help them remove their muck-muck boots and every stitch of clothing in the garage. Then it all needs to be carted to the laundry room and put IN THE MACHINE NOT ON THE FLOOR DON'T TAKE IT UP TO YOUR ROOM WHAT DID I TELL YOU?! Then they need to get to the bathtub without touching the walls and be completely washed head to toe, yes even the hair even if we hate washing hair. How they get that much mud up there I am sure I never really want to know. Then they need a towel and clean clothes. We still have to remember to return the towel to the bathroom to be hung up on the towel rack.
For some reason, mom still is the one who gets to wash all the clothes and remember to put it all in the dryer. This goes relatively smoothly as long as there isn't another load of laundry in the machine when they come inside. Chances of success are also improved if there are no tears about being told to come inside due to dinner time or hitting neighbor kids with shovels.
And I ask myself again, "do I really want to live on acreage?"

Here is my new diaper design. It worked pretty well. WooHoo!
It is an all-in-one, which means it works like a disposable where I can just put it on G and we're done. But washable so I don't have to use icky chemicals or fill up a landfill. And it is cute. The inside flannel is Blue's Clues. I used 2 layers of fleece and 2 layers of flannel for the body. The soaker is attatched only in the back, middle third. It is 3 layers of flannel and serged on the edges. The whole thing fastens with Aplix. I intended to put laundry tabs on, but I haven't gotten that far yet. We were running late.
Guess I'll finish that later.

Bunches of pictures to try to catch up

Here's one more snow photo. I forgot to put it up earlier. It was our first Oregon snowperson!



Now that the weather is back to normal-ish, we get out to ride our bikes and such. G loves his trike and zooms around making "vroom-vroom" sounds.


Here's that pantry photo I promised earlier. I am proud to report that it still looks pretty much the same.


The three of us in the big cozy chair.



We had a great trip to Idaho. The boys were disappointed that there was no snow, but oh well.
I'd write more, but baby is sooo fussy.

More organizing

I must be on a roll. This week, my saint of a sister in law came over
and helped me with my pantry. So now I can find all my food. WooHoo!
I guess it is technically not a pantry. The dolts who built this house never planned on anyone actually using the kitchen. Therefore there are cupboards for dishes and such, but no logical place to put food. So I improvised by erecting a shelf unit in the dining room. Due to my lack of housekeeping ability, stuff just got thrown on it for the 3 years we have been here, but never really was organized or cleaned very well. We shall see if my attempts at organizing it this time work out for the long haul.
This is getting to be a good game. Wonder what I should work on next?

Tuesday we leave for a week with the family in Idaho. The boys are very excited to see the grandparents and cousins. I am happy to be getting a break too. M says we need a "change of scenery" and I agree.

Although I threaten to send my children off the public school when we're having a rough day, I am beginning to see how much I would hate that. I am teaching a class at Village Home, as well as M being enrolled in several classes. When we began planning our trip to Idaho, I initially wanted to speng longer there. But, due to our committments to VH, we can't. I had the realization that, in public or private school, I would totally be at the mercy of someone else's calendar. That would drive me insane! Then I would have to rebel--'cuz that's me. Good ol' homeschooling!

Speaking of homeschooling, we just started learning about Shakespeare. I have mentioned Shakespeare to M before and of course we have run accross quotes and references to his plays and sonnets before. Just recently he read the Magic Tree House book, Shakespeare on a Friday Night. We got a stack of books about Shakespeare from the library and dove in. He is loving it! I am really surprised. I would not have predicted something like this to fascinate him. I think he is really enjoying the history side of it more, but Ol' Will really holds his interest too. Amazing.